What a pretty drive we had today driving over the high plateau, across mountains and through Red Canyon with its hoodoos and arches to Bryce Canyon. It was a beautiful warm and sunny day so we didn’t waste anytime getting out to see some of the views along the canyon rim. Snow is in the forecast in a few days. What an incredible place. Those in the know say there is nowhere else on earth like it. My favorite breathtaking view was looking out to Bryce Amphitheater from Bryce Point. The limestone hoodoos look like a city shining in the sunlight. The definitions of the word hoodoo are: a pillar of rock, usually of fantastic shape and as a verb, to cast a spell like voodoo. The Paiute legend is that the pillars were ancient people who had done bad things and a coyote turned them into stone. Ten million years ago forces within the earth began creating what we have the pleasure to enjoy now. Of course it is an ever changing landscape with windows opening in the long reaching fins then eventually collapsing. New pillars form while others are disintegrating with the rainfall, snow and ice. At 8.000 feet plus, the park has an average of 200 days of snow or freezing temperatures. Nature is constantly at work. Along our drive we were lucky to see pronghorn, mule deer and Utah prairie dogs in the meadows.
Our campsite is large and sits up against a hill with pines and shrubs. We don’t look at our neighbors at all. The best part is NO caterpillars or other such creatures in large numbers. Having a glass of wine while sitting in the sun with Norm manning the bar-b-q is pretty special always a treat.
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| Bryce Canyon Overlook |
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| Looking Out to the Amphitheater at Bryce Point |
We had planned to take our coffee up to Sunrise Point shortly after sunrise to enjoy the early morning color on the hoodoos. 9:00 wasn’t exactly early but the color was still amazing and a great place for a morning cup of coffee. Later in the morning Chris and I took the Queen’s Garden Trail down a mile into the hoodoos. Every step of the way was an amazing sight. I was snapping pictures right, left and center! Standing at the base of the hoodoos and fins looking up is totally different than looking down onto the amphitheater. Both are wonderful but I wouldn’t want to do one without the other. We even made it back up without too much difficulty. Walking a mile uphill at 8,000 feet burned a few calories. Later in the afternoon we all enjoyed a ride to the end of the road stopping on the way back at all of the lookout points. Each one was magnificent. By the time we were at the end of the road, we were at 9,150 feet with snow still on the ground.
Another late afternoon back at the Manor with a glass of wine in the sunshine and Norm at the bar-b-q turning shish-ka-bobs. Life is good!
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| Beginning Our Hike Down into the Hoodoo's |
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| Hoodoo's |
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| Down in the Hoodoo's |
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| Down at the End of the Trail Looking Up at the Queen's Garden |
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| Bryce Canyon at the End of the 17 Mile Drive at 9,000 + Feet. |
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| Looking Through the Window |
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