Utah, Day 10...Lava Tubes

 Tuesday, September 10, 2024

    There was no need to stay another day in Delta, it was time to head south.  I'd eventually end up in the town of Bryce, named after an early homesteader, Ebenezer Bryce.  As always, there was plenty to see in between.  

     But first, sunrise from the motel walkway...

       The Tabernacle Hills Lava Tubes were pretty easy to get to.  Once again, I did have the place to myself.  The drive in.

 

     At the end of the road, Tabernacle Hill. That path up is as steep as it looks.  It's also loose cinder.  I climbed a cinder cone once.  Not worth the effort.  

     Instead, I went off to explore.  

    There are multiple of these lava tubes on site.  Some are pretty easy to access.  This looking back at the entrance, from inside.

    Off in the distance, the exit.

    And without the penlight..

    I did have to crouch to get through that slot, but it wasn't too bad.

     

    There's a rather large entrance off this valley.  Getting down would have involved more scrambling than I wanted.

     Other partially collapsed tubes.

    I did climb down into a second tube, but couldn't go all the way through.

     

     Driving out...having driven over countless cattle guards, finally some cows.

    The original plan was to swing by Cove Fort.  I was ahead of schedule and they wouldn't be open.

     After turning south on Hwy 89, the canyon walls along the road just seemed to get higher. From a rest stop...

    I pulled off in Marysville for one reason, a hiking trail out to Bullion Canyon Falls.  The trailhead begins in Miners Park, five miles up a pretty decent gravel road.

      Three miles up, I saw this sign...

    Two curves further and the road was blocked by a bulldozer and a bucket loader.  They told me the road ahead was "all but gone. Washed out." So much for the waterfall hike.   Alicia did this hike during the winter for her blog, Girldonahike.  You can see that here:

      Instead, in my never ending quest to avoid chain restaurants, I found myself at the Prospectors Cafe.

    There were three more of those parked along the street out front.  Excellent sandwich by the way.

    A bit ominous, don't ya think...

   

     Ten miles down the road, it hit.  Made me glad I wasn't able to hike to the waterfall.  

    Way ahead of schedule for the day, I stopped into Bryce Canyon National Park.  With more patchy dark clouds,  I really didn't want to commit to a trail.  Instead, I drove to the furthest point in the park and hit overlooks.

   My home for the next few nights was the Bryce Canyon Pines Lodge. It's just three miles outside the park.  Nice place. Even a pleasant view from the parking lot.  

    Sunset from the parking lot.