Hoodoo you think you are

Currently In: Bryce, Utah
Next Up: Leaving for Thompson, UT tomorrow- a quick stop on our way to Moab

Ok this title post was Johnny's  - Who do you think you are?  Mr. Bigstuff...

We did a few hikes through the hoodoos (stone sculptures) in Bryce Canyon and the Dixie National Forest.  The hoodoos are eroded out of stone cliffs.  A balance between snow and rain results in the hoodoos which eventually end up as lumps of clay while other hoodoos are created.
Mossy Cave was first up.  A stunning line of hoodoos above the trail.

The trail leads to the namesake cave.  The water that drips through the cave allows the moss to grow. In the winter, that same water forms icicles.

But then the trail leads to a waterfall - in the desert!  Mormon pioneers built irrigation channels in the late 1890's along this route. They used the natural water flow as much as possible.

On our hike back we saw some different hoodoos.  I like the one with the window as well as the water in this photo.

Also at Bryce, we hiked part of the Navajo Loop combined with Queen's Garden Trail.  We started at Sunset Point.  The view of the Bryce Amphitheater from there.

The start of the trail with Thor's Hammer in the background.

And the trail down!

A couple of other views of the trail - one looking down and the other looking up.  Although there were a lot of people on the trail, it was a really special feeling hiking among the stones.

Wall Street is on the other side of the Loop.  We didn't hike down this part since we hiked the other side, but it looks cool.

We made it down to Two Bridges.

We stopped for a snack in beautiful surroundings.

Then we hiked through this narrow spot.

And saw these unique views.

Queen's Garden got it's name from this hoodoo that some think looks like Queen Victoria.

We hiked through a couple of arches.

And some final photos of exceptional views from this hike.  The colored layers are striking.

Yesterday we drove away from the National Park and into the Dixie National Forest.

But first we had to drive through a couple of arches.

We hiked through the Red Canyon on the Pink Ledges and Hoodoo Trails.  Plenty of hoodoos here too.  I believe the two in the top pictures are considered Red Canyon's totems.

There were several narrow paths, small dry washes and this tree to climb over.

The trail wound around this pink cliff.  The pink color in the this area, as well as at Bryce Canyon, come from the iron-rich clay particles in the rock.

So we've read in a lot of National Park and other literature that the Ponderosa Pine bark gives off a scent of vanilla and butterscotch.  Finally, I had to see for myself.  OMG!  It does.  Delicious!

The black basalt at the top of this sedimentary rock is evidence that there was a volcanic eruption here sometime in the past.  Still admiring the layers of color in this rock!