Zion National Park to Bryce Canyon National Park in the Snow!

With the tent getting a little frosty at night in Zion and bad weather on the way, we decided to break camp and gain some altitude before the storm arrived by heading to Bryce Canyon National Park.  By the time we got on the road, the snow was coming down.  Here's the magnificent view looking back down into Zion National Park from the entrance to the tunnel through the mountain.

Here's the line waiting for the tunnel transit - when an RV or big rig is coming through from the other side, traffic can only flow in one direction at a time.

Finally, it's our turn into the tunnel...time to see how the weather is on the "high side" of the plateau!

Surprise!  It's snowing on the other side of the mountain as well!

Yet again, pictures don't do the scenery justice.  You could still see the grain and the color of the red rocks, now highlighted by snow stripes.  While we certainly were missing out on seeing more red rocks, taking it all in as the snowstorm developed and seasoning it with the tension of a drive on slushy roads next to amazing canyons without guardrails made this an incredible journey. 

This is the famous Checkerboard Mesa.

Leaving Zion at last, we lost some altitude and left behind the deep snow.  I was a bit surprised to enter the Dixie National Forest, as it seems this name should have been taken by a southern state rather than Utah!  Note the first sign of the hoodoos to come in the background.  The lighter cap stones of dolomite, sandstone, and limestone are harder than the mudstone underneath, leading to the formation of tall, odd-shaped towers by erosion.

The drive continues to be full of amazing surprises!

We arrive safely in Bryce Canyon National Park after a drive that seemed much shorter than it really was given the level of entertainment along the way.

We head straight for the overlooks to take in the snow-capped hoodoos.

Icy trails, but they are still smiling!

One last look, and then it's time to find a place to sleep.

Since the temperature is forecast to be 12º F and the campground has about a foot of snow on the ground, the tent stays in the truck and we check into Ruby's Inn for the night.