Wednesday, September 10, 2014

"Hiking Hoodoos!"


Hiking Hoodoos!


Up until last week, I didn't know what a Hoodoo was -- nor did I imagined I would be hiking the hoodoos in Bryce Canyon!

Hoodoos - Bryce Canyon (photo by Kathie Gautille)

Look like chess pieces to me,
 but they are actually
Hoodoos in Bryce Canyon

(photo by Kathie Gautille)
From a distance these incredibly odd rock formations look like chess pieces. 

I have come to learn that a pinnacle left standing by the forces of erosion is a "hoodoo"! Hiking the Hoodoos in Bryce Canyon was awe-inspiring. It was a bit nerve-racking too! These beautiful, yet bizarre rock spires or "hoodoos" -- well let me just say it went against my sense of physics that the rock that sat upon a narrow body of rock wouldn't just tumble down and crush us. But they didn't--and they were magnificent! Our pictures and video really don't do them justice! 

My husband and I took a week's vacation to Utah and Arizona to hike and communion with nature at the national treasures of the canyons...from Zion, Bryce to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and several smaller parks in between. 

Pictured in this blog entry is Bryce Canyon.
My favorite National Park, but I must say...and I loved all of them...all for different reasons!


(photo by Kathie Gautille)

Natural Bridge - Bryce Canyon
(photo by Kathie Gautille)

While at Bryce I met my first "Dark Ranger"!  Bryce Canyon is one of the darkest places in the country to view stars.  Three times a week throughout the summer and into the fall Bryce Canyon's "Dark Rangers" celebrate the beautiful night sky by hosting an hour multi-media presentation in the lodge.  Following the presentation everyone drives out to the visitors center area and the Dark Rangers have 5-7 large telescopes set up outside positioned to enjoy the starry night sky! Each telescope was fixed on a different aspect of the night sky!  I don't think I have ever seen so many stars in my life!  And seeing the moon surface and the Milky Way up close added to the enjoyment of true stargazing! 


I didn't take this picture--credit goes to Alex Cherney from Australia.
But this IS what we saw--an incredible starry night!
Joe at the top of Fairyland Loop (photo by Kathie Gautille)

One of the more rigorous trails we hiked was Wall Street.

In the middle -- between these walls of stone 

grew this 

tree! 
(photo by Kathie Gautille)

Joe was the videographer 




We stopped long enough to really enjoy nature -- from the flowers and canyons (photo by Kathie Gautille)



(photo by Kathie Gautille)

...to the deer, pronghorn, chipmunks, squirrels, and mountain goats!
(photo by Kathie Gautille)


There was no Wi-Fi in the canyons, but I promise we found a better connection! 
Throughout our trip, Joe and I often had to stop and ask ourselves...when people see this incredible beauty...how can anyone not believe in God?

Me on top of Fairyland Loop
(photo by Kathie Gautille)



"The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament proclaims the works of His hands."  ~ Psalm 19



I Lasso the breathtaking beauty of 
God's handiwork!

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