Day 15: Canyons (Panguitch, UT to Calf Creek Campground - 84 miles)

After cleaning out the continental breakfast at our motel, we cruised off to Bryce Canyon. We first passed through Red Canyon, which was really fun to ride through. Tunnels were carved out of the rock formations and our path curved through the amazing red rocks.

After a few more miles, we coasted down a hill, overlooking Bryce Canyon.

Our route continued to wind through the amazing scenery and eventually dumped us into Escalante, where we stopped for lunch #2. Circle D Eatery served up delicious burgers from local cattle. The cheesy jalapeño buns were out of this world. While we were there we met another coast to coast duo- a guy our age and his grandfather. He's actually from Simsbury, which was a cool coincidence. Major props to him for fulfilling the bucket list item.

From there, we headed to our destination at Calf Creek, which is a campground in between the canyons. It felt great to take a bath in the natural creek water, and it was surprisingly cool at the site despite the 99 degree temps on the road. Here's a shot from our tent:

There was a Mormon church group at the site next to us, and we went over to chat for a bit. They offered us some delicious pulled pork and potatoes, which was much appreciated. One of the girls made us promise to send her a letter once we return so she knows we made it home alive. If you're reading this, hi!

We hit the hay early for an early wake up, so we could tackle the Hog's Back first thing in the morning. The famed hill boasts 4 miles of 14% grades (uphill for us), with narrow shoulders and drop offs on either sides. Should be fun!