Snow heightens beauty of hoodoos

Deborah Wall/Special to ViewBryce Canyon National Park?s signature hoodoos fill a natural amphitheater at the park. Advertisement

Visually, Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah is one of the most unusual places in the world. Here on the eastern rim of the Paunsuagunt Plateau, the natural amphitheaters are filled with thousands of hoodoos -- multicolored, peculiarly shaped columns and spires. The landscape might have been created by sorcery rather than nature's own magic. It looks its spectacular best in winter. When the forested landscape is filled with snow, the red, pink and orange hoodoos stand out even more than usual.

Frost wedging creates the park's signature formations. During the 200 or so nights of a year in this area, there's a thaw-and-freeze cycle. Snow melts and fills cracks in the rocks, then freezes overnight, weakening the rock and breaking off pieces.

Deep channels weather into cliff faces, creating tall fins between them, still connected to the cliff. Other cracks break through the fin, splitting it up into columns and sculpturing them into the fantastic shapes that inspired the name "hoodoo."

While the tree-covered plateau holds its snow quite well, the escarpment is fully exposed to the sun, which melts the snow quickly. Because of this, you can hike even now, in mid-winter. Your best bets this time of year are the Rim Trail, the Queens Garden Trail and the Navajo Loop Trail.

But because weather conditions change daily, even trails that are usually open can be packed with snow and ice, so it's necessary to be prepared for that.

I strongly recommend adding some traction to the bottom of your boots. I have found that both Yaktrax, which have coiled springs, and STABILicers, which have multidirectional steel cleats, work incredibly well. They both attach to your boots easily and quickly and can be a lifesaver on winter trails.

If you have never tried cross-country skiing or snowshoeing, this is a wonderful place to learn, for most of the terrain is flat, yet many of the best trails lead to the rim and views you'll remember all your life. Ruby's Inn, located by the entrance to the park, rents equipment for all ages, and about 20 miles of those trails start right there.

Look to each side while making your own tracks, and you'll see some left by other travelers, such as mule deer, gray fox, jackrabbits and even snowshoe hares. Elk, antelope and mountain lions leave their footprints once in a while. Some birds winter here, including golden and bald eagles, wild turkeys, Steller's jays, owls and blue grouse.

With fine air quality, high elevations and low humidity, standing at the rim on a clear day, you can easily see more than 100 miles to the east. It's also worth braving the frigid temperatures to gaze at the night skies.

Bryce boasts some of the darkest in the nation. Upon a midnight clear, it is estimated, you could see about 7,500 stars.

The area's largest annual celebration, the Bryce Canyon Winter Festival, runs over Presidents Day weekend, Feb. 13-15. Although serious athletes compete in some of the races, it's mostly a family fun time. The many activities include ski archery clinics, kids' snow boot races, ski and snowshoe tours and races, photography clinics and a photo contest.

The shindig takes place regardless of snow conditions, although individual events may be modified or canceled as required.

Yearly snowfall is about 95 inches, but there are dry periods, so call the park or Ruby's Inn for a snow report if you plan to ski or snowshoe. Daily high temperatures in February are about 41 degrees, but usually dip into the teens at night.

Deborah Wall is the author of "Great Hikes, A Cerca Country Guide," published by Stephens Press. She can be reached at Deborabus@aol.com.

To Bryce Canyon

From Las Vegas, take Interstate 15 north 125 miles, and take Exit 16 (Hurricane/Zion National Park and Utah Route 9). Follow Route 9 for 57 miles through Zion and turn left at Mount Carmel Junction onto US Highway 89. Go north 43 miles and turn right onto Utah Route 12. After 14 miles, turn right on Utah Route 63, for three miles, to Bryce Canyon National Park's entrance.