We finally arrived at Bryce Canyon Utah and camped at Ruby's Inn and RV Park. Great place and right at the entrance to the park. A park shuttle will pick you up right outside the campground and take you through the lower half of the Canyon. We almost got seats on a tour bus that would have taken us all the way, but we were "tickled pink" with what we did get to see! The shuttle stops at 5 areas of the canyon and you can get off, walk to the rim, look, ooh & aah, take pictures, hike a trail (not us!) and then board the next bus. They run about every 10-15 min. Great way to see this place.
These shots were taken from Bryce Point; an area that overlooks what's called the Bryce Amphitheater. This is where we saw most of the Hoodoos. Yes, that's what I said - Hoodoos, definition: a pinnacle or odd shaped rock left standing by the forces of erosion.
Although we watched a film about the formation these canyons, describing how all this happened, I don't dare try to explain it. I have two geologist friends who might read this and laugh like crazy at my explanation. This area is called "Windows". Erosion plays a huge part in this type of land form.
See the little specks on top of the cliff? Those are people hanging over the rails at the edge of a cliff 8,331 feet high. Joe and I stopped half way up this rim because the rest of the hike was straight UP. I was already close to cardiac arrest, so we just stopped and took a few more pictures. I think that was inspiration enough!
The valley in the distance was where Ebenezer Bryce, a Mormon pioneer, came to live after leaving Scotland. He cut timber from uphill to build cabins for the pioneers searching for a home in the west. The logging road he built in the canyon amphitheater was called Bryce's Canyon. He started an irrigation system so that the settlers could grow crops and feed their livestock.
He was asked by residents of Pine Valley to build a chapel, to which he replied, "I'm a ship builder, not a carpenter". So he built a ship, upside down. It is the oldest surviving wooden Mormon church in the world.
When asked what it was like living with this canyon in his backyard, he replied "It's a hell of a place to lose a cow".
Back to the geology lesson. The entire area, known as the Colorado Plateau, contains Bryce Canyon, Zion and the Grand Canyon. Some 10 million years ago forces within the earth created and moved massive blocks known as the Table Cliff and Paunsaugunt plateaus. Rivers carved the tops and edges of these blocks, removing some layers and sculpting others. The Paria River widened the plateaus, carrying dirt and gravel which carved steep slopes and edges. Thin ridges called fins emerge, then erode into pinnacles and spires called hoodoos. Whew, glad that's over! Now do you understand?
Back to the geology lesson. The entire area, known as the Colorado Plateau, contains Bryce Canyon, Zion and the Grand Canyon. Some 10 million years ago forces within the earth created and moved massive blocks known as the Table Cliff and Paunsaugunt plateaus. Rivers carved the tops and edges of these blocks, removing some layers and sculpting others. The Paria River widened the plateaus, carrying dirt and gravel which carved steep slopes and edges. Thin ridges called fins emerge, then erode into pinnacles and spires called hoodoos. Whew, glad that's over! Now do you understand?
Why are some of the formations such a vivid shade of orange and others are white and gray? That's in lesson 2, which would take a lot of time to explain. So let's just save that for another trip back to this awesome place.
Can you see the rain clouds in the distance? We were lucky and got back to the campground before the rain started. But this was the first rain we've had since leaving home on July 5. It was a welcomed relief.
There are a number of ways to see this park. One is by horseback. I sincerely hope to bring Joe back here one day for a horseback ride into this canyon. We saw a group riding down this part of the canyon; it was mesmerizing.
Another way to see it is by foot. Can you see the people on the right side of the picture? They are heading towards the deep opening between two hoodoos on the left.
I took about 100 pictures of this place and wish I could post them all. But, hopefully, you can see that this place should be on your bucket list.
Next post - Zion!
I'll be without Internet at Grand Canyon for 3 days, so hang in there. And by the way, for my friends and family back home, if it makes you feel better, it's in the high 90s here at Zion and Grand Canyon.
No comments:
Post a Comment