Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah. Series 1

"Bryce is nice." Bryce Canyon has truly got to be one of the most visually stunning of our national parks.

Located in southwestern Utah, the colors and shapes of the hoodoos are enchanting, mesmerizing, and just plain fun to look at and walk amongst. Bryce Canyon is not an actual canyon, but an amphitheater formed by frost weathering and stream erosion of shallow sea, river, and lake bed sedimentary rocks of an eroded escarpment of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. (phew)

A hoodoo is:
                      "A hoodoo is a tall, isolated rock formation that is common in dry regions.
                           Erosion usually leaves bits of resistant rock that protects the weaker rock layer beneath it."

                                                                                                                             -Wikipedia

 

Thor's Hammer captured at early morning light.

The best time to view Bryce is in the early morning as the sun rises. Early morning rays are not hindered by obstacles such as mountains due to the relatively high elevation of Bryce Canyon, and stream in at low, oblique angles. the rim averages between 8,000 to 9,000 feet in elevation.

As the sun begins to flood the spires and bathe them in that warm, ruddy glow of early morning, the play of colors from the sun, coupled with the natural hues of the rock cause them to light up and reflect the light, bouncing off and amongst the various formations. This intensifies the light and the color to such a degree that the hoodoos seem to fluoresce internally, giving them a glow as if a light were placed inside them. It truly is remarkable to behold! This area of the park is known as Queen's Garden.

 

Named after Queen Victoria, queen of England. Queen's Garden is governed under the realm of a formation known as Queen Victoria, who holds court there. She is sovereign and maintains dominion over this section of the park.

Queen Victoria. No, I didn't take this photo, although my kids might think so.

 Looking down from this vantage point, Thor's Hammer is visible at the right of the photo. Notice the vibrancy of the rock colors in the early morning.

 Taken a little later in the morning, the sun's position is higher and beginning to shift the rays towards the blue spectrum. At the top right one can see "The Wise Men" offering their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to the Christ King baby Jesus.