Hoodoos and Stargazing

June 3, 2010 by libertatemamo 6 Comments

Hoodoo, Hoodly-dum, hookey, hokus
I think I see a doodledum in the nokus

The word hoodoo seems like it would come from a very silly rhyme in a Dr.Zeuss book. In fact the origin of the word is West African and can mean both a form of magic, nonsense or hokum, or a large, oddly-shaped formation of rock. All of these seem to make sense when you enter the Red Canyon area. Like stepping into a fairytale you find yourself surrounded by bulbous towers of rock, sprinkled by pine trees and bathed in the most un-natural red-orange color. It all seems quite unreal and it certainly is unique. Unlike most canyons, this area is sculpted mainly by ice and thawing rather than moving water. A process called “frost-wedging” (unrelated to the playground version, mind you) cracks the various layers and makes holes and bulbs creating unusual towers of rock in a never-ending process of destruction.

All this happens above 6,000 ft moving up to 9,000 ft which gives this area it’s second unique characteristic and that’s stargazing. The thin air and the fact that it’s pretty much “out there” means you can see 7,500 stars with the naked eye (compared to ~2,500 in a typical small town) which creates quite the visual nighttime masterpiece.

So, if you’re feeling a bit light-headed and somewhat in awe it may just be the magic of Red Canyon drawing you in. Go with it and let your rhyming tongue fly within.