Camphosts at Bryce Canyon National Park

We have discovered our surrounding towns and gone shopping at the nearest box stores in Ceder City, 80 miles away.  We have worked 4 days on and have discovered our surroundings.  It is just beginning!  What a place to be for the spring!

Our host site, new electric vehicle, and propane tank

Emma can keep track of the campground doings

Our dining window view

John looking out at one of the 15 viewing areas in the 18 miles of rim road

Wonderful hoodoos of Bryce that go on forever

The pine forests view from one of the viewpoints

Wow, and we are here for 3 months

Now I must get painting!

Zion to Bryce Canyon, UT

We stayed in Zion National Park while a storm passed.  Our boss at Bryce Canyon National Park told us to take our time and let the snow pass.  Over a foot of snow was predicted in Bryce.  Zion being 4,000 feet and down in the canyon did not see any accumulation, just snowy peaks.  In Zion we met someone whose blog I have been following.   Mike has been a camp host in Zion all winter.  He met our dear friends in Oregon while they were hosting together there.  Our friends arrived and we spent an evening together in our RV while the weather did it's thing outside.  They are on their way to Oregon for summer interpretive host positions at the shore. 

I arrived in Las Vegas and John drove to Zion where he and Emma hung out.
 The next day the weather turned to snow and sleet in Zion.



It was rainy and cold outside but with good friends it was warm and sunny inside.
We met our dear friends in Zion, UT who we have met in AZ and TX.

Snow in the mountains but not in the valley or campground

From the campground looking up towards the peaks

Our friends 5th wheel with a great background

 We stocked up on food and arrived in Bryce and were shown our campsite home for the next 3 months.  We are camp hosts in the North Campground, one of two campgrounds in the park.  We will be working 3 days on, 3 days off until July 15th.  We will be making sure guests in the campground are settled and we make rounds 4-5 times daily to create a friendly presence in the campground reminding guests about the rules if someone forgets them.  We were given uniforms, keys, radios, etc. and were training for 2 days.  Tomorrow will be our first day on the job.  I hope to start painting soon.  On our 3 days at least one of us must be on duty either at the campsite or walking or driving around the campground from morning until dark.  I will be painting at our site and the hours are counted as volunteer. The only physical job is cleaning fire pits and they should be done once a week. Then we have 3 days to go and do whatever. Right now only 1/2 the campground is open.  Snow is predicted next week.  May 15th things open for the summer season.  Right now even the dump station is closed due to possible freezing.

Our first day at Bryce we took a ride to some overlooks.  Note the snow from the storm last week.



Bryce is viewed from above.  The odd formations are called hoodoos



Can you see some people hiking down into the canyon?
 We want to adjust to the 8,000 feet above sea level before we hike this trail.

Just another view of a tiny piece of beautiful Bryce.  It is just awesome here.

Lake Mead and Hoover Dam

Before I flew to Connecticut we toured Hoover Dam from water and from land but did not walk the new high bridge across Black Canyon.  We were camped in the national recreation area on Lake Mead. 

John looking at Hoover Dam from a boat tour of Lake Mead.  The white on the rocks at the water line is from where the water used to be.  The lake is low right now. 




Boulder Dam from the land side of the dam



The dam blocks Black Canyon and holds back 2 years worth of water use in Lake Mead.  The water is used by Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, California, and Mexico.  Imperial Valley, CA uses the Colorado River to irrigate it's fields.  Imperial Valley grows 1/3 of all the fruits and veggies in the US.

We took a boat ride, then went to the dam itself and went on a tour including huge turbines for electricity.

Downstream a new bridge opened in 2010.  One cannot drive over the dam anymore unless checked by security.

Our view out the front window of the RV of Lake Mead and mountains

View of the dam from the boat tour

I Flew out of Las Vegas, NV to Connecticut family for 10 days.  Emma took care of John as he drove to Zion National Park in Utah and stayed while I was away.  Next stop Bryce Canyon National Park!!!