1 00:00:01,168 --> 00:00:05,205 (♪♪♪) 2 00:00:05,205 --> 00:00:07,841 In the high plateaus of Utah 3 00:00:07,841 --> 00:00:12,179 lies a kingdom of towering rock in the rugged badlands. 4 00:00:12,179 --> 00:00:17,084 (♪♪♪) 5 00:00:17,084 --> 00:00:21,355 From a maze of narrow canyons 6 00:00:21,355 --> 00:00:25,893 to a sea of soaring spires... 7 00:00:29,563 --> 00:00:33,600 it is one of North America's last great wild lands. 8 00:00:38,238 --> 00:00:39,806 Home to one of the world's 9 00:00:39,806 --> 00:00:43,010 most spectacular natural structures... 10 00:00:47,114 --> 00:00:51,018 a lifeline to the desert's parched creatures, 11 00:00:55,822 --> 00:01:00,360 a place where canyons are carved from chaos... 12 00:01:03,530 --> 00:01:07,567 one of the world's roughest natural wonders... 13 00:01:14,041 --> 00:01:17,511 This is the Colorado Plateau. 14 00:01:17,511 --> 00:01:27,554 (♪♪♪) 15 00:01:27,554 --> 00:01:37,531 (♪♪♪) 16 00:01:37,531 --> 00:01:47,574 (♪♪♪) 17 00:01:47,574 --> 00:01:54,548 (♪♪♪) 18 00:02:00,654 --> 00:02:04,424 Zion National Park... 19 00:02:04,424 --> 00:02:06,426 A geological treasure, 20 00:02:06,426 --> 00:02:10,464 stretching across nearly 230 square miles, 21 00:02:10,464 --> 00:02:15,002 of Southern Utah's Colorado Plateau: 22 00:02:15,002 --> 00:02:19,873 more than 100,000 square miles of high desert plains, 23 00:02:19,873 --> 00:02:24,544 sprinkled with pines and junipers. 24 00:02:24,544 --> 00:02:27,414 It is a high altitude desert plateau 25 00:02:27,414 --> 00:02:29,683 bounded by the Rocky Mountains, 26 00:02:29,683 --> 00:02:32,719 the Great Basin and Sonoran Deserts. 27 00:02:34,421 --> 00:02:38,759 The Colorado Plateau straddles Utah, Arizona, 28 00:02:38,759 --> 00:02:41,695 Colorado and New Mexico 29 00:02:41,695 --> 00:02:46,666 and has a land mass larger than the entire United Kingdom. 30 00:02:49,503 --> 00:02:52,239 Zion is defined by a landscape 31 00:02:52,239 --> 00:02:54,975 of deep canyons, 32 00:02:54,975 --> 00:02:59,946 majestic arches 33 00:02:59,946 --> 00:03:03,083 and towering sandstone walls. 34 00:03:06,453 --> 00:03:10,424 It is like a wild gallery of sculpted rock. 35 00:03:13,593 --> 00:03:18,065 Elevated as high as 4,000 feet above sea level, 36 00:03:19,066 --> 00:03:23,136 Zion National Park is the second-tallest point 37 00:03:23,136 --> 00:03:25,372 on the Colorado Plateau. 38 00:03:27,574 --> 00:03:30,544 Its canyon walls stand taller 39 00:03:30,544 --> 00:03:34,047 than the world's highest skyscraper. 40 00:03:34,047 --> 00:03:37,551 >> I love being completely surrounded 41 00:03:37,551 --> 00:03:40,087 by the rocks and the canyons 42 00:03:40,087 --> 00:03:44,991 and just being a little tiny piece of this vast area. 43 00:03:48,895 --> 00:03:53,467 >> Millions of years ago, a shift in the earth's crust 44 00:03:53,467 --> 00:03:56,870 pushed huge swaths of rock upward, 45 00:03:56,870 --> 00:03:59,806 lifting Zion to its current elevation. 46 00:04:03,376 --> 00:04:06,613 This uplift was the first of many events 47 00:04:06,613 --> 00:04:09,616 to shape Zion's landscape. 48 00:04:10,750 --> 00:04:14,020 Streams, pouring off the plateau, 49 00:04:14,020 --> 00:04:17,491 cut into ancient rock layers. 50 00:04:19,559 --> 00:04:24,197 Sediment and large boulders were carried downstream, 51 00:04:24,197 --> 00:04:27,134 sculpting a magnificent canyon. 52 00:04:30,403 --> 00:04:34,741 One waterway is still carving its path through Zion. 53 00:04:39,212 --> 00:04:42,816 The Virgin River. 54 00:04:42,816 --> 00:04:46,920 This is the lifeblood of Zion's ecosystem 55 00:04:46,920 --> 00:04:51,424 and the architect of its mighty canyon. 56 00:04:51,424 --> 00:04:55,228 Though averaging only 100 feet across, 57 00:04:55,228 --> 00:04:58,899 the Virgin River is astoundingly steep: 58 00:04:58,899 --> 00:05:03,970 dropping 7,800 feet along its 160-mile path. 59 00:05:06,706 --> 00:05:10,810 An average descent of 50 feet per mile. 60 00:05:13,547 --> 00:05:14,748 By contrast, 61 00:05:14,748 --> 00:05:19,186 the Mississippi River drops just one inch per mile. 62 00:05:21,454 --> 00:05:24,057 As the river descends into the valley, 63 00:05:24,057 --> 00:05:28,028 it gains speed, hastening erosion 64 00:05:28,028 --> 00:05:32,666 as if cutting into a cake to expose its many layers. 65 00:05:35,202 --> 00:05:39,039 The Virgin River slices through the canyon. 66 00:05:39,039 --> 00:05:49,683 (♪♪♪) 67 00:05:49,683 --> 00:05:53,853 At Zion, water is everything. 68 00:05:53,853 --> 00:05:58,091 >> The Virgin River itself truly is the lifeblood of this region, 69 00:05:58,091 --> 00:06:02,229 it's how we still today are able to grow gardens 70 00:06:02,229 --> 00:06:04,297 and have agriculture 71 00:06:04,297 --> 00:06:07,968 and it plays a very big role for the last 10,000 years 72 00:06:07,968 --> 00:06:11,104 in human inhabitants here in this region. 73 00:06:16,543 --> 00:06:18,278 >> In the 1850s, 74 00:06:18,278 --> 00:06:21,881 Mormon farmers settled in the valley of the park, 75 00:06:21,881 --> 00:06:25,252 building communities along the river. 76 00:06:27,787 --> 00:06:31,691 The canyon floor was farmed until the 1900s 77 00:06:31,691 --> 00:06:35,729 when Zion became a national park. 78 00:06:35,729 --> 00:06:38,565 Named by these Mormon pioneers, 79 00:06:38,565 --> 00:06:42,002 "Zion" means a "place of peace and refuge". 80 00:06:48,108 --> 00:06:52,746 The Virgin River is an oasis in the middle of a dust bowl. 81 00:06:57,751 --> 00:07:01,254 Rimmed by the Mojave and Great Basin deserts, 82 00:07:01,254 --> 00:07:06,226 Zion lies at the intersection of three separate ecosystems. 83 00:07:10,196 --> 00:07:14,134 The park blooms with more than 900 plant species 84 00:07:14,134 --> 00:07:17,270 found nowhere else in Utah. 85 00:07:19,406 --> 00:07:23,810 The river flows year round providing vital drinking water 86 00:07:23,810 --> 00:07:28,815 to a surprisingly wide diversity of wildlife. 87 00:07:28,815 --> 00:07:31,418 Five-hundred more species of animals 88 00:07:31,418 --> 00:07:35,121 live along its banks than in the surrounding desert. 89 00:07:42,896 --> 00:07:46,733 In the southwest, water is a cherished commodity. 90 00:07:48,301 --> 00:07:51,538 Down in the valley, southeast of Zion, 91 00:07:51,538 --> 00:07:56,309 a long and arid stretch of land, called a Dry Wash, 92 00:07:56,309 --> 00:07:59,713 lies in the foothills of the high plateaus. 93 00:08:03,416 --> 00:08:07,654 With less than 1 inch of rainfall a year... 94 00:08:07,654 --> 00:08:11,925 The soil is robbed of color. 95 00:08:11,925 --> 00:08:14,561 The air deprived of moisture. 96 00:08:18,431 --> 00:08:21,267 The land, bone-dry. 97 00:08:23,903 --> 00:08:26,005 But not for long... 98 00:08:28,942 --> 00:08:32,645 Summer months bring heat. 99 00:08:32,645 --> 00:08:37,083 They also bring the North American monsoon. 100 00:08:37,083 --> 00:08:39,252 >> The actual overall weather pattern of the area 101 00:08:39,252 --> 00:08:40,820 completely shifts. 102 00:08:40,820 --> 00:08:43,189 And that's actually where the word "monsoon" comes from. 103 00:08:43,189 --> 00:08:45,558 It's an Arabic word from " mausim " 104 00:08:45,558 --> 00:08:47,026 which actually means "season". 105 00:08:47,026 --> 00:08:49,062 So it's a seasonal shift in the wind patterns 106 00:08:49,062 --> 00:08:51,664 in the entire region. 107 00:08:53,299 --> 00:08:57,637 >> Ancient traders sailing the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea 108 00:08:57,637 --> 00:09:00,774 were the first to describe this weather spectacle. 109 00:09:03,243 --> 00:09:05,745 They observed a system of alternating winds 110 00:09:05,745 --> 00:09:08,448 across the tropics. 111 00:09:08,448 --> 00:09:10,750 In winter, the wind blows dry 112 00:09:10,750 --> 00:09:13,253 from the mountains to the northeast. 113 00:09:14,988 --> 00:09:18,858 In summer, it gusts from the opposite direction. 114 00:09:18,858 --> 00:09:20,427 A difference in temperature 115 00:09:20,427 --> 00:09:23,430 between warmer land and cooler sea 116 00:09:23,430 --> 00:09:28,334 causes wind to flow from the moist ocean to the dry land, 117 00:09:28,334 --> 00:09:31,538 creating the seasonal monsoon. 118 00:09:34,107 --> 00:09:37,410 >> This wind pattern shift sucks moisture up 119 00:09:37,410 --> 00:09:40,246 from the tropics up into the southwest 120 00:09:40,246 --> 00:09:42,682 and when the moisture comes up into this area, 121 00:09:42,682 --> 00:09:45,051 it combines with daytime heating 122 00:09:45,051 --> 00:09:47,187 and you get these really large thunderstorms 123 00:09:47,187 --> 00:09:49,889 that form over the higher terrain. 124 00:09:54,294 --> 00:09:56,062 (Rain pouring) 125 00:09:56,062 --> 00:09:58,965 >> Heavy thunderstorms in the high terrain 126 00:09:58,965 --> 00:10:03,570 dump as much as 2 inches of rain in just 2 hours. 127 00:10:05,171 --> 00:10:08,741 Spread over a 20-square-mile dry wash, 128 00:10:08,741 --> 00:10:13,413 millions of gallons of water flood this parched land. 129 00:10:13,413 --> 00:10:15,815 >> All of that water has time to accumulate 130 00:10:15,815 --> 00:10:17,717 and start running down this wash. 131 00:10:17,717 --> 00:10:18,718 If you can imagine 132 00:10:18,718 --> 00:10:21,754 this is about the size of a 6-lane freeway. 133 00:10:21,754 --> 00:10:23,556 And right now it's bone dry, 134 00:10:23,556 --> 00:10:24,891 I mean the ground is just-- 135 00:10:24,891 --> 00:10:27,126 there's just very little moisture here at all. 136 00:10:27,126 --> 00:10:30,263 It can go from the conditions that we have now to-- 137 00:10:30,263 --> 00:10:32,532 I could be under 3 or 4 feet of water right now 138 00:10:32,532 --> 00:10:35,735 where I'm sitting, almost instantaneously. 139 00:10:35,735 --> 00:10:44,677 (♪♪♪) 140 00:10:44,677 --> 00:10:45,979 >> Flash flooding, 141 00:10:45,979 --> 00:10:48,882 a sudden, destructive rush of water, 142 00:10:48,882 --> 00:10:51,885 provoked by heavy rain. 143 00:10:51,885 --> 00:11:06,132 (♪♪♪) 144 00:11:06,132 --> 00:11:10,670 >> This massive torrent of debris laden carnage 145 00:11:10,670 --> 00:11:13,072 just comes tearing through these washes. 146 00:11:13,072 --> 00:11:17,043 And you'll just see this dark wall of debris 147 00:11:17,043 --> 00:11:18,645 come rolling around the corner 148 00:11:18,645 --> 00:11:22,982 and the only way to describe it is a tsunami on land. 149 00:11:27,220 --> 00:11:29,522 Branches, boulders, 150 00:11:29,522 --> 00:11:33,226 entire trees become debris... 151 00:11:35,395 --> 00:11:39,966 left behind in the destructive path of the flash flood. 152 00:11:39,966 --> 00:11:41,734 >> There's a lot of evidence here in this wash 153 00:11:41,734 --> 00:11:43,770 of a flash flood that came through here. 154 00:11:43,770 --> 00:11:46,239 If you look around, there's tree branches, 155 00:11:46,239 --> 00:11:47,473 there's bushes, 156 00:11:47,473 --> 00:11:49,676 things that just don't belong in the wash. 157 00:11:49,676 --> 00:11:53,313 And, you know, even this pine cone right here 158 00:11:53,313 --> 00:11:56,649 is a good example of debris that can be carried down a flood. 159 00:11:56,649 --> 00:12:00,687 There's no pine trees for 30 miles of this location. 160 00:12:00,687 --> 00:12:10,096 (♪♪♪) 161 00:12:10,096 --> 00:12:11,764 There's a quote around here: 162 00:12:11,764 --> 00:12:14,434 "There's two easy ways to die in the southwest: 163 00:12:14,434 --> 00:12:18,204 thirst and drowning." 164 00:12:21,608 --> 00:12:26,079 >> The walls of the canyon tower more than 2,000 feet high. 165 00:12:28,314 --> 00:12:32,318 The trails wind for hundreds of miles. 166 00:12:34,754 --> 00:12:38,257 Southern Utah's slot canyons attracted venture seekers 167 00:12:38,257 --> 00:12:41,060 year round. 168 00:12:42,261 --> 00:12:46,265 But they become a deathtrap, prone to flash flooding. 169 00:12:49,135 --> 00:12:50,703 >> That is a dangerous place to be 170 00:12:50,703 --> 00:12:53,072 and you can lose your life in that situation, 171 00:12:53,072 --> 00:12:55,041 which happens every few years out here. 172 00:12:55,041 --> 00:12:57,276 People will die in the slot canyons 173 00:12:57,276 --> 00:12:59,212 and the reason for that is, 174 00:12:59,212 --> 00:13:01,314 in a slot canyon there's nowhere to go. 175 00:13:01,314 --> 00:13:04,250 You're literally in a groove 176 00:13:04,250 --> 00:13:07,920 that's been carved in the sandstone hundreds of feet deep. 177 00:13:07,920 --> 00:13:10,690 You can touch both walls and see miles ahead of you 178 00:13:10,690 --> 00:13:12,992 and there's a flash flood approaching you from the back, 179 00:13:12,992 --> 00:13:14,861 you only have one option: to run away from it. 180 00:13:14,861 --> 00:13:17,964 And you're not gonna outrun a flash flood. 181 00:13:28,508 --> 00:13:30,476 If you're gonna come hike into the backcountry 182 00:13:30,476 --> 00:13:31,878 in the southwest, 183 00:13:31,878 --> 00:13:36,549 know your weather forecast for that day. 184 00:13:36,549 --> 00:13:40,453 >> The destructive power responsible for taking lives 185 00:13:40,453 --> 00:13:42,155 is also the creator 186 00:13:42,155 --> 00:13:45,892 of Southern Utah's striking canyons, 187 00:13:45,892 --> 00:13:49,996 carved into the landscape with abrasive force. 188 00:13:52,498 --> 00:13:55,835 On an average day, the Virgin River 189 00:13:55,835 --> 00:13:59,205 flows at forty cubic feet per second. 190 00:14:01,207 --> 00:14:03,643 >> For a large part of the year, it's not flowing very high. 191 00:14:03,643 --> 00:14:06,679 There's not a lot of this erosion happening. 192 00:14:06,679 --> 00:14:08,181 But when a flash flood happens, 193 00:14:08,181 --> 00:14:10,383 it can really intensify the river, 194 00:14:10,383 --> 00:14:12,685 and that's when it starts picking up more of the material 195 00:14:12,685 --> 00:14:13,853 from the bottom of the river 196 00:14:13,853 --> 00:14:16,222 and really carving the way at the sandstone walls. 197 00:14:22,328 --> 00:14:25,465 >> During a flash flood, the river can swell up 198 00:14:25,465 --> 00:14:29,635 to 200 times its original volume, in minutes. 199 00:14:30,603 --> 00:14:34,974 Strong enough to carry a boulder the size of a car, 200 00:14:34,974 --> 00:14:39,178 fierce enough to rip full-grown trees out of the ground... 201 00:14:41,347 --> 00:14:43,516 the Virgin River moves debris 202 00:14:43,516 --> 00:14:47,153 at a rate of 300 million tons a year, 203 00:14:47,153 --> 00:14:51,791 carving out the canyon walls and floors with every deluge. 204 00:15:01,033 --> 00:15:05,371 Scoured by wind, sculpted by water, 205 00:15:05,371 --> 00:15:08,007 and wrinkled with time, 206 00:15:08,007 --> 00:15:12,979 Zion's cliff face tells the story of its creation. 207 00:15:14,447 --> 00:15:17,517 More than 200 million years ago, 208 00:15:17,517 --> 00:15:20,253 as the ground rose and fell, 209 00:15:20,253 --> 00:15:22,855 the landscape changed: 210 00:15:22,855 --> 00:15:25,358 transforming shallow seas 211 00:15:25,358 --> 00:15:29,395 into one of the world's largest sand dune deserts. 212 00:15:29,395 --> 00:15:39,438 (♪♪♪) 213 00:15:39,438 --> 00:15:46,345 (♪♪♪) 214 00:15:46,345 --> 00:15:48,948 Groundwater filled with minerals 215 00:15:48,948 --> 00:15:51,017 seeped through the layers 216 00:15:51,017 --> 00:15:54,854 binding sand particles together like cement. 217 00:15:54,854 --> 00:16:00,793 (♪♪♪) 218 00:16:00,793 --> 00:16:02,829 Over millions of years, 219 00:16:02,829 --> 00:16:06,199 desert sands turned to sandstone, 220 00:16:06,199 --> 00:16:09,669 as sediment transformed into rock. 221 00:16:12,839 --> 00:16:15,541 In the eastern corner of the park, 222 00:16:15,541 --> 00:16:20,379 a natural wonder bears witness to Zion's desert past: 223 00:16:25,885 --> 00:16:29,155 Checkerboard Mesa - 224 00:16:29,155 --> 00:16:34,093 named after its distinct crisscross pattern. 225 00:16:34,093 --> 00:16:36,762 The engravings etched into the rock 226 00:16:36,762 --> 00:16:40,800 tell the story of Zion's geological history. 227 00:16:42,935 --> 00:16:46,505 Horizontal ridges reveal the region's past life 228 00:16:46,505 --> 00:16:48,841 as a sand dune. 229 00:16:50,643 --> 00:16:53,946 More than 200 million years ago, 230 00:16:53,946 --> 00:16:57,350 ancient winds blew across the desert, 231 00:16:57,350 --> 00:17:00,987 piling sand dunes one on top of another. 232 00:17:03,222 --> 00:17:06,058 Hardened over time to stone, 233 00:17:06,058 --> 00:17:08,394 these ripples were preserved 234 00:17:08,394 --> 00:17:11,898 in the sandstone walls of Checkerboard Mesa. 235 00:17:14,133 --> 00:17:16,369 When the desert sun retreats, 236 00:17:16,369 --> 00:17:20,573 temperatures drop by as much as 60 degrees. 237 00:17:22,275 --> 00:17:26,545 Water rolling down the mountain freezes in its tracks, 238 00:17:26,545 --> 00:17:29,916 leaving behind deep vertical fractures, 239 00:17:29,916 --> 00:17:33,886 like cracks in pavement after a harsh winter. 240 00:17:38,991 --> 00:17:41,193 In the mid-sixteenth century, 241 00:17:41,193 --> 00:17:45,164 Spanish explorers arrived in the American southwest 242 00:17:45,164 --> 00:17:49,502 in search of gold and gems. 243 00:17:49,502 --> 00:17:54,006 Instead, they discovered the geological treasures of Zion. 244 00:17:56,742 --> 00:18:00,346 Among the canyons, plateaus and arches, 245 00:18:00,346 --> 00:18:04,216 explorers found isolated flat-topped mountains. 246 00:18:06,052 --> 00:18:09,956 Fascinated by their form, they called them "mesas", 247 00:18:09,956 --> 00:18:12,258 meaning "table" in Spanish. 248 00:18:12,258 --> 00:18:18,564 (♪♪♪) 249 00:18:18,564 --> 00:18:22,001 Hidden amid Zion's geological grandeur 250 00:18:22,001 --> 00:18:24,804 are hundreds of natural arches 251 00:18:24,804 --> 00:18:27,940 chiseled into jagged canyon walls. 252 00:18:32,211 --> 00:18:33,946 Tucked away in the remote 253 00:18:33,946 --> 00:18:36,882 northwestern corner of the park 254 00:18:36,882 --> 00:18:40,886 rests one of Zion's most spectacular wonders. 255 00:18:42,488 --> 00:18:45,758 Suspended high above the rugged cliffs, 256 00:18:45,758 --> 00:18:50,363 a ribbon of rock stands proudly against the canyon wall. 257 00:18:52,098 --> 00:18:55,334 Stretching more than 280 feet, 258 00:18:55,334 --> 00:18:59,472 the Kolob Arch is one of the longest natural arches 259 00:18:59,472 --> 00:19:02,408 on the planet. 260 00:19:07,546 --> 00:19:11,784 The arch is nestled in Zion's Kolob Canyons, 261 00:19:11,784 --> 00:19:15,888 a remote 50-square-mile expanse, 262 00:19:15,888 --> 00:19:20,526 where soaring cliffs and deep slot canyons 263 00:19:20,526 --> 00:19:23,562 stand largely undiscovered. 264 00:19:28,768 --> 00:19:31,570 Overlooking all of Zion, 265 00:19:31,570 --> 00:19:34,874 Kolob Canyon's tallest peaks 266 00:19:34,874 --> 00:19:39,245 soar 8,700 feet above sea level. 267 00:19:42,248 --> 00:19:47,253 In the 1850s, Mormon settlers arrived at Kolob Canyons. 268 00:19:47,253 --> 00:19:51,857 They used the area for timber and grazing stock. 269 00:19:51,857 --> 00:19:55,494 Astounded by the soaring walls of sandstone, 270 00:19:55,494 --> 00:19:58,697 settlers called these canyons "Kolob", 271 00:19:58,697 --> 00:20:01,634 a word derived from Mormon scripture, 272 00:20:01,634 --> 00:20:04,470 meaning "residence closest to heaven", 273 00:20:08,274 --> 00:20:11,077 Along the jagged walls of Zion. 274 00:20:11,077 --> 00:20:15,781 future arches begin to take shape. 275 00:20:15,781 --> 00:20:19,285 The formation of an arch begins with water, 276 00:20:19,285 --> 00:20:22,621 trickling into cracks along the surface. 277 00:20:24,757 --> 00:20:27,893 Water freezes and expands each ridge 278 00:20:27,893 --> 00:20:31,697 applying pressure to the structure. 279 00:20:31,697 --> 00:20:35,468 Eventually, the fragile sandstone gives way, 280 00:20:35,468 --> 00:20:38,904 crumbling and flaking. 281 00:20:38,904 --> 00:20:41,674 While tougher strips of rock remain, 282 00:20:41,674 --> 00:20:43,876 forming a natural arch. 283 00:20:45,978 --> 00:20:47,279 In architecture, 284 00:20:47,279 --> 00:20:51,317 the arch is the most stable load-bearing structure. 285 00:20:53,786 --> 00:20:57,890 But over time, the erosion that created these arches 286 00:20:57,890 --> 00:21:00,826 will eventually destroy them. 287 00:21:03,829 --> 00:21:06,699 In the heart of Zion's main canyon, 288 00:21:06,699 --> 00:21:09,201 perched high in the clouds, 289 00:21:09,201 --> 00:21:13,906 more than 1,400 feet above the canyon floor, 290 00:21:13,906 --> 00:21:18,310 is one of the world's most extreme hiking trails, 291 00:21:18,310 --> 00:21:21,247 Angel's Landing. 292 00:21:21,247 --> 00:21:25,618 >> It's a 1,400-foot elevation gain from river level here 293 00:21:25,618 --> 00:21:27,987 all the way up to the top, 294 00:21:27,987 --> 00:21:30,289 and the last half mile of Angel's Landing 295 00:21:30,289 --> 00:21:32,391 is a vertical drop on both sides. 296 00:21:32,391 --> 00:21:35,394 So you're pulling yourself up a series of chains 297 00:21:35,394 --> 00:21:38,664 to get all the way out to that edge. 298 00:21:40,232 --> 00:21:44,970 >> In 1916, on an exploration up-canyon, 299 00:21:44,970 --> 00:21:48,641 the Methodist Minister Frederick Fisher looked up 300 00:21:48,641 --> 00:21:51,310 at the monolith and proclaimed, 301 00:21:51,310 --> 00:21:55,080 "Only an angel could land on it." 302 00:21:56,182 --> 00:22:01,153 By 1926, a trail was cut into solid rock, 303 00:22:01,153 --> 00:22:04,490 leading hikers up to the heavens. 304 00:22:04,490 --> 00:22:18,070 (♪♪♪) 305 00:22:22,007 --> 00:22:26,145 Down in the valley, ringed by towering rock, 306 00:22:26,145 --> 00:22:30,182 seeps and springs trickle down sandstone, 307 00:22:30,182 --> 00:22:33,652 collecting at the canyon base. 308 00:22:33,652 --> 00:22:36,722 The Emerald Pools. 309 00:22:36,722 --> 00:22:40,559 Hanging gardens bloom from the jagged walls, 310 00:22:40,559 --> 00:22:44,563 watered by moisture seeping through the sandstone, 311 00:22:44,563 --> 00:22:48,601 and a gentle mist of spray from the falls. 312 00:22:48,601 --> 00:22:53,372 Junipers and towering ponderosa advance thirsty roots downward 313 00:22:53,372 --> 00:22:57,243 in search of nutrients. 314 00:23:03,082 --> 00:23:07,720 Water weeps into the canyon, streaking the rock face black, 315 00:23:07,720 --> 00:23:11,824 while droplets dance on fallen boulders below. 316 00:23:13,592 --> 00:23:15,995 >> It's a little surprising for some people who come here, 317 00:23:15,995 --> 00:23:18,664 and, you know, they expect to see a barren landscape 318 00:23:18,664 --> 00:23:22,534 but really, it's like a little oasis in Zion. 319 00:23:24,837 --> 00:23:29,642 >> Water, carving its path through Zion's porous sandstone, 320 00:23:29,642 --> 00:23:32,911 hits an impenetrable roadblock... 321 00:23:32,911 --> 00:23:36,315 a rock layer called the Kayenta Shale: 322 00:23:36,315 --> 00:23:40,853 sandstone packed with silt, mud and clay, 323 00:23:40,853 --> 00:23:43,822 resistant to erosion. 324 00:23:46,058 --> 00:23:50,429 Forced to change its course, water gushes out of the rock 325 00:23:50,429 --> 00:23:53,432 in a series of cascading springs, 326 00:23:53,432 --> 00:23:56,435 spraying the canyon's parched walls 327 00:23:56,435 --> 00:23:59,638 on its descent into the Virgin River. 328 00:23:59,638 --> 00:24:09,348 (♪♪♪) 329 00:24:09,348 --> 00:24:11,250 Down in the valley, 330 00:24:11,250 --> 00:24:15,487 towering walls tightly envelop the Virgin River- 331 00:24:15,487 --> 00:24:20,492 creating a 15-mile maze of winding trails, through water. 332 00:24:24,129 --> 00:24:27,700 The Zion narrows. 333 00:24:27,700 --> 00:24:31,003 A gorge, 2,000 feet deep 334 00:24:31,003 --> 00:24:33,405 but only 20 feet across, 335 00:24:33,405 --> 00:24:35,708 zigzags through the park: 336 00:24:35,708 --> 00:24:40,512 One-hundred times deeper than it is wide. 337 00:24:40,512 --> 00:24:43,816 Whether hiking in the Virgin River... 338 00:24:46,585 --> 00:24:50,122 or climbing 2,000-foot cliffs... 339 00:24:55,527 --> 00:24:59,932 Zion is a playground for those who seek adventure. 340 00:25:03,102 --> 00:25:06,705 More than 160 miles of hiking trails 341 00:25:06,705 --> 00:25:11,210 wind through Zion National Park. 342 00:25:11,210 --> 00:25:14,880 From short, single-day hikes to backpacking trips, 343 00:25:14,880 --> 00:25:17,649 spanning several days, 344 00:25:17,649 --> 00:25:21,787 some choose to sightsee vertically. 345 00:25:21,787 --> 00:25:24,356 2,000-foot canyon cliffs 346 00:25:24,356 --> 00:25:29,294 entice thrill-seekers from around the world. 347 00:25:29,294 --> 00:25:33,766 Treacherous multi-day climbs are made more daring 348 00:25:33,766 --> 00:25:38,237 by the slick rock surface of Zion's sandstone walls. 349 00:25:38,237 --> 00:25:46,311 (♪♪♪) 350 00:25:46,311 --> 00:25:48,680 >> I like to get out into the back country. 351 00:25:48,680 --> 00:25:50,482 I like the wilderness locations. 352 00:25:50,482 --> 00:25:53,218 I really enjoy being able to spend a whole day here 353 00:25:53,218 --> 00:25:57,723 and not see anyone. 354 00:25:57,723 --> 00:25:59,992 If you just put a little bit more effort forth 355 00:25:59,992 --> 00:26:02,394 and hike some of the more strenuous trails, 356 00:26:02,394 --> 00:26:05,964 you can find complete solitude. 357 00:26:10,636 --> 00:26:14,206 >> Zion's landscape of soaring cliffs, 358 00:26:14,206 --> 00:26:18,610 forested plateaus 359 00:26:18,610 --> 00:26:20,612 and deep gorges 360 00:26:20,612 --> 00:26:24,516 extends beyond the boundaries of the park. 361 00:26:25,517 --> 00:26:29,988 To the southeast lies Canaan Mountain Wilderness area, 362 00:26:29,988 --> 00:26:33,892 a high and wild plateau of slick rock 363 00:26:33,892 --> 00:26:36,762 dotted with ponderosa pines. 364 00:26:39,998 --> 00:26:43,569 >> It's a multiday backpacking trip 365 00:26:43,569 --> 00:26:48,207 across a waterless expanse of sandstone. 366 00:26:48,207 --> 00:26:52,878 So it is very, very strenuous and it's just very difficult 367 00:26:52,878 --> 00:26:55,514 because you do have to pack in a lot of water 368 00:26:55,514 --> 00:26:57,649 and then filter the tiny amounts of water 369 00:26:57,649 --> 00:27:01,987 that you can find along your way. 370 00:27:01,987 --> 00:27:04,723 There are hundreds of miles of established trails 371 00:27:04,723 --> 00:27:07,059 and slot canyons and peaks 372 00:27:07,059 --> 00:27:10,095 that are still waiting to be explored. 373 00:27:10,095 --> 00:27:17,269 (♪♪♪) 374 00:27:17,269 --> 00:27:20,506 >> Zion is a wild and remote paradise 375 00:27:20,506 --> 00:27:22,941 for hikers and explorers. 376 00:27:22,941 --> 00:27:32,317 (♪♪♪) 377 00:27:32,317 --> 00:27:34,052 Down in the valley, 378 00:27:34,052 --> 00:27:38,423 the morning sun pours light on the canyon's western wall, 379 00:27:39,424 --> 00:27:43,262 igniting Zion with a golden glow. 380 00:27:43,262 --> 00:27:51,169 (♪♪♪) 381 00:27:51,169 --> 00:27:53,939 In the foothills of the shaded canyon, 382 00:27:53,939 --> 00:27:56,041 mule deer graze, 383 00:27:56,041 --> 00:27:59,311 savoring the coolness of early dawn. 384 00:28:01,213 --> 00:28:04,716 Named after their greatest desert adaptation, 385 00:28:04,716 --> 00:28:08,186 these deer have a set of large mule-like ears 386 00:28:08,186 --> 00:28:09,788 atop their heads 387 00:28:09,788 --> 00:28:13,358 that functions as a cooling system. 388 00:28:13,358 --> 00:28:16,094 Blood vessels, close to the skin's surface, 389 00:28:16,094 --> 00:28:20,265 release body heat into the surrounding air. 390 00:28:21,667 --> 00:28:26,138 The mule deer's grey coat blends in with desert shrubbery 391 00:28:26,138 --> 00:28:29,775 to provide camouflage from potential predators: 392 00:28:29,775 --> 00:28:34,713 cougars, coyotes and, for young deer, eagles. 393 00:28:37,082 --> 00:28:38,951 In fall and winter, 394 00:28:38,951 --> 00:28:43,689 mule deer survive on a meagre diet of desert shrubs. 395 00:28:43,689 --> 00:28:46,625 The changing seasons and summer monsoons 396 00:28:46,625 --> 00:28:49,461 bring a feast of greens. 397 00:28:54,199 --> 00:28:57,469 As the desert sun climbs above the canyon, 398 00:28:57,469 --> 00:28:59,605 mule deer take shelter 399 00:28:59,605 --> 00:29:03,241 in the shadows of the soaring sandstone walls. 400 00:29:10,515 --> 00:29:12,484 Like all desert creatures, 401 00:29:12,484 --> 00:29:16,121 they have mastered a game of hide and seek, 402 00:29:16,121 --> 00:29:19,324 with the beating rays of the daylight sun. 403 00:29:21,526 --> 00:29:24,196 Down on the simmering canyon floor, 404 00:29:24,196 --> 00:29:27,099 a gopher snake seeks refuge, 405 00:29:27,099 --> 00:29:29,868 retreating into fleeting shade, 406 00:29:29,868 --> 00:29:34,339 afforded by the tangled branches of the desert brush. 407 00:29:34,339 --> 00:29:44,750 (♪♪♪) 408 00:29:44,750 --> 00:29:47,919 As the evening sun descends, 409 00:29:47,919 --> 00:29:51,723 the silhouette of Zion's majestic mountaineer 410 00:29:51,723 --> 00:29:54,760 is burned into the desert sky. 411 00:29:59,631 --> 00:30:01,500 The bighorn sheep - 412 00:30:01,500 --> 00:30:04,903 one of nature's most talented climbers... 413 00:30:04,903 --> 00:30:08,240 Bighorns inhabit the steep, soaring mountains 414 00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:11,576 of eastern Zion. 415 00:30:14,446 --> 00:30:18,884 This seemingly inhospitable landscape of vertical rock 416 00:30:18,884 --> 00:30:22,387 is home. 417 00:30:22,387 --> 00:30:26,358 Elevated more than 2,500 feet above the valley, 418 00:30:26,358 --> 00:30:30,328 these rugged cliffs are a safe zone. 419 00:30:30,328 --> 00:30:33,532 With ledges as narrow as 2 inches, 420 00:30:33,532 --> 00:30:37,536 scaling a mountain this steep is a treacherous task 421 00:30:37,536 --> 00:30:41,973 for large predators, like coyotes and mountain lions. 422 00:30:43,975 --> 00:30:46,011 But for the bighorn sheep, 423 00:30:46,011 --> 00:30:49,314 it provides a quick escape route. 424 00:30:50,982 --> 00:30:53,785 Desert bighorn sheep are born equipped 425 00:30:53,785 --> 00:30:57,522 to scale these steep mountains. 426 00:31:01,126 --> 00:31:04,796 Their outer hooves are like toenails, 427 00:31:04,796 --> 00:31:08,633 formed to hook onto even the smallest of rocks. 428 00:31:17,743 --> 00:31:19,544 In the 1960s, 429 00:31:19,544 --> 00:31:23,949 desert bighorn sheep were extinct at Zion. 430 00:31:23,949 --> 00:31:26,685 Early pioneers brought livestock 431 00:31:26,685 --> 00:31:30,722 and with it, diseases that decimated the wild sheep. 432 00:31:32,324 --> 00:31:36,394 Eventually, the species vanished completely from the park. 433 00:31:39,064 --> 00:31:42,400 A decade later, the national park service 434 00:31:42,400 --> 00:31:45,237 reintroduced this icon of the Rockies 435 00:31:45,237 --> 00:31:47,839 back into Zion's canyons. 436 00:31:47,839 --> 00:31:51,643 Today, the population is at more than 500 437 00:31:51,643 --> 00:31:54,179 and growing every year. 438 00:32:03,121 --> 00:32:07,459 After a day of rest, in the canyons' shaded caves, 439 00:32:07,459 --> 00:32:12,063 desert bighorn sheep emerge from hiding. 440 00:32:12,063 --> 00:32:16,067 Mothers and their young assemble on a mountaintop 441 00:32:16,067 --> 00:32:20,071 to feed in the final hours of daylight glow. 442 00:32:22,107 --> 00:32:26,945 Bighorn sheep find safety in numbers... 443 00:32:26,945 --> 00:32:29,548 Females, called ewes, 444 00:32:29,548 --> 00:32:33,718 band together in herds of up to 15. 445 00:32:33,718 --> 00:32:36,288 Groups of males are much smaller, 446 00:32:36,288 --> 00:32:40,358 with as few as 2-5 members. 447 00:32:40,358 --> 00:32:43,862 The sexes only get together during breeding season. 448 00:32:45,664 --> 00:32:48,400 >> Springtime here in Zion is a very neat time of year 449 00:32:48,400 --> 00:32:50,669 for looking at the desert bighorn. 450 00:32:50,669 --> 00:32:52,037 They have lambs right now 451 00:32:52,037 --> 00:32:54,339 and you can see the families on the rocks, 452 00:32:54,339 --> 00:32:55,640 you can see the lambs 453 00:32:55,640 --> 00:32:57,609 trying to learn how to make their way 454 00:32:57,609 --> 00:33:01,646 across the landscape following their parents. 455 00:33:03,348 --> 00:33:07,018 >> Protective mothers supervise their young, watching, 456 00:33:07,018 --> 00:33:11,389 as they take their first steep steps into the world. 457 00:33:13,325 --> 00:33:17,229 Cautious lambs tread carefully across the rock, 458 00:33:17,229 --> 00:33:19,798 hesitant to make their way down. 459 00:33:22,500 --> 00:33:25,570 While others throw caution to the wind 460 00:33:25,570 --> 00:33:29,040 and learn to run before they walk. 461 00:33:32,544 --> 00:33:36,848 Soon, these lambs will develop their signature horns. 462 00:33:38,950 --> 00:33:41,920 Males will grow a large, curling rack 463 00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:45,090 that weighs as much as 30 pounds. 464 00:33:51,396 --> 00:33:55,567 The females don't quite live up to the bighorn name. 465 00:33:55,567 --> 00:33:59,037 Theirs are much smaller and don't curl. 466 00:34:01,773 --> 00:34:04,609 Rams use their horns as weapons 467 00:34:04,609 --> 00:34:08,046 during the rut of mating season. 468 00:34:08,046 --> 00:34:11,950 The horns of desert sheep are also everyday utensils: 469 00:34:13,652 --> 00:34:16,521 they are used to break open cacti - 470 00:34:16,521 --> 00:34:19,591 a desert plant that keeps the sheep hydrated 471 00:34:19,591 --> 00:34:21,793 when water is scarce. 472 00:34:23,628 --> 00:34:28,366 In the cool setting sun, bighorn sheep are in no rush 473 00:34:28,366 --> 00:34:31,703 slowly nibbling on nearby shrubbery. 474 00:34:33,471 --> 00:34:35,206 Well-adapted to the desert, 475 00:34:35,206 --> 00:34:38,510 bighorns can go a week without drinking, 476 00:34:38,510 --> 00:34:42,614 sustaining their body moisture from their food alone. 477 00:34:43,949 --> 00:34:47,252 In times of need, a desert bighorn can lose 478 00:34:47,252 --> 00:34:50,689 as much as 30% of its body weight in water - 479 00:34:50,689 --> 00:34:52,857 almost as much as a camel - 480 00:34:52,857 --> 00:34:57,395 and still survive. 481 00:34:57,395 --> 00:35:00,365 As the setting sun shades the canyon, 482 00:35:00,365 --> 00:35:02,634 bighorns take a final nibble 483 00:35:02,634 --> 00:35:06,071 before heading back up canyon for the night. 484 00:35:06,071 --> 00:35:17,849 (♪♪♪) 485 00:35:17,849 --> 00:35:19,417 East of Zion, 486 00:35:19,417 --> 00:35:22,687 nature slowly sculpts intricate formations 487 00:35:22,687 --> 00:35:26,858 from the limestone walls of Utah's highest plateau. 488 00:35:29,861 --> 00:35:33,965 At a towering elevation of more than 6,600 feet, 489 00:35:33,965 --> 00:35:37,502 the Paunsaugunt Plateau is blanketed by snow. 490 00:35:38,903 --> 00:35:40,739 More than 16 feet 491 00:35:40,739 --> 00:35:44,175 collect on the plateau each year. 492 00:35:45,276 --> 00:35:48,213 Paunsaugunt means "home of beavers", 493 00:35:48,213 --> 00:35:49,981 named by the Paiute, 494 00:35:49,981 --> 00:35:53,284 the indigenous people of the Great Basin area. 495 00:35:54,953 --> 00:35:58,623 Bristlecone Pine Forests - alpine meadows - 496 00:35:58,623 --> 00:36:01,493 lakes and streams, 497 00:36:01,493 --> 00:36:06,464 stretch 25 miles long and 10 miles wide. 498 00:36:09,601 --> 00:36:13,304 Carved into the high plateau of deep green forest 499 00:36:13,304 --> 00:36:17,942 is one of Utah's most stunning natural treasures... 500 00:36:22,213 --> 00:36:24,616 Bryce Canyon National Park. 501 00:36:29,187 --> 00:36:31,623 A sea of soaring spires 502 00:36:31,623 --> 00:36:35,627 extends across 56 square miles 503 00:36:35,627 --> 00:36:39,197 of Southern Utah's Colorado Plateau. 504 00:36:41,066 --> 00:36:44,035 The park curves along a semicircle 505 00:36:44,035 --> 00:36:47,238 referred to as an amphitheater. 506 00:36:47,238 --> 00:36:49,007 Down in the bowl, 507 00:36:49,007 --> 00:36:51,910 the bright orange pinnacles of Bryce 508 00:36:51,910 --> 00:36:54,279 shift shapes and shades 509 00:36:54,279 --> 00:36:59,017 as nature's spotlight moves across the sky. 510 00:36:59,017 --> 00:37:02,187 >> When you step onto the rim of the Bryce Canyon Amphitheater, 511 00:37:02,187 --> 00:37:05,790 it's really a scene that's not like anything 512 00:37:05,790 --> 00:37:07,725 you've ever experienced anywhere. 513 00:37:07,725 --> 00:37:10,128 And it's just a feeling of awe 514 00:37:10,128 --> 00:37:12,163 that nature can create some place 515 00:37:12,163 --> 00:37:16,334 that is just so spectacular. 516 00:37:16,334 --> 00:37:19,237 >> More than 50 million years ago, 517 00:37:19,237 --> 00:37:22,974 an ancient lake covered this land. 518 00:37:22,974 --> 00:37:25,176 And its unique pinnacles 519 00:37:25,176 --> 00:37:28,379 were nothing more than sediment on the lake bottom. 520 00:37:29,881 --> 00:37:34,018 Layers of calcium-rich mud, silt and sand 521 00:37:34,018 --> 00:37:36,588 settled at the base. 522 00:37:36,588 --> 00:37:39,591 Iron-rich minerals dissolved in the water 523 00:37:39,591 --> 00:37:43,294 and seeped through the sediment, like food coloring, 524 00:37:43,294 --> 00:37:46,197 rendering it a deep orange hue - 525 00:37:46,197 --> 00:37:50,301 the signature shade of Bryce's brilliant peaks. 526 00:37:52,137 --> 00:37:56,107 Over millions of years, the calcium-rich sediments 527 00:37:56,107 --> 00:37:59,911 solidified into limestone and mudstone. 528 00:37:59,911 --> 00:38:03,081 The building blocks of Bryce canyon. 529 00:38:06,184 --> 00:38:09,220 These colorful layers of sediment surfaced 530 00:38:09,220 --> 00:38:11,856 as the ancient lake was drained 531 00:38:11,856 --> 00:38:15,260 by the uplift of the Colorado Plateau. 532 00:38:24,469 --> 00:38:26,070 Despite its name, 533 00:38:26,070 --> 00:38:29,574 Bryce is not considered a real canyon 534 00:38:29,574 --> 00:38:32,644 because it was not carved by flowing water. 535 00:38:36,347 --> 00:38:38,449 Its towering spires were chiseled 536 00:38:38,449 --> 00:38:42,587 by the freezing and thawing of rain and snow. 537 00:38:44,289 --> 00:38:48,092 At nearly 9,000 feet above sea level, 538 00:38:48,092 --> 00:38:52,063 Bryce is the highest point on the Colorado Plateau. 539 00:38:54,532 --> 00:38:57,569 On a clear day, the view from Bryce 540 00:38:57,569 --> 00:39:00,905 is a breathtaking 150-mile expanse 541 00:39:00,905 --> 00:39:05,410 of rugged cliffs and desert plains. 542 00:39:05,410 --> 00:39:10,014 But, as the elevation climbs, the temperature drops. 543 00:39:12,016 --> 00:39:13,384 With the setting sun, 544 00:39:13,384 --> 00:39:17,889 temperatures at Bryce can plunge by as much as 40°F. 545 00:39:22,460 --> 00:39:26,731 Winter nights can get as cold as -30°F. 546 00:39:30,535 --> 00:39:35,540 Snow, thawed by the warm sun, then freezes overnight. 547 00:39:38,176 --> 00:39:42,380 Bryce canyon goes through 200 of these cycles each year. 548 00:39:44,749 --> 00:39:48,253 Snowmelt trickles down the walls of Bryce, 549 00:39:48,253 --> 00:39:51,789 pooling in the rock's vertical ridges. 550 00:39:53,291 --> 00:39:55,526 As water freezes overnight, 551 00:39:55,526 --> 00:39:59,130 it can expand by as much as 10%. 552 00:39:59,130 --> 00:40:02,934 Bit by bit, ice pries these cracks open, 553 00:40:02,934 --> 00:40:07,772 expanding them slowly, like potholes in a city street. 554 00:40:09,374 --> 00:40:13,344 Eventually, openings are cut right through the rock 555 00:40:13,344 --> 00:40:18,316 and holes, called windows, form in the walls of Bryce. 556 00:40:18,316 --> 00:40:22,220 When a window grows too big, the top stretch of rock 557 00:40:22,220 --> 00:40:26,357 linking the two vertical walls collapses. 558 00:40:26,357 --> 00:40:28,059 From small pebbles 559 00:40:28,059 --> 00:40:31,529 to large, boulders the size of a minivan, 560 00:40:31,529 --> 00:40:34,799 the rocks of Bryce come tumbling down 561 00:40:34,799 --> 00:40:39,404 to be washed away by snowmelt and flash flooding. 562 00:40:39,404 --> 00:40:43,775 Left behind are bizarre and mesmerizing pinnacles: 563 00:40:43,775 --> 00:40:47,378 hoodoos. 564 00:40:47,378 --> 00:40:49,113 Like a fingerprint, 565 00:40:49,113 --> 00:40:52,984 every hoodoo in Bryce canyon is unique. 566 00:40:53,951 --> 00:40:57,655 These orange pinnacles, shaped like totem poles, 567 00:40:57,655 --> 00:40:59,290 vary in size. 568 00:41:01,092 --> 00:41:04,028 Some are the height of an average human, 569 00:41:04,028 --> 00:41:07,732 others as tall as a 10-story building. 570 00:41:07,732 --> 00:41:14,539 (♪♪♪) 571 00:41:14,539 --> 00:41:16,874 The Paiute, a nomadic tribe 572 00:41:16,874 --> 00:41:20,311 that inhabited the Paunsaugunt Plateau of Bryce, 573 00:41:20,311 --> 00:41:22,547 believed these soaring pinnacles 574 00:41:22,547 --> 00:41:25,416 were solidified remains of people, 575 00:41:25,416 --> 00:41:28,720 turned to stone for their evil deeds, 576 00:41:28,720 --> 00:41:32,523 frozen for eternity by a vengeful god. 577 00:41:35,293 --> 00:41:37,428 Early Spanish explorers 578 00:41:37,428 --> 00:41:40,832 believed that Native Americans worshipped these stones. 579 00:41:42,567 --> 00:41:46,104 The Spanish called them "hoodoos", in reference 580 00:41:46,104 --> 00:41:49,474 to an African-American spiritual tradition. 581 00:41:51,843 --> 00:41:54,412 As the evening sun descends, 582 00:41:54,412 --> 00:41:59,050 the hoodoos of Bryce burn red against a crisp blue sky. 583 00:42:00,318 --> 00:42:03,588 Crowded into 2 miles of Bryce Park 584 00:42:03,588 --> 00:42:07,492 is the largest concentration of hoodoos on the planet. 585 00:42:09,060 --> 00:42:12,497 Each layer of rock that makes up Bryce Canyon 586 00:42:12,497 --> 00:42:15,266 erodes at its own pace, 587 00:42:15,266 --> 00:42:19,604 sculpting the unique curves of every hoodoo. 588 00:42:19,604 --> 00:42:23,741 Mudstone is the softest and most easily eroded. 589 00:42:25,076 --> 00:42:28,780 It is usually the narrowest part of every pinnacle. 590 00:42:30,248 --> 00:42:32,683 Limestone is the toughest, 591 00:42:32,683 --> 00:42:37,388 it is the wider, top block that caps the hoodoo. 592 00:42:37,388 --> 00:42:39,724 Acting as a protective layer, 593 00:42:39,724 --> 00:42:43,661 limestone shields the mudstone below from erosion. 594 00:42:45,763 --> 00:42:50,268 But even this protective rock eventually erodes away 595 00:42:50,268 --> 00:42:54,405 and the hoodoo becomes nothing more than a pile of dirt. 596 00:42:57,775 --> 00:43:01,746 As old hoodoos vanish, new ones are created. 597 00:43:04,682 --> 00:43:08,519 Eventually, the erosion that creates these hoodoos 598 00:43:08,519 --> 00:43:12,323 will also destroy them. 599 00:43:12,323 --> 00:43:16,694 It is estimated, in fewer than 3 million years, 600 00:43:16,694 --> 00:43:20,731 the hoodoos of Bryce will disappear: 601 00:43:20,731 --> 00:43:25,269 worn down by wind, water, gravity 602 00:43:25,269 --> 00:43:27,905 and the ravages of time. 603 00:43:34,412 --> 00:43:39,350 From the colorful pinnacles of Bryce, 604 00:43:39,350 --> 00:43:43,187 to the deep and winding narrows of Zion... 605 00:43:45,990 --> 00:43:48,392 The high plateaus of Utah 606 00:43:48,392 --> 00:43:51,696 are a natural and geological treasure. 607 00:43:53,431 --> 00:43:56,467 >> It's premiere country, premiere landscape, 608 00:43:56,467 --> 00:43:58,169 just beautiful formations to come see. 609 00:43:58,169 --> 00:44:00,838 A once-in-a-lifetime place. 610 00:44:02,807 --> 00:44:06,944 >> The highest peak of the plateau offers a front row seat 611 00:44:06,944 --> 00:44:11,849 to one of nature's most beautiful spectacles. 612 00:44:11,849 --> 00:44:13,684 >> When you first walk up 613 00:44:13,684 --> 00:44:15,953 to the edge of the Bryce Canyon Amphitheater, 614 00:44:15,953 --> 00:44:18,856 it's just an absolutely awe-inspiring experience 615 00:44:18,856 --> 00:44:23,094 to see these thousands of brilliantly colored hoodoos 616 00:44:23,094 --> 00:44:25,696 right in front of you. 617 00:44:28,332 --> 00:44:29,867 >> A rugged landscape 618 00:44:29,867 --> 00:44:34,372 of soaring cliffs and boundless canyons... 619 00:44:35,873 --> 00:44:39,477 >> The vastness of Zion is what makes it special to me - 620 00:44:39,477 --> 00:44:44,215 the reminder that I get every day that I'm a speck. 621 00:44:44,215 --> 00:44:47,318 I'm so tiny in the grand scheme of things, 622 00:44:47,318 --> 00:44:51,055 and I love being completely surrounded 623 00:44:51,055 --> 00:44:53,658 by the rocks and the canyons 624 00:44:53,658 --> 00:44:58,596 and just being a little tiny piece of this vast area. 625 00:45:02,300 --> 00:45:05,369 >> This wild stretch of Southern Utah 626 00:45:05,369 --> 00:45:08,973 is a window into its rich geological past. 627 00:45:11,409 --> 00:45:16,213 Zion's walls reveal the history of ancient desert dunes. 628 00:45:21,786 --> 00:45:23,554 The forces that continue 629 00:45:23,554 --> 00:45:27,358 to carve through the high plateaus of Utah 630 00:45:27,358 --> 00:45:30,995 remind us that the story of this majestic land 631 00:45:30,995 --> 00:45:33,264 is still being written. 632 00:45:38,402 --> 00:45:48,446 (♪♪♪) 633 00:45:48,446 --> 00:45:59,223 (♪♪♪)