|
A hot shower never felt so good.
I'll bet. Eight miles is pretty impressive. What a unique experience yous (wordability: its a thing---editor) have had, to hike with so few others around in the snow on sunny days. A truly great Travel Moment. I am done. the awaiting |
January 16 –
The early hiker gets the parking spot...we were up at 6:00 and out the door before it was even light, all in an effort to score one of those elusive parking spots along Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. The south entrance wasn’t yet manned, we drove right through. By 7:15 we were in the park, where we made our way to the end of the eight mile scenic road - the parking area for Angel's Landing already near capacity - and the parking lot for the Narrows about 2/3 full. We backtracked and parked across the street from the Zion Lodge and set out to hike all three of the Emerald Pools trails, quiet at first, but soon becoming busy. The trails looked innocuous enough, but there was a layer of ice stealthily hidden under the sand. It was cold and dark on this side of the road, as the sun had not yet risen above the canyon walls. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...027eba7b9c.jpg Emerald Pools Trail https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f849bfcb58.jpg Emerald Pools Trail https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...783a55918f.jpg Emerald Pools Trail https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8671acb40e.jpg Emerald Pools Trail https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9f0882f971.jpg Emerald Pools Trailhttps://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b5a7252c70.jpg Emerald Pools Trail https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...50aec7a68e.jpg North Fork Virgin River We then walked the Grotto Trail, hoping for more sunshine, and continued on to the West Rim Trail which led to Zion's 'iconic' trail - Angel's Landing - which led us through Refrigerator Canyon and up the 21 steep-assed switchbacks known as Walter's Wiggles. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...74b67a49c7.jpg View from Grotto Trail https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ba850f3fb8.jpg View from Grotto Trail https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0cbf321b0b.jpg North Fork Virgin River https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...757ee9b516.jpg Walter's Wiggles https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e4f458437f.jpg Trail to Angel's Landing https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b927392cc3.jpg Trail to Angel's Landing We hadn't planned on hiking any of this trail - knowing it has a 1,500 foot elevation change and that it’s considered “one of the top five most dangerous trails in America”- it just sort of happened. You know, you walk a mile or so and think, "I've come this far I might as well keep going". Nevertheless, we had no intention of undertaking the final 500 foot climb - which involves walking on the narrow spine of the mountain with drop offs on both sides and a chain handrail. https://www.sltrib.com/news/nation-w...ve-died-since/ So, no one was more surprised than me when we made it to within 1/2 mile of the top, turning back when we came upon an ice skating rink of a hill. We had traction cleats with us, but decided that was a good time to turn back. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...591d44a013.jpg Trail to Angel's Landing And then, while having a picnic on one of the switchback ledges, a sudden burst of exclamations from other hikers; my first thought; someone had fallen over the edge. But no, it was a Condor, which landed on the ledge near us and posed for (slightly blurry) photos. Fantastic. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...69aab23a71.jpg The trail was very busy, and we saw a little bit of everything. Hikers wearing sneakers, a couple with a ½ gallon carton of orange juice, a teenager carrying a Costco sized container of pretzels, a man carrying a full gallon jug of water, and a surprising number of people with nothing but a cell phone in their hands - no water, no pack, no hiking stick, nothing of use. I’m sure many were disappointed when they came within striking distance of the top and had to turn back because they’d not thought to bring traction cleats. It boggles the mind. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...52bcec975d.jpg Scenic Drive https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...74dda952a7.jpg Scenic Drive There were plenty of parking spots when we left the Scenic Drive, so we were surprised to see that the road was still blocked off. Numerous cars with people inside were parked near the entrance, hoping the road would re-open. We drove through the tunnel again and towards the east entrance to check out the parking situation for the Canyon Overlook Trail, where we saw of loads of illegally parked cars alongside the road. The two ends of the park felt entirely different – winter in the east, spring in the south. We got stuck behind a bus re-entering the tunnel as we worked our way back towards the south entrance. Large vehicles cannot negotiate the curves of the tunnel without crossing the center line, so a permit is needed. Rangers at either end convert two-way traffic to one-way for larger vehicles, which causes a short delay. It was a beautiful, but long day. We’d spent eight hours in the park and logged some eleven miles. Cars were still coming into the south entrance at 3:40, albeit not nearly as many as yesterday. What a gorgeous place. To be continued... |
Fabulous stuff Mel, you guys really pack it in. Zion does impress, doesn't it.
Holy sh!t on the condor! > To be continued... The three best words of a Melnq8 TR. |
Nelson -
You're a mind reader - I'd written those exact words regarding the Condor, but then caught myself and deleted them. The moment seemed lost on one particular hiker, who I overheard saying "it's only a bird". Wow. |
Oh, the condor!
I only saw a tiny dot against the cliffs that I was told was a juvenile trying out their wings. Yes, only a bird. :lol: |
January 17 –
It was 47 F and windy; we were expecting another busy day at Zion; free entry today in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., so we were surprised there was no queue at the south entrance into the park. We drove towards the east entrance around 8:30 am and scored one of the nine parking spots situated across the street from the Canyon Overlook Trail; we saw no creative double parking…yet. The trail was a bit more challenging than advertised with some interesting ledges, but short and sweet and well worth the effort, offering fabulous views over lower Zion Canyon. As we backtracked, the trail became busy; the parking lot was now full, and cars were once again parked illegally along the road. Being early paid off again. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e49dc62eb4.jpg Canyon Overlook Trail https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d07dfef437.jpg Canyon Overlook Trail https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ade53faa19.jpg Canyon Overlook Trail https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6913a6aaf2.jpg Canyon Overlook Trail https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3c2db8627d.jpg Canyon Overlook https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...67a5e16bc6.jpg Canyon Overlook https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...891702d7f5.jpg Canyon Overlook Trail When we passed the Scenic Drive on our way back to the south entrance, we were surprised that it was still open - at 10:20 - and that there were only 8-10 cars queued at the south entrance. The huge stainless steel wind spinners we’d seen scattered throughout the area had piqued my interest so we made a quick stop at Worthington Gallery in Springdale. Here we were told that artist Lyman Whitaker had invented the wind sculpture here in his hometown, and they were made of stainless steel and copper. I’d love to have one, but $1,000 - $5,200 is a bit rich for my blood, art or not. We then made the 40 mile trip to Kolob Canyon, which had quite a bit of snow. We drove the five mile scenic road and toyed with taking a hike, but were deterred by the gloomy skies and the abundance of mud. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a4b5c03117.jpg Kolob Canyon https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...dd2c1417f5.jpg Kolob Canyon https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7dbed531ab.jpg Kolob Canyon https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2187944855.jpg Kolob Canyon Instead, we detoured to the Big Smoke of Hurricane for a late lunch at Las Lupitas. Great choice. Then it was back to Cable Mountain Lodge to soak up the stunning views of Watchman Peak and Bridge Mountain from our patio. I’m glad we stuck around; the hotel had been eerily quiet since Sunday and we’d really enjoyed our stay. Our king studio offered fabulous views, a big shower, plentiful towels, a small kitchenette with larger than usual fridge, microwave and proper glassware. It was of a high standard and nicely maintained. The staff was visible and helpful, sorting out a microwave issue within minutes and continuously cleaning handrails throughout the property. While the lodge is expensive in high season, and I suspect it gets noisy, it was peaceful and calm during our stay, and very reasonably priced ($405, three nights). And another perk of traveling in winter – Bill had the hot tub entirely to himself. Evidently, the heaving crowd from Saturday was more about the half marathon in nearby St. George and less about the long MLK weekend. To be continued… |
Congrats on the condor sighting! We've seen them soaring above Vermillion Cliffs. Great that you got to see one up close. The closest encounter I've had was hiking on the High Peaks trail at Pinnacles and 4 of them flew right over my head. I heard their wing beats before I realized what was happening. I literally started tearing up at the sight!
I meant not promising in terms of snow at Bryce. This is the second year we've timed our trip for Bryce Winter Festival over President's Day weekend mainly for the cross country skiing and snowshoeing. If the forecast stays dry, there won't be enough snow left just like last year. We still plan to go to UT but may tweak the itinerary if that's the case, no big deal. |
Hi Mel, fabulous photos, thanks so much. I would love to visit again and do another road trip. We've had some fantastic ones. A lot of places from your trip are familiar and brought back great memories. We weren't there in winter though - we like the warmth!
|
Patty - fingers crossed for more snow!
KayF - good to see you here. I hope you can visit again soon. |
January 18 –
We woke to a gloomy morning. Hoping to get in one last hike before leaving Zion, we walked from our hotel to the Visitor's Center, crossed the bridge and entered the park on foot. We spent the next two hours hiking the undulating 3.6 mile Watchman Trail, which overlooks Springdale, the temperature a peasant 40 F. I counted 14 other people on the trail, most starting as we were finishing. From the top we could see the empty Visitor's Center parking lot, a sea of park shuttles abandoned for the winter, and not a single car at the south entrance to Zion, evidence that I hadn't screwed up the timing of this visit after all. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...66db403feb.jpg Watchman Trail https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0a02031729.jpg Watchman Trail https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...076c983e69.jpg Watchman Trail https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...875b8e3624.jpg We packed up and left Zion/Springdale, but then detoured to Kolob Terrace, a lesser traveled area in the Zion wilderness accessed from the town of Virgin. A park ranger had told us not to bother with this drive when we asked, but instead of deterring us, it egged us on, and good thing, as it was quite interesting. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f3046e47f7.jpg Road to Kolob Terrace https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...02b400ca50.jpg Views from road to Kolob Terrace We had to turn back after 15 miles - the road disappeared under a mountain of snow and was closed for the winter. Several trucks with snowmobile trailers were parked here as well as this interesting vehicle: https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...922137ef2d.jpg We then worked our way towards Hurricane, UT via SR-9 and eventually joined I-15 south. Having accidentally discovered there was an In-N-Out in nearby Washington City, we made a beeline there for lunch. We then continued on to St. George, which is a helluva lot bigger than we expected. I knew it had a population of 80,000, but had no idea that it sprawled into several other cities, creating a larger-than-expected metropolis. It sort of reminded me of southern California, albeit a smaller version. I’d booked the Chalet Motel, based on its excellent reviews, knowing it was on a busy street (St. George Blvd), but trusting the guests who said the rooms were quiet. I now suspect that those folks had visited in the warmer months and had their air conditioning on full tilt, drowning out the street noise. It was anything but quiet, but between earplugs, keeping the fan on all night (even though it made the room very cold) and Ambien, we managed to get some sleep. Otherwise, it was a great little place. Comfortable, clean and fresh, well-maintained, excellent water pressure, near empty so no neighbor noise…and it was actually serviced ($219 for two nights). After getting settled, we drove out to Snow Canyon Scenic Overlook for a look see at tomorrow's destination, Snow Canyon State Park. We’d noticed an Indian restaurant a block down from the motel, so that night we walked there to check it out (Turmeric). It turned out to be an Indian version of Chipotle, dumbed down for the masses. It was edible, but unremarkable, with the exception of the garlic naan, which was excellent. To be continued… |
Thanks for taking the time to write this lengthy trip review. Your reports are always so interesting and well written, enhanced by your amazing photos. It's difficult to capture the essence of some of these parks with their wide expanses, but you do it very well.
I visited most of these parks for the second time last September with 4 girlfriends. Obviously, much more crowded, especially Zion, my least favorite, even from a previous trip. Other trails like Fisher Towers in Moab and a slot canyon in Escalente with a guide were nearly empty. I envy the wonderful hikes you did. Although, in the past, most of my vacations back in the working days were planned around hiking, my DH is no longer able to hike and I'm limited to much easier/shorter hikes. So especially love seeing and hearing about your boots on trails section. Definitely remember doing Walter's Wiggles but had no intention of continuing past Scout's Landing to Angel's Landing. Looking forward to rest of your report. |
January 19 –
The blue skies were back; it was 37 F and beautifully clear. We drove the ~10 miles from our accommodation to Snow Canyon State Park, located in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, amused by the aptly named streets - Bluff, Tabernacle, Temple, Flood, Red Hills, Ledges Parkway. The GPS led us to the north entrance, where we self-paid the $15 fee and entered the park. The map box was empty, so we drove to park headquarters to collect one. Snow Canyon is known as "Little Zion” and was established to protect the desert tortoise and its habitat. It was similar yet different from the parks we’d visited thus far; yes, the red rocks were plentiful, there was at least one arch and a slot canyon, but there were also sand dunes, lava fields and tubes, an extinct volcano and petrified dunes. We spent over five hours in the park, hiking six miles on several trails: Jenny's Canyon, Johnson Canyon (closed annually from March 15 to September 14), Sand Dunes, Lava Flow, and Whiterocks Amphitheater, our last hike of the day which also turned out to be the highlight. It was a day of deep sand and lava rock tripping hazards; a little hiking in sand and lava goes a very long way. Many people were in the park enjoying the perfect January weather. Just the thought of being outdoors in Utah in the summer heat makes me want to hurl; I can't imagine hiking in it. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...780d6406e8.jpg Jenny's Canyon Trail https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f75bdeba9f.jpg Sand Dunes Trail https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7bce8bbe15.jpg View from Sand Dunes picnic area https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d93cfc2eb1.jpg Snow Canyon State Park https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c7a7043c2d.jpg Johnson Canyon Trail https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e764c35e18.jpg Johnson Canyon Trail https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...78ade87413.jpg Lava Flow Trail https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...193abb97a2.jpg Lava Flow Trail https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f0932bb269.jpg Whiterocks Amphitheater https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...da9054bf05.jpg Whiterocks Amphitheater https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...44f44f13ca.jpg Whiterocks Amphitheater https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...562abf9a01.jpg Whiterocks Amphitheater Dinner was at a more promising Indian restaurant, Red Fort, a short drive from the motel and an excellent choice. To be continued… |
January 20 –
It was 39 F and clear when we left St. George headed north on I-15 towards Salt Lake City. We’d toyed with taking a potentially more scenic route, but it would have added 90 minutes to two hours of BIS time (butt in seat), so we stuck to the interstate instead. The speed limit on interstates in Utah is 80 mph, yet that didn’t seem to be enough for some drivers who blew our doors off as they sped by. We motored through Cedar City, and then Beaver, the massive Creamery immediately catching my eye. I googled and discovered that The Creamery is home to 24 flavors of ice cream and farm-to table-cheeses. I immediately regretted not stopping; a missed opportunity, maybe next time. The drive on I-15 was a mixed bag of landscapes; dust bowl desert, mountainous areas covered in deep snow, and heavily treed forest. We eventually joined I-70 east, and crossed the 7,180 foot high Clear Creek Summit, skirting Fremont Indian State Park, before suddenly descending back into the desert. A brown cloud was hanging over the valley near Richfield, the inversion the SLC news had been reporting on for the last 10 days. We passed a truly massive solar farm and dozens of FedEx road trains, all headed west. The landscape changed once again, now a vast barren wasteland. We bypassed the exit for US Route 191 and instead continued east until we located the exit for SR-128. The road was weirdly wavy; driving up and down the waves felt a bit like plane turbulence. The scenery improved dramatically as we drove alongside the Colorado River through a narrow steep gorge of sandstone walls. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d3a21b6ac3.jpg SR-128 https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5762c24711.jpg SR-128 https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1d7ab17306.jpg Sr-128 Soon we were in Moab; our third visit since 2019 and our home for the next two nights. The drive had taken us 5.5 hours. We got settled into our hotel, Hyatt Place (paid for with points) and then made a beeline for the Moab Brewery. I was looking forward to some ice cream, and very disappointed to learn the place is under new management and no longer offers ice cream by the scoop; evidently tee shirts bring more profit. Regardless, we had a decent meal here, so at least the food is still good. To be continued… |
One thing that travelers following the same itinerary as our Mel here might consider, is to bring along an audio book or two, of the late great ranger Edward Abbey reciting his own work. That'd add to the atmosphere, especially if played while driving.
I am done. the awaiting of the next section |
Glad you stuck it out at Zion. I might have panicked and left if I saw what you did on arrival.
I can vouch for that creamery being a good roadside stop. Looking forward to Moab. |
Kicking myself over missing it Patty, but by the time I'd googled we were way down the highway and I didn't think Bill would be amused if I asked him to turn around:)
|
January 21 -
It was bound to happen...we woke to fat wet snowflakes and fog. We'd planned to spend the day at Dead Horse Point State Park, hiking the seven mile rim trail we'd missed on previous trips....but it was not to be. Driving some 35 miles to the park and then potentially being greeted with a wall of fog just didn't appeal. So, we hung around the hotel for a few hours and eventually ventured out to Arches National Park hoping the weather would improve as the morning wore on. It didn't. Neither of us felt much like tromping around in the mud and slush, so we drove the length of the park and visited the overlooks; me trying unsuccessfully to find a bit of contrast in a sea of flat light. There weren’t many people in the park, but it wasn’t empty either. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7bea7e6f54.jpg Arches National Park https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fc23e57a68.jpg Arches National Park https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ddb683b1d7.jpg Arches National Park https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...05eef097d9.jpg Arches National Park https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...eb3dcffaba.jpg Arches National Park https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0ec10f43dc.jpg Arches National Park https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...069b3bf0b7.jpg Arches National Park https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9eff98370f.jpg Entrance to Arches https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e177246416.jpg Deserted Visitor's Center https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2d3f296b4d.jpg Most colorful thing I saw all day - car wash in Moab We eventually cut our losses and returned to Moab for lunch at the Moab Brewery and then hit a few grocery stores looking for some Wasatch Blueberry beer to take home (Bill’s new Utah favorite). Naturally, the sun came out a few hours later. No great loss as far as Arches and Canyonlands are concerned as we've previously hiked all the trails that interest us, but a shame about Dead Horse Point, which will have to wait a bit longer. Our 17 day road trip was coming to a close. To be continued… |
January 22 –
Today was all about butt-in-seat; the seven hour drive from Moab back home. We took 191 north, yesterday's snow long gone, then joined I-70 east. A delivery truck of some sort was in front of us weaving around and driving on the shoulder at 75 mph; we passed him, giving him a wide berth, and sure enough, the idiot was texting while driving. We made a stop in Fruita, CO for one last ice cream fix at Enstrom's, then turned on 50 towards Delta, Olathe and Montrose. As we approached Blue Mesa Reservoir, we could see an entire village of ice fishermen scattered across the frozen lake. I never tire of photographing Blue Mesa and worry that one day soon it may be gone completely, since it’s being sacrificed to save Lake Powell. https://www.cpr.org/2021/09/03/blue-...upply-drought/ https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...aafe89d0cb.jpg Blue Mesa Reservoir https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...eef7a31bae.jpg Blue Mesa Reservoir Then it was through Gunnison and over Monarch Pass (elevation 11,312), which we'd kept an eye on the last few days. Snow was predicted for Monarch the previous night, so we'd left Moab a bit later hoping that by the time we reached Monarch the snow would have cleared a bit. And clear it was, almost bone dry, quite the contrast to two weeks ago when we crossed in the snow. But it was also quite busy; the ski area parking lot full to bursting and cars parked alongside the road. After a pit stop in Poncha Springs, we continued towards Buena Vista via 285 north and 24 east. And then came the real test for the Outback's new snow tires; our very steep driveway, which had several inches of new snow. Mission accomplished; we were home. It was a good trip; we drove 2,271 miles and spent about $303 on gas. ---------------------------- Thanks for tuning in! |
Clousie -
I really appreciate your comments. We too, plan most of our vacations around hiking, and wonder what we're going to do when we're no longer able to. Our hiking centric trip to Switzerland in October made us question how many more hikes we have in us; a thought that left both of us depressed. |
Thanks for finishing the trip report and including the fantastic pictures. We are still going on adventures, but now that we are in our80s we do not hike as far or as steep as we once would. The scenery never gets old out there.
|
| All times are GMT -8. The time now is 09:37 PM. |