ZION NATIONAL PARK, SEPTEMBER 6, 2009

 

Zion National Park is celebrating its centennial anniversary as Utah’s first national park.  Zion was established as Mukuntuweap National Monument by President Taft in 1909 and was expanded as Zion National Park in 1919.  Kolob Canyons were added in 1956.  Everything in Zion takes life from the Virgin River’s scarce desert waters and the name of the park itself, Zion, meaning refuge, evokes its significance.  A showcase of geology, Zion is characterized by high plateaus, a maze of narrow, deep sandstone canyons and striking rock towers and mesas.

The only mistake Hank and I made in touring this last national park on our trip was being there on Sunday of Labor Day week-end.  Park visitation was 3, 692 people in 1920 and was over 2.7 million in 2008.  We heard last week that Zion broke attendance records this last month and we would believe that from what we saw.  No private vehicles are allowed on the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive.  The shuttle bus system was started in 2000 to reduce traffic, congestion and pollution.   The buses which generally run every 6 minutes were doubled for Labor Day week-end and running every 3 minutes! 

We parked right outside the park in Springdale and walked into the park and the visitor center.  We inadvertently missed checking in, but didn’t cheat the park in any way other than head count.  Hank and I both have Golden Age Passports which allow us and anyone in our vehicle free access into any of the national parks and monuments.  Please be sure to get yours when you turn 62—it’s one of the BEST perks of becoming a senior citizen.  And it’s only $10 for a lifetime pass.

 

The buses were comfortable and had open vents above for fresh air and wide windows on the side for picture-taking.  I took a picture of a tarantula painted on the side of a bus because we learned we were there at the height of their mating season and were told to look for them on the roadways and paths we were taking!!!  Luckily, we did not see any.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now for some of the photos we took of the majestic formations in stone, soaring thousands of feet above the floor of the Zion Canyon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can you just picture me hanging out the window of the bus snapping pictures of these gorgeous mountains?  Hank is so grateful  for digital cameras.  We elected to get off at the Temple of Sinawava stop and take the 2-mile Riverside Walk along the Virgin River.  Hard to believe that this little river has cut through all these sandstone mountains and is responsible for all these towering cliffs.  Hard also to imagine that you must be careful and watch out for flash flood warnings.  Flash floods, often from storms miles away, can present a real danger and can be life-threatening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trickles of water often rundown the side of the mountains and sustain a series of plants and provide what are known as “hanging gardens”—quite beautiful to turn a corner and come upon a wall of greenery tumbling down a cliffside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had hoped to walk beyond the end of the trail in the Virgin River itself up towards the Zion Narrows.  But after having lunch alongside the river (where a squirrel joined us to enjoy the potato chip I had dropped), we decided not to take this river walk.  When you see how many people were with us that day in the photos, you may understand why we changed our minds—too much company for the peaceful stroll in the river we had planned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had also talked about doing the short Weeping Rock trail, but found it had been closed due to a rock slide 3 days previously.  It happened during the day and, miraculously, no one was injured.  They are still checking for any movement in the area before they begin to repair the 50-feet of pathway that was obliterated.  We stopped and shared an ice cream at the Zion Lodge and then toured the Zion Human History Museum.  This may not have been the peaceful day we were able to experience in all of the other parks, but we thought the park was stunning and hope you will enjoy these last few pictures  we are including.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK, SEPTEMBER 4, 2009

I will apologize in advance for the huge number of pictures I am about to post.  I thought Bryce Canyon was the most visually stunning of all the parks we visited.  This collection of colorful spires, pillars and cliffs highlighted by the greenery of its many beautiful trees was truly breath-taking.

To get into the park, you must first pass through the Red Canyon area and a short tunnel that even our friend, Alice, would have been comfortable driving through.  This area was the home of Butch Cassidy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bryce Canyon has accurately been described as one of the world’s geological masterpieces.  This area was first proclaimed a national monument by President Warren G. Harding in 1923, then Utah State Park in 1924 and became a national park in 1928.  It was named after the Mormon pioneer, Ebenezer Bryce, who settled in the valley just below the canyon.  The park was extensively advertised by the Union Pacific Railroad, who built a lodge and provided transportation to the area.  The ranger at the gate described the park as “vertigo-friendly” to Hank.  He was right about the drive, but you will see from the pictures that Hank was often not able to stand too close to the edge to take pictures.  We drove to the farthest viewpoint and worked our way back to the gate.  You may be able to tell from the photos that we started the day in bright sunlight, clouds moved in with a downpour and then the sun came out again.

Rainbow and Yovimpa Points offer expansive views of southern Utah and you can generally see up to 100 miles away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ponderosa Canyon shows off its multicolored hoodoos framed by pine-covered foothills and the Table Cliff Plateau to the north.  Hoodoo is the word for a pinnacle of rock left standing by erosion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aqua Canyon displays contrasts of light and color that are among the prettiest in the park.  Look for small trees atop a hoodoo known as The Hunter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Natural Bridge was not formed by a stream as true natural bridges are.  More accurately an arch, it was carved by both rain and frost erosion acting from the top of the rock.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Farview Point offers a panorama including its neighboring plateaus and mountains and, far to the southeast, the Kaibab Plateau of the Grand Canyon’s north rim.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Swamp Canyon had posted pictures of a fire from last summer.  I tried to take a picture of the exact same spot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paria View looks out over hoodoos in an amphitheater carved by Yellow Creek.  The Paria River valley and Table Cliffs Plateau form its backdrop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bryce Point is one of the points that overlooks the Bryce Amphitheater, the biggest natural amphitheater in the park.  You can see the Black Mountains in the northeast and Novajo Mountain in the south.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inspiration Point became “perspiration point” for Hank and he handed the camera to me to document its beauty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunset Point also overlooks the Bryce Amphitheater and we watched hikers on the trail far below us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A heavy rainstorm caught us here so we made our way to Bryce Canyon Lodge.  Local timbers and stone were used to build it in 1924-25.  We had hoped to have a drink here, but had forgotten we were back in Utah and had to content ourselves with touring the gift shop instead.  The rain prevented me from taking a picture of the entrance, but I did snap a picture of the lodge’s unique roof line as we drove away.

 

Fairylalnd Point was our last stop in the park and it did not disappoint us.  The scenery rivaled any we had seen. 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a lovely day this was.  On our way out of the park, we spotted a group of mule deer next to the road.  These are the most common large mammals in the park.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Again, a few last pictures of this magnificent place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next stop will be Zion National Park.