I am thankful that I was chosen to be one of the teachers to go on our school’s fall campout. (Even if some students attending are knuckleheads without ears that function…so being paid to go helped)
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| One of the good selfies |
One of the mishaps of the trip was the size of the tent that was packed for me. The cot I was excited to sleep on stuck out of it by about two feet. Luckily, I am not too old and sleeping on the ground was only mildly unpleasant, mainly because we were gone two nights and the second night I was so exhausted from hiking that I slept through the night and didn’t notice the uncomfortable accommodations.
Day one was filled with beauty. It is fun to see my students experience new things. Most of them rarely get the chance to leave town and they definitely don’t go to National Parks. I’m reminded of how fortunate I am and how I am building a very blessed childhood for my own children with all of our adventures.
Here is the beauty of day one:
Bryce Canyon is Utah’s hidden gem and less visited than the other National Parks here. Most people think of Arches and Zions when they think of Utah and miss the majestic formations that Bryce has to offer.
The Navajo Loop Trail was only 1.3 miles but the views just kept getting better and better and it really worked my body. I may have had to stop 100 times climbing out of the formations to remember how to breathe, but with the whole 40% less oxygen at the altitude we were hiking I think it’s justified. Of course the teen boys who hiked it beat my group by 20 minutes but they didn’t see as much as we did as they sprinted through the loop.
We also went back into the park after an afternoon rest to learn about photography and Rainbow Point and Natural Bridges did not disappoint.
This tree is the tree of the day(besides the one at camp that held my towel so nicely) because it seems to embrace every fall color all at once:
It’s backdrop also wasn’t so shabby:
The frustrations of a tiny tent and children who don’t use the listening function of their ears definitely didn’t overshadow how rad being here was!
And seriously, you should come visit me in Utah. I’ll show you how pretty it is!
