The Paria river cuts through vast layers of bentonite clays in the Chinle formation as it drains the region south of Bryce Canyon along its journey to its confluence with the Colorado River at Lees Ferry. Huge flash floods caused by late-summer monsoon rains flush enormous quantities of this clay-bearing sediment through the canyon, choking it with mile after mile of deep, boot-sucking mud. As this mud slowly dries in the desert heat, it cracks, twists and peels away from the canyon floor to form these wonderful abstract patterns. This vertical photograph was captured with a 6x7 format camera. All photos in these galleries may be ordered as fine art framed prints or for stock photography usage.