Friday was a fairly slow day for us. We stayed in Canyon Village until the late afternoon. It rained on and off for most of the morning. I didn’t have much of a desire to go off by myself and do a bit of exploring so I just stuck around and did some reading and writing.
After we were done in Canyon Village we moved down south towards the canyon and checked in to our new campsite at Bridge Bay. There were a few big bull elk just sitting around the campground when we arrived. We’ve seen quite a few in this area before as we were driving past. They must really like this spot.
We took a small walk down to the natural bridge that was near the camp. Just another name for an arch but this one is created differently than the ones we saw in Moab. The water flows underneath the rocks here, in small cracks found in the porous earth, and erodes the layers slowly until the bridge is formed. Now a tiny waterfall is left.
We meditated under the waterfall for a bit and then made our way to camp. The rain continued and we had a quiet night.
The next day was a big driving day. We stopped off at the northern rim of the canyon and walked down to the lower falls. There is an overlook there and you can stand right above the falls and feel the power of the water.
From there we drove north towards Mammoth Hot Springs which is near the northern boundary of the park. We made a few stops along the way but nothing really worthy of note here.
The weather held for most of the morning but as soon as we started walking the boardwalks of the springs the sky opened up. The springs themselves were cool, especially the terraced parts. The calcium deposits created the structures and the formations are changing all the time.
Amanda was really excited to see these but it was a bit of a letdown for her. It seems as if some of the springs are inactive at this time and there were only a few small sections that actually had the terraces. I think if it was sunny it would have been a lot nicer. The sun brings out the coolers in the springs.
The rain passed through and by the late afternoon, we were out hiking. We did the Beaver Pond trail. No beavers unfortunately but it was an enjoyable walk. The forest is so lush and green here.
We did run into a large group of elk on the trail towards the end. I shouted at them but they wouldn’t budge. They’re not really bothered by humans here. They probably have had tons of run-ins and nothing ever happens so they have no reason to really care.
Normally I wouldn’t be too bothered but there were a few females with their babies so I just wanted to be extra careful. Eventually, we found an alternative route and avoided them.
Sunday was our last day in the park. We woke up early and hit up the most popular trail in the park – the Fairy Falls trail. It was so foggy in the AM but the sun came out once the sun got high enough in the sky.
The waterfall was nice and we decided to go further down the trail to Imperial Geyser. We spoke with a few people coming out as we were going in. They told us that they saw a bear and she had some cubs with her. So we had to be extra careful.
We went for it but the adrenaline was definitely pumping a bit. We didn’t come across the bear thankfully. Though part of me wishes we saw it from a distance. It would have been a nice ending to our trip to the park.