Bryce Canyon, Day Two

Photos © Todd Klein

On Thursday, Oct. 15th, we spent the entire day in Bryce Canyon, beginning with a walk down and through part of the Amphitheater we’d seen the day before from the rim. It was easy walking, and cold when we started, but soon warmed up.

We took the Queen’s Garden Trail down from Sunrise Point, along with other hikers.

Hoodoos on the trail down.

More on the way down, showing erosion gullies.

Near the bottom the trail went through some of the limestone walls.

Seemed a good spot for pictures. While the limestone looks fragile from the amount of weathering it’s undergone, it’s not crumbly to the touch, but pretty solid.

The hoodoos are rising well above us now.

The Queen’s Garden Trail ends at this hoodoo which is said to resemble a famous statue of Queen Victoria. We then took a short trail through the canyon…

…to the Wall Street Trail going back up to the rim. We soon found out why it’s named that, it’s a steep, narrow trail between walls of high hoodoos.

Looking up Wall Street and hikers ahead of us.

Looking back down the Wall Street Trail.

Almost out of the canyon.

Looking back into the Amphitheater from the top of Wall Street Trail where it emerges at Sunset point. From there we walked along the Rim Trail to Sunrise Point, where our car was, a hike of about 3.5 miles, but with some steep ups and downs. Took us most of the morning, with many breathers coming up.

Mule Deer along the Rim Trail.

After lunch we drove further into the park than we’d yet been to Rainbow Point. At about 9100 feet, it’s the highest point you can drive to on the canyon rim, and the highest of our trip. More hoodoos here, but not in groups as large as the Amphitheater.

Also from Rainbow Point.

There was an entertaining pair of Ravens near the parking lot there who were talking quietly to each other.

Going back toward the Amphitheater there are a number of viewpoints to stop and see things like this massive hoodoo column…

…and Bryce’s Natural Bridge, though it’s really an arch, you couldn’t walk past the right end.

Glowing hoodoos in late afternoon.

We spent the end of the day back at Sunrise and Sunset Points enjoying the views and relaxing.

The hoodoo on the right reminded me of an owl. As sunset arrived, we headed back to Ruby’s Inn for dinner. We had one more day of canyons ahead. Final batch of pictures next time.