Utah, USA - August 2023
We had made a pit stop at Subway to get sandwiches for dinner. We were 10 minutes from the park entrance, and once we arrived, we followed the signs to the rest stops. I was getting excited about camping under the stars. We parked the car at #59 and Bryce canyon national park greeted us with a breeze that made us forget the scorching heat of the previous days.
We set out on foot for the scenic loop trail, entranced at each valley: if you've been to Cappadocia before, those rock pinnacles will look familiar-although here they form immense amphitheaters that turn red and orange depending on the light.
We discovered that it should not be called a canyon because it was not formed by the flow of a river, but water was an important element in its formation. Acid rain as well as thawing water infiltrated the rock in winter melted the outer layers of limestone, leaving room for sandstone.
It was almost dinner time and we set out for our pitch. Here everyone was ready for the evening: those who had pitched their tents, those who had lit their fires in the prepared embers--a beautiful atmosphere. The sky was tinged with indigo as we enjoyed our sandwiches and prepared the Toyota corolla to sleep in.
All of a sudden it got cooler and our summer sweatshirts were no longer warm enough...I realize that perhaps, even in summer, at 2400 meters above sea level the temperature range could still be important. But I don't say that out loud because it had taken me a good four months to convince my boyfriend to give in to this wonderful idea of sleeping in the car for only $10 each. We headed to the nearest viewpoint to see the stars, and although we looked like Buddhist monks wrapped in beach towels (wonderful idea #2), such a sight will be hard to forget: the pinnacles were no longer illuminated by moonlight, and every millimeter of the sky was laced with stars.
We dozed off after a silkworm evolution, totally wrapped in tarps and T-shirts to warm ourselves with our own breath (magnificent idea number 3). Every hour we woke up from the cold or the moonlight or the uncomfortableness of the seats, accompanied by some expletive or snort from him. Yet every time I opened my eyes I was enraptured by the sky above us.
At 5:15 we started the engine to reach the area with the bathrooms. We went to the sunrise point hopping to the top to warm up (great idea #4). There was the sound of silence, we were in the company of 5-6 other people who like us did not want to miss the show. Like in slow motion, an orange beam was seen first, then a red ball made its way between the two valleys tinging all the pinnacles reddish. I had tears in my eyes because what was in front of me was unbelievably beautiful. I would have done it all over again just for that sky, at night and at dawn. On the way back we passed families of fawns crossing the road, taking advantage of the absence of tourists and that morning peace.
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