Red Canyon - red hoodoos, red cliffs, pink soil and ponderosa pines
Just came thru a ten minute blizzard, temperature of below 4 Celsius - skies cleared but still cold!
Parts of Bryce Canyon Park were above 8,000 feet, where altitude sickness can start kicking in. Did some barely moderate hikes - breathing fast, heart rate up and lots of stops to catch my breath - and with a brisk wind, it was COLD!
Short drive outside Bryce Canyon Park for short hike to Tropic Ditch - hand dug for 2 years with primitive tools - completed in 1892, to bring water to the town of Tropic
Day ended with a stop at Moqui Cave - huge sandstone cave, originally used by Anasazi people to store food, 19th century settlers rediscovered the cave in the 19th century, used as a speakeasy in the 1920’s during Prohibition then bought by the Chamberlain’s in 1951 who opened a tavern and dance hall. He was a collector of indigenous artifacts, dinosaur tracks from the area, rocks and minerals which are displayed there - including the original bar.
Loved the fluorescent minerals and minerals/rocks he gave names to for what he saw they resembled.