What I learned and saw in Bryce Canyon fills me with awe. Its formation was done in three geological stages.

Paraphrased from the internet:

Sediments were deposited into lakes 50 million years ago. This sediment was like an artist’s palette of alternating layers of compressed minerals and iron oxides from the mud, silt, and sand that was washed into the basin. This made layers of mudstone, siltstone, and limestone together with the iron oxides that stained the layers orange and pink. (The Claron Formation)

Next the tectonic forces pushed the region upward to 8,000 to 9,100 feet above sea level. This uplift happened 20 million years ago. The upward thrust caused cracking in the limestone beds and breaks in a vertical line.

Weathering and erosion come on the scene next. Periods of freezing and thawing, snow, rain, wind. The freezing and pressure expands the rock further, and rain mixes with carbon dioxide to form a weak carbonic acid, which slowly dissolves the limestone.

Softer rock layers dissolve and wash away faster than hard layers, leaving behind the weirdly shaped pillars, windows, and spires known as hoodoos.

Exploring, hiking, and meditating in Bryce Canyon gave us both the experiences we will always remember. We are grateful and filled with happiness that we got to have such a great vacation of a lifetime.

Mornings were a bit nippy, as you can see by our hats and jackets. The crisp air felt good though and only added to the adventure.

Look at this masterpiece.

The colors changed during the day. These shots were taken as the sun was doing its magic dance.

We got up early every day so we could enjoy the spectacular morning hours. It helped us get prime time parking spots too. Then we would take off hiking and come back to the van to fix something to eat, before taking off again.

So much to see.

The Navajo Loop trail afforded us spectacular views, and I wish we could have brought the wonderful fragrance of the pine trees back home with us.

Thank you Bryce Canyon for allowing us to spend time with you.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my photos, but truly to appreciate it, you must visit this magical place.