Mossy Cave Trail, Utah - In The Field #541
Mossy Cave Trail is a short, easy hike just southeast of Bryce Canyon City. I set off on my journey to Mossy Cave Trail in Utah early - well before dawn. I had read that even in the winter months, the trail can get crowded. As it turned out, I had the trail mostly to myself!
In true photographer fashion, I barely made it a quarter of the way up the trail and was stopping to capture photos. Towering red cliffs rose up on both sides of the trail, their jagged edges catching the morning light, a striking contrast against the clear blue sky. I took a detour at the first bridge and settled down in the riverbed for another series of photos, using the bridge as a participant in the landscape.
View Along Mossy Cave Trail, Utah
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Bridge 1 On Mossy Cave Trail
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After crossing the first bridge I picked up my pace. The morning light was quickly turning the cliffs a hot orange. Crossing a second bridge, I took in the view of Tropic Ditch Falls. The falls were frozen, though I could still hear rushing water. The falls and small valley beneath it were still in shadow, so I continued my hike. I took the righthand fork in the trail, opting to chase the morning sunlight.
Atop the spill that fed Tropic Ditch Falls, a lazy flow of water moved beneath a sheet of thin ice. Patches where the ice hadn’t taken hold offered reflections of the orange rocks in the distance. I kicked out the tripod legs and nestled in for a low angle, the diagonals of the rock and snow providing some leading lines.
Bridge 2 On Mossy Cave Trail
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Reflections On Mossy Cave Trail
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I explored a few more compositions with the ice and running water, though they just didn’t work out. I doubled back on the trail, returned to the fork above the second bridge, and set out on the path toward Mossy Cave. The cave itself is shallow, not a walk-in or walk-through kind of cave. Cracks in the ceiling of the cave allow ground water and snow melt to seep through and in winter, stalactites of ice form. The ice in Mossy Cave itself will sometimes last until early June - the cave does not get much direct sunlight.
Icicles 2, Mossy Cave
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Ice, Tropic Ditch Falls, Utah
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I finished my hike with another detour at the second bridge and walked up to the frozen Tropic Ditch Falls. Seeing a frozen waterfall was cool (no pun intended) and it was actually a waterfall inside a frozen waterfall. The outer “shell” of the waterfall was solid ice and within it, trickles of water continued to flow, feeding the water I’d photographed at the first bridge. I did not find the falls themselves to be photogenic or inspiring. I almost skipped on taking the camera out … and I’m glad I didn’t. Close-up photos of the small icicles forming the outer casing of the waterfall proved an interesting subject.
I certainly recommend Mossy Cave Trail as a quarter-day visit if you are in the Bryce Canyon area. And I’d also recommend starting early. You can enjoy the space with few to no distractions… just you and nature.
