This morning there were finally some clouds in the sky, so I thought I would give Bryce Point another try. There were plenty of clouds, indeed. When I arrived, and while I was waiting for patches of sunlight to hit the hoodoos, I noticed a little rain shower just starting over the tiny town of Tropic. Within about half an hour, the shower had darkened and grown considerably. After about 45 minutes I heard the first rumbles of thunder. Finally, I managed to capture a panorama with sunshine on most of the hoodoos. By this time, the shower was a full-fledged but isolated thunderstorm. I could see that it was heading for the massive rock formations at Capitol Reef National Park.

Later in the afternoon, back at the trailer, our neighbors pulled up in their truck. I said hello and asked them how they were doing. They told me they were disappointed because when they arrived at Capitol Reef, the park rangers were turning everyone away because the thunderstorm hit the park squarely, causing flash floods and closing the park. You can see from the photo that even with about ten miles to go before hitting the Reef, the downpour was intense.

It would have been fun to witness such a spectacle at Bryce, but, then again, the posted signs instructed people in the clearest lettering to STAY OFF RIM in lightning storms.