under the rim trail (a/k/a the big hike) part 1

You know how we've been doing long hikes all summer?  It's all been leading up to this, the Big Hike, doing the entire 23 mile Under the Rim trail in one day.  When we were at Bryce last fall with H's parents, we learned about the little-frequented UtR23 - running from Bryce Point to Rainbow Point, all under the rim - and then, after a little research, we learned that while most people do the UtR23 in two or three days as overnight backpacking trips, a few people do it all in one day.  H and I decided that we would be a couple of those people.  The 136 hiking miles we'd done since May were all training.

At the start (with sunglasses because I blink at the flash)

The vast majority of visitors to Bryce stay within the amphitheater area (Sunrise Point, Sunset Point, Inspiration Point and Bryce Point), many staying up on the paved Rim Trail and peering at the scenery from the viewpoints.  Quite a lot venture down into the amphitheater via the short Navajo Loop Trail; some slightly hardier souls will take the Peekaboo Loop Trail from Bryce Point.  A fair number will take their own cars all the way out the 18-mile scenic drive to Rainbow Point, stopping at the overlooks on their way back.  A few will venture out on some of the shorter hiking trails, like the Swamp Canyon/Sheep Creek loop, but Bryce is not a user-friendly park for novice hikers.

One of many blow-downs

Only a handful will attempt the UtR23, due to its length, wilderness status and lack of water.  There are several backcountry campsites along the trail but permits are required.  I had emailed the park, asking if permits were needed for folks attempting to do it in one day.  The answer is no, and you can leave your car overnight at the trailhead, but you'd best be prepared to carry all your water because the few water sources are unreliable.  Thus informed, we were determined to do it although I was really worried about blisters, especially after how beaten up our feet were after the 18-mile hike we'd done in Park City.

HOUR 1

Sun finally hitting the cliffs

We carefully prepared our packs, paring down the weight as best we could since I would be carrying 5L of water and H would be carrying 6L (and water is heavy).  We also mused at length about what food to bring, realizing that we'd need stuff that was packable but not heavy, and that would pack a punch energy-wise but would hopefully sit well in our stomachs.  We ended up with granola bars, KIND apricot and almond bars, sour gummi bears, jerky, honey waffles and a couple different kinds of energy gels.  It seemed heavy on the sweet stuff but we thought it would get us through.  We even managed to think a little about recovery and had some Gatorades sitting in the cooler with the beer.

Crossing a dry creekbed

Monday morning we got up very early, dressed quickly (having laid out everything the night before) and were in the truck at 4:45 a.m.  We got to Rainbow Point around 5:20 ... and then had to wait around for the sun to come up a little so we could see the trail.  There were two other cars already in the parking lot, ostensibly backpackers who had overnighted in the backcountry.

Looking back from whence we came

Pretty glade

By 5:50 we could see enough to start, descending quickly from Rainbow Point.  We had read that there were a lot of blown-down trees across the UtR23 earlier this year.  There were still a lot of blown-down trees across the trail and we had to carefully pick our way across them.  After the first hour of hiking, we had done 2.39 miles and were feeling good.  The air was cool, the rising sun coloring the cliffs under the rim a warm and glowing pink.

Coming up through a burn zone

The funny thing about doing the UtR23 is that, for the most part, you are in the scenery so you don't see quite as much of the scenery which is visible from the rim.  We would follow along at the base of the cliffs for the most part, often in trees, sometimes in meadows, sometimes switchbacking over a rise.  The first landmark per se came at 7:19 a.m., mile 3.56, when we passed the Iron Springs backcountry campsite.  We continued the up and down, scrambling over fallen trees, and at two hours in had ticked off 4.83 miles.  At 8:27 a.m./6.04 miles we had just finished a short climb and passed the currently-closed (for "major trail damage")  Agua Canyon connector trail and at the three hour mark we had put 6.97 miles behind us.

Descending from the Swamp Canyon campsite

We were just under four hours in (and at 7.42 miles) when we saw our first people: two French backpackers who were just putting away their tent after an overnight at the Natural Bridge campsite.  We said good morning, continued on our way and never saw them again.  The trail was pretty pleasant underfoot, a little rocky in spots, a little washed out in others, but often level dirt, the kind of hero surface that makes you think you can walk forever.

Mud Canyon

Mud Canyon the other way

At about 10:30 a.m., we passed the Whiteman connecting trail (the trailhead on the park's scenic drive offers "backcountry parking") and the Swamp Canyon campsite.  We had just entered a large burned area, walking through what is now a meadow with scorched Ponderosa pine trunks.  This was the only one of the backcountry campsites we saw that really had a view: it was located at the crest of a rise and looked out over the spectacular Mud Canyon (terrible name!).  There is no water at the actual campsite but when we continued on the UtR23, we did find a small spring at the bottom of the hill.

HOUR 5

Five hours into the hike, we were approaching the halfway point, having ticked off 11.18 miles.  We also found ourselves on the bit of the UtR23 that we had done on our little hike the day before - familiar territory!  In rapid succession, we passed the Swamp Canyon connector trail (12.14 miles/11:14 a.m.), the Right Fork Swamp Canyon campsite (12.19 miles/11:16 a.m.) and the Sheep Creek connector/campsite (13.30 miles/11:40 a.m).

The way ahead

Now we were past the halfway point in mileage.  Now we were committed, because the Sheep Creek connector was the last chance to bail out - there are no other exit trails until the end at Bryce Point.  Now it was starting to get hot.

To Bryce Point: 9.5 miles

To Rainbow Point: 13.1 miles

Onwards!

To be continued ...