The only real goal for today was to hike in Bryce Canyon. I felt significantly better, and if the weather held up, it would be a perfect day for exploring the canyon.
Daniel was packing up his motorcycle - getting ready to head east towards Escalante. He has this neat map on his bike tracking all the states he has traveled - I really want one.
Since we were in the campground's backup site, our neighbor was the camp hosts, Dennis and Nancy. Dennis was sitting out front of the RV drinking coffee. He invited Daniel and I over to have breakfast with him and his wife - eggs in a basket.
I buttered the bread and cut holes in the center, while Dennis fried an egg in each piece and Nancy brewed some coffee.
We talked about weather apps, and more interesting, Dennis' pre-retirement profession. They lived in Nebraska, where Dennis worked with the local university on community engagement. Everything from inspiring the younger generation to dabble in local politics to educating farmers about nitrates leeching in the water table.
Breakfast was fantastic!
The weather was getting gloomy (just overcast) and I figured I should explore the canyon. I opted for the Queen's Garden trail which hooks onto Navajo Loop. The guide claimed the hike would take about three hours, but I managed in a little less than two.
I'll let the photos do the talking:
Apparently those spires are called hoodoos.
While taking it easy at the campsite after the hike, a fellow cycle tourist said hello. It was Brad, who I met my first night in Zion. We agreed to meet up later in the evening for a brew and eat some dinner.
During dinner, I met Brad's cycling partner - they finally reunited after getting separated during an intense snow storm last week.
Brad showed me his home automation setup. Every electronic appliance at his house is hooked up to a wifi controller - so he can power on/off anything in his home. The app on his smartphone also lists every lightbulb, which can be controlled remotely. But there is more: various automation events are setup through the app, such as the bathroom lights turn on when he pauses a movie. Every plant in his house as an array of sensors in the pot, so he also knows exactly when to water or fertilize them.
How cool is that? I have some goals when I return from the trip.
After dinner, the three of us went for an evening hike on the ridge. They're both professional photographers, so I felt a little amateurish with my camera phone, but still managed to grab a few good shots.
Taking a picture of them taking pictures.
They have Fujifilm X-Pro2 mirrorless cameras; beautiful, retro looking cameras that take incredible photos. I may casually research some compact cameras that take better photos than my phone.
Tomorrow I start the trek to Salt Lake City!
Joe