Zion NP - Take a deep Breath

Looking West from hwy 9 on the way into Zion National Park. A cold front a day or so previously had left a little bit of snow at higher elevations. I think that is Pine mountain in the distance.

After a disappointing visit to the "Ghost Town" of Grafton (I guess I wasn't expecting it to be so manicured) I decided to spend the balance of the day in & around Zion NP revisiting some favorite places & a few new ones. The trip is winding down so I figured a relaxed afternoon was in order & since I was beginning to run low on memory (flash memory - for the camera) I shot the rest of this day with a tripod which forced me to slow it down a little. Zion is an easy place to go trigger happy.

Here I thought I was so creative shoot'n this little pine tree, then I find it later in my photography guidebook & it is a very well shot subject... & here I thought I was so smart! A cool little tree growing in such an impossible place.
Canyon Overlook. Due to construction this was inaccessible on my last visit so it was on the list so to speak.
Looking back up at Canyon Overlook from just off the road below. The overlook is atop the arch.

A nice bonus for coming this late in the season is the Scenic Drive, which is serviced only by shuttle bus during peak season, is open to private cars at this time. This allowed me to pull off as I pleased & stumble around.
Riverside Walk. This ends at the start of The Narrows, a clear all time favorite hike. It was very cool on this day, plus 5 C maybe, so without proper gear (wet or dry suits at least below the waist) it was a no go this time. Riverside Walk is a close substitute with the steep canyon walls, rushing water, & fall colors.
I talked to a couple who had just finished day-hiking The Narrows, they told me very early on the water came up to the bottom of their packs... Damn, I was hoping maybe I could sneak in a little ways maybe knee deep or so. I remember the place, its not short either. After that stretch the route is in and out of the water...




Court of the Patriarchs.
A slight variation on the Virgin River Sunset with the The Watchman in the background... from the walking bridge instead of the crowded road bridge.

Casa de Montana again at "South" campground. A 'see your breath' headlamp dinner!

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Atlati Rock

Day 15. Well today is a moving day & some sun on Valley of Fire would be nice...

Off to the other campground to the shower & it is WINDY. Pulled into the Atlati Rock petroglyphs as it looks like the sun might just squeek between the horizion & the cloud.




I said SOME SUN WOULD BE NICE!!!
See the profile of the Native American Indian?

Ten minutes of sun on the horizon before it goes into a bank of cloud. Boo-hiss. Well, a shower & Zion NP are calling anyway...

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Valley of Fire

Day 14. Arch rock again & off to the visitor center to see about a map.
Got to the visitor center & it won't open for a couple more hours so I decided to hike to Ephemeral arch. About a 3.2km round trip it is bascially a route but reasonably well defined, likely due to the photography guidebook I was using increasing the number of visitors.

The arch bears on this little narrow point, hence the name "Ephemeral".

Back in the van I decide to pop out of the park at the east end & down to the Overton Arm of Lake Mead.
Stopped at Rogers Spring where a hotspring comes out of the ground & is surrounded by Washingtonian Palms looking for all the world like the proverbial oasis in the desert. Scrambled up to a small cave overlooking Lake Mead.
The hotspring pool.

Went down as far as Redstone, which is a smaller version of Valley of Fire.

Back into Valley of Fire State Park & stopped at Elephant Rock, the parks "mascot".

Next stop past Rainbow Vista to White Domes.
At White Domes there is a 2km loop interpretive trail that takes in most of the features of the area including a small slot canyon.

Just past the slot at the apex of the loop I diverted cross country up the wash for a kilometer or so exploring the amazing variety of small arches, alcoves, & colored rock.






A beetle creeps across the cryptobiotic crust on the soil. I took care as much as possible to travel on the sand or stone outcrop as the cryptobiotic soil is very sensitive & can be destroyed by walking on it. (it is alive)






Can't you just see the Coyote & Road Runner booking down this road?
Fire Canyon / Silica Dome. Interesting color variances in the various layers of stone.

Now what really makes The Valley of Fire pop is sunlight, and so far I had been pretty much foiled in that department except for fleeting moments when blue sky would appear but the sun remained by & large behind cloud cover. I found a place to setup for a potential sunset that could creep in under the cloud on the horizon. In this alcove I was protected from the rain which lasted for all of thirty seconds. By now Moe was back & shoveling out his driveway so I certainly can't complain.



Not much of a sunset, but the moon rise was cool.

Overall the park was quiet with vistors peaking during the middle of the day as this park is within easy reach of Las Vegas. Better than Vegas x 1000.

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