Upon entering Bryce Canyon National Park, I was greeted with that National Geographic moment again as I passed the road sign that stated “Slow Wildlife Crossing”. I had to brake hard and swerve to avoid having two Pronghorns as hood ornaments as they bounced across the road and then headed into the surrounding forest. Bryce Canyon is a bit misleading as it is not actually a canyon created by a river or glacier. But instead an amphitheater created by the erosion of rain, snow and the freeze thaw cycle, eroding the limestone into fantastic formations called “Hoodoos”.
I spent my one full day at Bryce by getting up before sunrise to hike up to Sunrise Point to catch the first rays on the Hoodoos. Then started off on an 8.5 mile round trip hike that combined two different trails into a figure eight loop that would take in most of the amphitheater.
The first half of the hike was very nice and peaceful and I only ran into a couple of people on the trail. As you drop down into the amphitheater you get a whole different perspective as you pass through great canyons of hoodoo formations that tower above you. Far away from the crowds on the upper rim, I found a nice spot about halfway through the Peek A Boo trail to sit for a bit and listen to the sounds of the birds, critters and breeze blowing through the trees.
On the second half of the trail after passing through the second tunnel the silence of amphitheater was broken as a busload of school kids yelled back and forth and ran through forest from hoodoo to hoodoo amped up from the energy this fantastic place generates.
Once again great photos in this gallery!!! Was this the place that You, me and the Briggs family went hiking? When there is the huge drop to one side??? I remember the trip, just not where it was… Also just a heads up this gallery isn’t under What’s New. So you know, I could only get onto through reading this entry.
Thanks T, I have updated navigation links. I think the hike you are thinking about was in Arches. The trail up to Delicate Arch has a huge drop off on one side as you hike up a ledge just before getting to the arch. I will be posting some photos of Delicate Arch sometime in the future as that was one of the hikes I did when I was recently there.