Bryce Canyon - Still Magnificent

After Capitol Reef NP, we headed over here to Bryce Canyon NP. We'd been here before, in October of 2011, but knew we had to see it again.

Rather than bore you all over again with the details....Bryce is so unique, the photos tell the story themselves. Oh, these spires are called Hoo-Doos. For all of you geology buffs...we've put the explanation of their formation at the very bottom.

This is the highest viewpoint in the park. We were gasping for air!

Early one day, I took off on the Queen's Gate hike down to the bottom of the valley to be among the Hoo-Doos. These are from the bottom looking up.

So many contrails daily shooting across the sky. I remember so well looking out the window wondering, "What's down there?" ...and now we're "there". What a hoot.

Taken with my HTC 8X Windows phone. 

One of our days, we went on this Mossy Cave hike....somewhat easy...about 200 feet elevation gain but there was a great waterfall at the end.

While Kim took a breather, I climbed up and above the waterfall and posed for her.

In the 1890s, the settlers dug this channel to get water out of the mountains down to Tropic valley where they had crops. 14 miles long! Took them 2 years.

Kim's Sherpa getting water to put on our face and arms for cooling.

Shhhhhh.....The Master Photographer caught in action!

The view from underneath the waterfall.

Bryce is unlike any other place you've visited. It should be on your Must-See list.

Kim and Steve


Formational Process:

Hoodoos are formed by two weathering processes that continuously work together in eroding the edges of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. The primary weathering force at Bryce Canyon is frost wedging. Here we experience over 200 freeze/thaw cycles each year. In the winter, melting snow, in the form of water, seeps into the cracks and freezes at night. When water freezes it expands by almost 10%, bit by bit prying open cracks, making them ever wider in the same way a pothole forms in a paved road.

In addition to frost wedging, what little rain we get here also sculpts the hoodoos. Even the crystal clear air of Bryce Canyon creates slightly acidic rainwater. This weak carbonic acid can slowly dissolve limestone grain by grain. It is this process that rounds the edges of hoodoos and gives them their lumpy and bulging profiles. Where internal mudstone and siltstone layers interrupt the limestone, you can expect the rock to be more resistant to the chemical weathering because of the comparative lack of limestone. Many of the more durable hoodoos are capped with a special kind of magnesium-rich limestone called dolomite. Dolomite, being fortified by the mineral magnesium, dissolves at a much slower rate, and consequently protects the weaker limestone underneath it in the same way a construction worker is protected by his/her hardhat.

Rain is also the chief source of erosion (the actual removal of the debris). In the summer, monsoon type rainstorms travel through the Bryce Canyon region bringing short duration high intensity rain.

http://www.nps.gov/brca/naturescience/hoodoos.htm

http://www.nps.gov/brca/index.htm

Battle of Vicksburg

Vicksburg Battlefield was not that appealing to me before we got there because I thought it was one big siege...not much to see here. Boy was I wrong.

BOTH Presidents, Lincoln and Jefferson Davis said the same thing: "Vicksburg is the nail head that holds the South's two halves together...Vicksburg is the key"

So, one day, I went off by myself to scope it out by just going to the Visitor's Center and looking around. After a 30 minute discussion with one of the rangers, I was hooked. The next day I grabbed Kim and off we went to tour the battlefield.

This is the park map. The green is the battlefield area. Vicksburg is the the far right along the Mississippi river.

This is the park map. The green is the battlefield area. Vicksburg is the the far right along the Mississippi river.

Battle lines surrounding the city of Vicksburg. Blue is Union, Red line is the Confederate line of defense. Most of the tour takes place in this area.

  

As we travelled around we noticed many trees blocking our view of the Confederate positions. Turns out the park has a restoration project underwear to restore the park to it's 1863 appearance.

This is the view before restoration. Part I is the photo to the left and Part II is the photo on the right. The Union is to the left and the Confederates are to the right in both photos. This is the view, after present day restoration, to show how it was during the battle/siege in 1863. Part III is to the left and Part IV is the photo to the right. Notice how very close they were to each other, right across this valley...for over 45 days. This is the view, after present day restoration, to show how it was during the battle/siege in 1863. Part III is to the left and Part IV is the photo to the right. Notice how very close they were to each other, right across this valley...for over 45 days.

It took some time to understand the different battle lines because all of the Confederate "forts" and fortifications and the trenches that were dug by the Union forces have been eroded flat.

These are the fortifications the Union forces faces when trying to capture them.

These are the fortifications the Union forces faces when trying to capture them.

The blue marker is how far the Union troops got to the Confederate lines (where I'm standing taking the photo). They started waaaay down to the far right where that white speck is. Then, they tunneled up the slope on the left until they got to this spot. You are standing at the location of one of the Confederate "forts" looking across the valley at the Union forces. The blue markers in front of you are how close the Union men came to taking this fort. Down that valley, then up into gun fire and cannon. After a few more of these assaults, Grant decided to starve them out. You are standing at the location of one of the Confederate "forts" looking across the valley at the Union forces. The blue markers in front of you are how close the Union men came to taking this fort. Down that valley, then up into gun fire and cannon. After a few more of these assaults, Grant decided to starve them out.

Some of the cannons used by both sides. Notice how large they are compared to the vehicles.

A trench that has not completely eroded. The walls would've been totally vertical to avoid getting shot by snipers.

A trench that has not completely eroded. The walls would've been totally vertical to avoid getting shot by snipers.

Confederates to the left on top of that rise and Union to the right. Again, down and up before engaging the South troops.

Confederates to the left on top of that rise and Union to the right. Again, down and up before engaging the South troops.

This is what the trenches looked like in 1863. These had to be dug by the troops.

View from the Confederate position. The Union got to where those two people are walking to the left before getting repulsed.

View from the Confederate position. The Union got to where those two people are walking to the left before getting repulsed.

Vicksburg National Cemetery encompasses 117.85 acres and includes over 18,000 interments. Graves of Civil War soldiers total 17,077, of which 12,909 are unknown

Vicksburg National Cemetery encompasses 117.85 acres and includes over 18,000 interments. Graves of Civil War soldiers total 17,077, of which 12,909 are unknown

http://www.nps.gov/vick/historyculture/cemhistory.htm

Vicksburg National Cemetery is the largest internment of Civil War dead in the nation. It is the burial place for nearly 17,000 Union soldiers.

Vicksburg National Cemetery is the largest internment of Civil War dead in the nation. It is the burial place for nearly 17,000 Union soldiers.

The Confederate troops are buried in the local cemetery which we also visited.

 

Approximately 5,000 Confederates have been re-interred here, of which 1,600 are identified.

Approximately 5,000 Confederates have been re-interred here, of which 1,600 are identified.

The troops were buried according to the state they were from, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, etc.

The troops were buried according to the state they were from, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, etc.

Of course there were over 1,300 monuments throughout the park....some small, some very large.

General Grant Monument

General Grant monument - close up.

Monument to the Union Navy who came to land to help man the cannons that shelled the Confederates and the city of Vicksburg.

The Missouri monument is unique as the only state memorial on the battlefield dedicated to soldiers of both armies. The height is symbolic of the forty-two Missouri units, 27 Union, 15 Confederate. It stands where two opposing Missouri regiments clashed in battle.

One thing that has not been mentioned are the trials the citizens of Vicksburg had to endure during the constant bombardment from the Union land troops and the naval vessels off shore on the Mississippi River. They usually lived in caves during the night and tried to go about their lives during the day.

A life-size model in the Visitor's Center of cave life for the citizens of Vicksburg.

The siege/Battle of Vicksburg finally ended on July 4th, 1863 when Confederate General Pemberton surrendered to General Grant because Pemberton's troops were either starving or diseased.

When President Lincoln heard of the victory he said, "The Father of Waters again goes unvexed to the sea."

Some great overview of the Vicksburg Campaign, its importance and Vicksburg history can be found here:

http://www.nps.gov/vick/forteachers/educators-guide-the-river-and-the-campaign.htm

This was, as most battlefields are, very humbling. Amazing what both sides went through. Let's hope we never have another Civil War in this country.

A great stop....we recommend it.

Kim and Steve.

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