The solution to this week’s One Clue Mystery is Utah’s fabulous Bryce Canyon National Park. Our clue photo (colorized version below) was of the Natural Bridge within the park. Master puzzle solver, George G, solved this week’s OCM, as did Gay Jones.
Utah is a land of surprises and one of my favorite US states. It has some of the most unusual and colorful rock formations in the world. Whether it’s dramatic arches, natural bridges, amazingly sheer canyons or rock monoliths, Utah has it all! And in white, black, red, orange, brown and most every other imaginable shade.
One of my favorite destinations in Utah is Bryce Canyon National Park. Situated in southwestern Utah the park is of surprisingly high altitude, so keep this in mind when planning your trips there (evenings are always cool, snow comes early and stays a long time, even into summer). The rim at Bryce varies from 8,000 – 9,000 feet above sea level (about 2,500 m) and is in a forest of pine, including stands of the rare and long-lived Bristlecone Pine.
The many eroded orange rock columns which characterize the park are known as “hoodoos“, these being arranged in large, broad amphitheaters. Views from the Canyon Rim are spectacular and hiking trails take you into the heart of the Hoodoos.
If you’ve never visited Utah, you now have one more reason to go!
And finally a blast from the past — a walk through the hoodoos years ago with my lovely wife and oldest son who now is married and working as a software engineer.
Fantastic scenery! Many years ago I had a graphics program called ‘Bryce’, which was very good at producing realistic-looking landscapes. I have only just made the connection.
If you haven’t explored the American Southwest, Professor, you’ve missed some great scenery. Bryce, Zion, Arches NP, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley to name but a few.