![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Zion National Park, UT
Jul. 5th, 2017 11:04 pmSo it was quite an early start on the Tuesday (6 June) morning as we had to cross a timezone to get to Zion National Park. It was only an hour and a half from Mesquite but with the hour time difference, it meant the journey felt like two and a half hours. We crossed into Arizona pretty much as we left the casino car park, travelling up I-15 which weaved its way through a stunning mountain pass just north-east of Littlefield. The sandy rock formations, jagged and tilted in wonderous directions made for a great view as the interstate snaked its way through them, with each corner delivering an even more breathtaking scene. Carving a motorway through here was quite an achievement and even though the scenery lasted a mere fifteen minutes or so, it was undoubtedly one of the more memorable parts of the trip.
The interstate is only in Arizona for something like thirty miles, cutting across the far north-western corner of the state, meaning we were in Utah before we knew it. It was here that we crossed the timezone, although only technically as Arizona is on Mountain Time but does not observe Daylight Savings meaning it is on the same time as the Pacific Coast in the summer months. In the town of St George, we stopped off at a Pilot truck stop to get gas and the obligatory 32oz Big Gulp, surveying the almost lunar landscape beneath us. It was then back in the car, passing near but not through the town of Leeds on our way to Springfield, which is pretty much the gateway to Zion National Park. We parked up outside a Hampton Inn and slathered ourselves in suncream, with the temperature forecast to be in the 90s and already quite high at 11am. We then waited in the shade at bus stop number six for the shuttle bus which was to take us to the park. As we rode, we spied the awesome craggy landscape rising high above us and we knew that this was going to be an awesome experience.
The bus was part of the orange Springdale line, which connected the town with the entrance of the Park. We then had to walk over a bridge, showing our Annual Pass as we did, before exploring the visitor centre and gift shop. Here we bought a Zion National Park hat, largely because we were concerned about sunburn and wanted extra protection. The line for the second bus was quite lengthy but it did move pretty quickly, meaning it wasn't too long before we were being transported through the Park itself. This was the green Zion National Park line, which had nine stops along the route. We decided to go to the farthest first and work back, meaning we stopped on all the way to the Temple of Sinawava. The journey was about forty minutes in length and as we made our way up the river valley, we were struck by the sheer scale and awesomeness of the crags we were viewing. The fact that we were actually in the valley too only enhanced the sheer scale of everything, and indeed it was quite surprising that such a tame river could have created all this. At the Temple of Sinawava, we opted to follow the river deeper into the canyon, following a footpath which took us around a couple of meanders amidst this awesome spectacle. There were a number of other tourists there so my fears about snakes were somewhat unfounded, while we did manage to get to see some interesting wildlife, particularly the deer who weren't too bothered by the human presence. We did track one for quite a while before it broke across the path and into the river, wanting a drink. However, it was the squirrels who were the most friendly, with many of them literally posing for me to take pictures of them. Despite the 'do not feed the animals' signs, I suspect many people did. The canyon narrowed as we kept walking, with the cliffs being particularly steep. This was due to the geology of the area, with the Virgin River being confined by the hard Navajo sandstone, meaning it had to cut straight down. This was in contrast to the wider river valley, through which the bus had driven.
We walked along the path until it had run its course, with the option of going deeper should we want to wade through the river. As tempting as this would have been, we hadn't brought suitable shoes, so we sat and watched the children playing with their families before doubling back and catching the bus. We got off at stop number 8, Big Bend, to see the sheer cliff faces plunging towards two meanders in the river, before hopping on the next bus, which conveniently came just five minutes later. It was a really well-thought out system as it enabled us to see a lot of the park very efficiently. At Big Bend, there was an interesting sign detailing the Mormon Christian names for the rocks, and how they had taken their inspiration from the Bible.
Stop number 7 was Weeping Rock, where a dripping stream feeds a garden of moss and ferns. The impermeable rock here acts like a reservoir, forcing water (particularly snowmelt) through cracks in the canyon walls. It is in these walls that vegetation could grow, in stalk contrast to the rusty and sandy rocks around it. We had a short walk up one of the sides of the canyon and into Weeping Rock, which afforded a breathtaking view of the lush green river valley in front of us, backgrounded by the harsh red hues of the steep cliff. Walking up there, we got to learn about the different flora in the valley, and if it was up to me, we would have done one of the longer walks up the cliff face. However, Wolfie's foot was starting to bother him and he couldn't even get up to Weeping Rock, missing out from standing under the overhang and surveying this miraculous vista. This meant we had to take it slowly from hereonin, so after a good ten minutes appreciating the view, we descended and walked to the bus stop, where we hopped on another bus which took us to Stop number 6 - The Grotto. This was a walk up one of the cliffs, which we couldn't do, but we did walk to bus stop number five, which was along the road. As we did, we noticed a helicopter circling - indeed it was one we had spotted on the ground as we had come up the river valley by bus some three hours earlier - with it occasionally coming close to the cliff edge to survey something up there. As we walked, we bumped into a geological surveyor who had a piece of apparatus pointing where the helicopter was stationed, and he told us that there was someone trapped up there. We watched the drama unfold for a short while before we saw the helicopter pull away, at which point we decided to finish our walk and get to the bus stop.
Zion Lodge was halfway up the valley and situated here was a restaurant, so we decided to grab some lunch. We just had sandwiches, with me picking out the tomato as I always do, while we also grabbed a local beer too. We didn't realise that the Zion Brewery had a concession outside, meaning we opted for a more mainstream craft beer, but it wasn't too much of a big deal as we had spotted a cafe at the Park entrance which was selling the brewery's beer. Finding a table amongst all of the tourists was tough and we ended up in the beating afternoon sun, but it was good to put our feet up for fifteen minutes and take a breather before completing the rest of the tour. To be honest, there wasn't much else to see after this. The scenery at the Court of the Patriarchs and Canyon Junction was impressive, but not as good as it had been further up the valley, and by the time we pulled in at bus stop number two, time was getting pressing anyway. Here is where the Zion Museum is situated, which gave details about the geology, flora and fauna of the local area, not to mention the customs of the local indigenous population. A brief history of the National Park was also covered and while there was a video presentation lasting twenty-five minutes, we opted to skip this and head back to the Visitor Centre, which was at bus stop number one.
Upon leaving the Park, Tux agreed that we go to the Zion Brewery cafe, where we discovered that in Utah, it is illegal to buy alcohol without food. This would be a nightmare for us, but as we wanted to try this local brewery, we decided to grab a pretzel with sweet honey mustard just to observe the law. It wasn't a mistake, it was actually quite delicious, while the beers we imbibed were perfect after a long hot day in the sun. We spent about an hour in the bar before hopping back on the Springdale Line bus and ultimately to the car. We had a short drive ahead of us of about ninety minutes, the first part of which was taking route 9 through Zion National Park itself (I love how the road signs in Utah are shaped to represent beehives but look a little like a turd). Tux had done this once back in the Eighties with his mother in a huge RV, but it had been winter and not a particularly pleasurable experience, so he was glad to be doing it again in better circumstances. I didn't blame him for his previous fears as the road hugged the cliff edge quite tightly, while there were a number of twisty turning tunnels which were marvels of engineering but were actually quite disorientating. It was so easy to get distracted by the stupendous scenery, which as a passenger I was permitted to drink in, and as we left the National Park we couldn't help but feel we had been to a rather special place. As we left, the terrain had one final treat though, small coned hills with varying layers where the wind had whipped around them.
The journey to our hotel for the night in the small town of Kanab was largely uneventful. We stopped off at the Checkerboard Mesa, a hill so-called due to the checkboard appearance on its surface, with horizontal lines caused by the cross-bedding of ancient sand dunes and the vertical lines caused by cracking due to temperature variation in winter as water freezes and thaws. Desert bighorns are native to this area but alas we did not see any. Aside from this, the terrain largely stayed the same and we pulled into Kanab at about 7pm. There isn't a load to do in this small town although it was interesting to see the giant white K carved into the hillside in the distance. Utah streets are also interestingly named based on their location from a central point, so our hotel was on 200 east for example. There is a logic to a lot of the American naming system. We were feeling quite tired so we didn't want to venture too far, instead going to the Three Bears Creamery across the road for dinner. My sandwich was alright, albeit somewhat small and only served with crisps, but it was the ice cream where they came into their own, with a wide range of flavours from a local dairy. I had mint choc chip and a local berry flavour, and it was definitely worth it, making it a rather excellent way to end the day.
The interstate is only in Arizona for something like thirty miles, cutting across the far north-western corner of the state, meaning we were in Utah before we knew it. It was here that we crossed the timezone, although only technically as Arizona is on Mountain Time but does not observe Daylight Savings meaning it is on the same time as the Pacific Coast in the summer months. In the town of St George, we stopped off at a Pilot truck stop to get gas and the obligatory 32oz Big Gulp, surveying the almost lunar landscape beneath us. It was then back in the car, passing near but not through the town of Leeds on our way to Springfield, which is pretty much the gateway to Zion National Park. We parked up outside a Hampton Inn and slathered ourselves in suncream, with the temperature forecast to be in the 90s and already quite high at 11am. We then waited in the shade at bus stop number six for the shuttle bus which was to take us to the park. As we rode, we spied the awesome craggy landscape rising high above us and we knew that this was going to be an awesome experience.
The bus was part of the orange Springdale line, which connected the town with the entrance of the Park. We then had to walk over a bridge, showing our Annual Pass as we did, before exploring the visitor centre and gift shop. Here we bought a Zion National Park hat, largely because we were concerned about sunburn and wanted extra protection. The line for the second bus was quite lengthy but it did move pretty quickly, meaning it wasn't too long before we were being transported through the Park itself. This was the green Zion National Park line, which had nine stops along the route. We decided to go to the farthest first and work back, meaning we stopped on all the way to the Temple of Sinawava. The journey was about forty minutes in length and as we made our way up the river valley, we were struck by the sheer scale and awesomeness of the crags we were viewing. The fact that we were actually in the valley too only enhanced the sheer scale of everything, and indeed it was quite surprising that such a tame river could have created all this. At the Temple of Sinawava, we opted to follow the river deeper into the canyon, following a footpath which took us around a couple of meanders amidst this awesome spectacle. There were a number of other tourists there so my fears about snakes were somewhat unfounded, while we did manage to get to see some interesting wildlife, particularly the deer who weren't too bothered by the human presence. We did track one for quite a while before it broke across the path and into the river, wanting a drink. However, it was the squirrels who were the most friendly, with many of them literally posing for me to take pictures of them. Despite the 'do not feed the animals' signs, I suspect many people did. The canyon narrowed as we kept walking, with the cliffs being particularly steep. This was due to the geology of the area, with the Virgin River being confined by the hard Navajo sandstone, meaning it had to cut straight down. This was in contrast to the wider river valley, through which the bus had driven.
We walked along the path until it had run its course, with the option of going deeper should we want to wade through the river. As tempting as this would have been, we hadn't brought suitable shoes, so we sat and watched the children playing with their families before doubling back and catching the bus. We got off at stop number 8, Big Bend, to see the sheer cliff faces plunging towards two meanders in the river, before hopping on the next bus, which conveniently came just five minutes later. It was a really well-thought out system as it enabled us to see a lot of the park very efficiently. At Big Bend, there was an interesting sign detailing the Mormon Christian names for the rocks, and how they had taken their inspiration from the Bible.
Stop number 7 was Weeping Rock, where a dripping stream feeds a garden of moss and ferns. The impermeable rock here acts like a reservoir, forcing water (particularly snowmelt) through cracks in the canyon walls. It is in these walls that vegetation could grow, in stalk contrast to the rusty and sandy rocks around it. We had a short walk up one of the sides of the canyon and into Weeping Rock, which afforded a breathtaking view of the lush green river valley in front of us, backgrounded by the harsh red hues of the steep cliff. Walking up there, we got to learn about the different flora in the valley, and if it was up to me, we would have done one of the longer walks up the cliff face. However, Wolfie's foot was starting to bother him and he couldn't even get up to Weeping Rock, missing out from standing under the overhang and surveying this miraculous vista. This meant we had to take it slowly from hereonin, so after a good ten minutes appreciating the view, we descended and walked to the bus stop, where we hopped on another bus which took us to Stop number 6 - The Grotto. This was a walk up one of the cliffs, which we couldn't do, but we did walk to bus stop number five, which was along the road. As we did, we noticed a helicopter circling - indeed it was one we had spotted on the ground as we had come up the river valley by bus some three hours earlier - with it occasionally coming close to the cliff edge to survey something up there. As we walked, we bumped into a geological surveyor who had a piece of apparatus pointing where the helicopter was stationed, and he told us that there was someone trapped up there. We watched the drama unfold for a short while before we saw the helicopter pull away, at which point we decided to finish our walk and get to the bus stop.
Zion Lodge was halfway up the valley and situated here was a restaurant, so we decided to grab some lunch. We just had sandwiches, with me picking out the tomato as I always do, while we also grabbed a local beer too. We didn't realise that the Zion Brewery had a concession outside, meaning we opted for a more mainstream craft beer, but it wasn't too much of a big deal as we had spotted a cafe at the Park entrance which was selling the brewery's beer. Finding a table amongst all of the tourists was tough and we ended up in the beating afternoon sun, but it was good to put our feet up for fifteen minutes and take a breather before completing the rest of the tour. To be honest, there wasn't much else to see after this. The scenery at the Court of the Patriarchs and Canyon Junction was impressive, but not as good as it had been further up the valley, and by the time we pulled in at bus stop number two, time was getting pressing anyway. Here is where the Zion Museum is situated, which gave details about the geology, flora and fauna of the local area, not to mention the customs of the local indigenous population. A brief history of the National Park was also covered and while there was a video presentation lasting twenty-five minutes, we opted to skip this and head back to the Visitor Centre, which was at bus stop number one.
Upon leaving the Park, Tux agreed that we go to the Zion Brewery cafe, where we discovered that in Utah, it is illegal to buy alcohol without food. This would be a nightmare for us, but as we wanted to try this local brewery, we decided to grab a pretzel with sweet honey mustard just to observe the law. It wasn't a mistake, it was actually quite delicious, while the beers we imbibed were perfect after a long hot day in the sun. We spent about an hour in the bar before hopping back on the Springdale Line bus and ultimately to the car. We had a short drive ahead of us of about ninety minutes, the first part of which was taking route 9 through Zion National Park itself (I love how the road signs in Utah are shaped to represent beehives but look a little like a turd). Tux had done this once back in the Eighties with his mother in a huge RV, but it had been winter and not a particularly pleasurable experience, so he was glad to be doing it again in better circumstances. I didn't blame him for his previous fears as the road hugged the cliff edge quite tightly, while there were a number of twisty turning tunnels which were marvels of engineering but were actually quite disorientating. It was so easy to get distracted by the stupendous scenery, which as a passenger I was permitted to drink in, and as we left the National Park we couldn't help but feel we had been to a rather special place. As we left, the terrain had one final treat though, small coned hills with varying layers where the wind had whipped around them.
The journey to our hotel for the night in the small town of Kanab was largely uneventful. We stopped off at the Checkerboard Mesa, a hill so-called due to the checkboard appearance on its surface, with horizontal lines caused by the cross-bedding of ancient sand dunes and the vertical lines caused by cracking due to temperature variation in winter as water freezes and thaws. Desert bighorns are native to this area but alas we did not see any. Aside from this, the terrain largely stayed the same and we pulled into Kanab at about 7pm. There isn't a load to do in this small town although it was interesting to see the giant white K carved into the hillside in the distance. Utah streets are also interestingly named based on their location from a central point, so our hotel was on 200 east for example. There is a logic to a lot of the American naming system. We were feeling quite tired so we didn't want to venture too far, instead going to the Three Bears Creamery across the road for dinner. My sandwich was alright, albeit somewhat small and only served with crisps, but it was the ice cream where they came into their own, with a wide range of flavours from a local dairy. I had mint choc chip and a local berry flavour, and it was definitely worth it, making it a rather excellent way to end the day.
