Today we are off to Cedar Breaks National Monument.  We have managed to skip by here all other times through the area and are curious to see this place that exists entirely above 10,000 feet.  Here and at the adjacent Brian Head we are at the highest point of the Grand Staircase, the geologic formation built from ages of sediment laid down by shallow seas, thousands of feet of volcanic ash, multiple lava flows, gigantic fault shifts and centuries of erosion.  Mother Nature works on an absolutely amazing scale!    Here, we look down into a 3 mile across, 2000-foot-deep bowl with multiple radial ridges like spokes of a wheel all adorned with multicolor hoodoos.  Like Bryce but different.

It has been below freezing most nights up here so snow that fell a few days ago is still hanging around.  Trails are snow covered or slick with sticky, icy mud, not exactly what one hopes for when hiking canyon rims trails!  We limit our stops to overlooks.   I build a tiny snowman.  We spot mule deer in one of the high valley meadows.  We are glad we made the stop this time.  I think the rim trail might be fun given warmer drier weather.  Maybe there will be another time.