Cerulean skies, vast expanses of crystalline sparkles, new friends, a breathtaking cardio workout, and a pristine ponderosa forest. What more could you ask for? Free snowshoes to enjoy all this? These and much more are yours at the Bryce Canyon Winter Festival on Presidents’ Day weekend.
A Family-Oriented Event
Participants from across the state, the nation, and the world converged at Ruby’s Inn and the Bryce Canyon National Park not long after its centennial celebration to enjoy the iconic views and perfect winter weather. This weekend event is increasingly becoming a family reunion destination with activities for everyone.
Thirty-nine years ago, the Garfield County Travel Council tapped into the winter potential of the park and started a ski race. There isn’t always enough snow for races, so more activities were incorporated into the weekend in following years. The festival was small at first and events were scheduled at the Main building. Now, the Bryce Canyon Winter Festival enrollment has grown so large that many activities also occur in Ebenezer’s Barn and Grill, also part of Ruby’s Inn.
Ebenezer’s is the site for crafts, movies, line dancing with Colleen West (a professional dancer from BYU), yoga in the morning with other professional volunteer instructors, cookie decorating, and playing with clay with experienced potters.
Erica May was there with her mother, her husband, and two daughters, ages 3 and 6. On Monday morning they were all cross-country skiing, a 2K, 5K and 10K. They had been at Ruby’s the entire weekend.
“We’ve decided this is a tradition we want to continue every year. It is perfect for every age, for every family. We’ve line danced, painted with watercolors, learned about dinosaur bones, and watched a movie last night. One of my favorite things we did was ski out to the rim to see the beautiful view. We will definitely be back next year.”
It’s Still Winter Even without Snow
This year many of the classes were small because the weather was so great. People wanted to be outdoors in the sunshine, enjoying the warm temperatures. Those same temperatures added more work for the volunteers who were up late at night with rakes and sleds and tarps to transfer snow onto the trails where the dirt started showing through.
When there isn’t snow for a ski biathlon, contestants run on the trails. And in place of a cross-country ski race, Ruby’s does an archery competition. These are two of the few events that require a fee, to pay for a souvenir t-shirt and medals for the winners. All other events are free to the public.
Behind the Scenes
Much of this coordination comes through Deanna Moore, the Ruby’s Inn HR director. Deanna had only worked at Ruby’s Inn for a month when Jean Seiler, the organizer for the previous thirty years, asked Deanna to take over while he served a mission in Hawaii with his wife, Spring.
Jean had laid the foundation and made connections with the pro ski teams from Solitude, Park City and Alta, for example, who run the races, and dozens of other professional volunteers. Attendees are sometimes professionals who see a need and come in future years as instructors. Kristi Weight has been volunteering from Heber for the last 20+ years. Her birthday is February 19. It often lands on Presidents’ Day weekend, so she usually spends her birthday at the Winter Festival, helping everyone have a good time.
Deanna has modified Jean’s work and grown with the festival for the past eight years. When Deanna gets involved with any project (Panguitch Main Street, etc.), she includes her entire family. Her son, Wyatt, a potter, teaches the “playing with clay” class. Her daughter-in-law teaches the craft class. They support by getting up early to set up tables and provide participants with a fun, lasting memory.
Mitchell Moore ran the archery classes and taught beginners how to find the notch and let the arrow fly. One mother of a Down’s Syndrome son said she didn’t expect anything to top the boy’s fun with the cookie decorating class, but she was pleasantly surprised. Deanna’s son Mitchell gave the boy a beginner lesson and watched as he progressed in placing the arrow. The mother gave Mitchell a grateful hug when she saw the huge smile on her son’s face.
Beginners Gain New Experiences
Melanie, 11, from Salt Lake City, participated in the biathlon, a first for her, and got a medal. Charlotte, 13, loves learning new skills. She tried skate skiing, which is growing in popularity, and she is getting better at it.
Willa, 11, from Salt Lake City, won the biathlon for her age and for the girls’ category.
Carianne Feller, who won the 5K race last year has recruited friends to join her this year. Her friend Katherine Harmond from St. George enrolled in the cross-country ski race even though she had never done it before. “I watched a few YouTube videos and thought it would be fun to have a little competition,” said Katherine.
Twelve novice snowshoers, including four sisters from Belgium, trekked with Seth Weil and Trevor Stanworth, guides from the Dixie National Forest. The men led the beginners on a trail through private property, Forest Service property and National Park land, explaining the area’s history. The trail ran adjacent to the big ditch water system the pioneer settlers pick-axed for four years to divert water to irrigate the area, resulting in a popular waterfall near Mossy Cave. The group also trekked past a line shack used by ranchers in the early 1900s while herding their cattle.
The snowshoers viewed hoodoos near the rim and got to smell the bark of a ponderosa pine to decide whether its aroma resembled vanilla, caramel, or butterscotch. The smell is determined by how much heat and moisture is in the bark. The group viewed the Kaiparowits Plateau with its iron-rich pink rock. It is the highest plateau in North America, just east of the Paunsaugunt Plateau they were standing on. Participants got more than a breathtaking cardio workout, stunning views of Bryce Canyon’s rock formations and friendly guides. They gained some interesting historical and geographical facts, all offered free of charge by Ruby’s Inn and their partners.
Next year the Bryce Canyon Winter Festival will celebrate its 40th anniversary. Deanne and her organizers are brainstorming how to celebrate, no matter what the weather. Locals might want to join the tourists who take advantage of this historical winter celebration. It could become any family’s new tradition.
– The Byway
Feature image caption: Beginner snowshoers at Bryce Canyon’s rim. Courtesy of Karen Munson, The Byway.