Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon Amphitheater

We pulled into Bryce Canyon just in time to see the sunset, and what perfect timing we had. The sky lit up the amphitheaters beautifully and there were so many people on the lookouts with cameras, it was amusing. The cool thing about Bryce is that it was formed not by a river, but erosion from freezing and thawing water. All of the rocks here looked and are really fragile and crumbly, almost like dried out mud towers we used to make at the beach when we were kids.

Fairyland Loop Trailhead, elevation 7,758 ft

Our second hike of the trip was the Fairyland Loop Trail that wound its way through the Fairyland Canyon on the North side of the park. We started out early in the morning so we wouldn't be fried by the afternoon desert sun. The 8 mile hike took us up and down a total of 2,300 feet and we had an up close and personal view of the hoodoos & pinnacles of the park. After the very cold and damp month of May in Portland, being outside in the 85 degree sunshine was heavenly.

Dan overlooking the Fairyland Canyon

Dan in his hiking gear. It wasn't raining, but windy.

Me in my desert hiking gear.