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BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Utah (AP) — Bryce Canyon National Park officials say the iconic hoodoo rock pillar known as "The Sentinel" has ended its watch.
The Deseret News reports (http://bit.ly/2hkaVWj ) officials say the hoodoo fractured at a point 2 feet in diameter, causing an approximately 15-foot-tall segment to fall. Snow has prevented rangers from locating the resulting debris.
Based on visitor photos, park officials believe it broke Nov. 25.
The tall, skinny spire of rock created by erosion was named for its shape and became a landmark of the Bryce Canyon landscape. Park ranger Jan Stock says in a statement that the hoodoo looked like a sentry or protector of the peace gazing to the east.
Officials say water collects in cracks created by geological activity 70 million years ago and can shatter the rock as it freezes.
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Information from: Deseret News, http://www.deseretnews.com
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