BACKPACKING BUDDIES—UNDER-THE-RIM TRAIL MAKES A GREAT FIRST BACKPACK TRIP
thespectrum.com
“Dad, am I dreaming?” asked my 6-year-old daughter Zoe as we descended
another switchback on the Under-the-Rim Trail in Bryce Canyon National Park.
It was a fitting question for the bizarre world we had immersed ourselves into.
Clearly, our minds had not yet accepted the peculiar tangerine hues or the improbably balanced spires and hoodoos that trademark the eroded edges or “breaks” of the Paunsaugunt Plateau as reality.
I had promised Zoe at the beginning of the summer her first backpacking trip —
just the two of us. But every weekend filled up with other duties until we were down to the last weekend before school was to start. After Zoe reminded me of my promise, I checked my schedule and thankfully, it was open.
Bryce Canyon was an easy choice because its backcountry trails are loaded
with great scenery, notoriously free of crowds and as a bonus, the National Park
Service was waiving entrance fees that weekend.
