Nov 12, 2020 - Sun City to Hoover Dam to St. George, UT

Date: November 12, 2020 Tonight’s Location: St. George, UT Campground: Ernie Reese Mileage: End - 4032 Start - 3651 Total Miles for the day: 381 Weather: Sunny Temperature: start 41º High 67º Wildlife count: Mountain Sheep Year List: 367 Birds: We left Chuck & Betty’s around 6:45 after a delightful breakfast together, and she even packed us lunch! Heading north on AZ93 we drove the Joshua Tree Arizona highway, filled with Joshua Trees. The highway was not leveled over the rocky humps, and we decided that this was not the best highway to...

Oct 13, 2020 - The Wave - not

Kanab, UT Our purpose in going to Kanab was to enter the lottery for a permit to go to The Wave. Most people have seen photos of hiking The Wave in Arizona- a gorgeous red sandstone formation. Back in July, 2009, Microsoft released its operating system, Windows 7. It introduced all of us to the beautiful desktop wallpaper of The Wave. Since that time, an increasing number of people have tried to make their way to this breathtaking location. Due to the overwhelming popularity of the site, the Bureau of Land Management limits foot traffic to...

Oct 12, 2020 - The Emerald Pools

Springdale, UT We had just missed the first town shuttle, so we decided to walk the mile to Zion Visitor Center. As we neared the park, we realized there were 8 deer on our side of the street, actually right next to us. They were skittish but appeared to want to cross the busy road. After a few moments of watching the deer’s indecision, Conservation Ranger Diana, specialist in deer saving, stepped onto the highway, raised her hand, and stopped traffic. Sandi went around behind the deer to keep them from bolting or freezing and Jim...

Oct 11, 2020 - The Narrows

Springdale, UT What is The Narrows? The Narrows is the narrowest section of Zion Canyon. This gorge, with walls a thousand feet tall and the river sometimes just twenty to thirty feet wide, is one of the most popular areas in Zion National Park. A hike through The Narrows requires hiking in the Virgin River. You must get your feet wet since the river is the trail. To prepare for our hike we visited Zion Guru, an outfitter. There we were supplied with a special pole, neoprene socks, special shoes and instructions. Since one cannot drive...

Oct 10, 2020 - Zion Canyon Overlook Trail

Springdale, UT It was time to move on and leave the amazing red, delicate-looking spires of Bryce behind. Zion National Park sits at about 4,000’ in elevation and climbs up to 6,500 feet whereas Bryce Canyon ranges from 9,000 down to 7,000 feet in elevation. So, Zion is more of a desert climate and Bryce Canyon is high-desert. Zion is substantially bigger than Bryce Canyon and has more visitors - 4.5 million visitors every year. There are so many visitors, in fact, that one cannot drive in the park but must use a shuttle service. The...

Oct 9, 2020 - Navajo Loop and Queens Garden

Bryce Canyon City, UT We hiked from Sunset Point on the Navajo Loop trail to the Queen’s Garden trail, up to Sunrise Point and back to Sunset Point. It is the most popular hike in the park, and it goes through Wall Street, the only slot canyon at Bryce. Because of the narrowness and lack of sunshine reaching the bottom, this section of trail is often closed due to weather and freezing overnight temperatures. To reach Wall Street, we descended via 21 switchbacks and dropped about 500’ in all. From Navajo Loop Trail we connected with Queen’s...

Oct 8, 2020 - Fairyland Loop

Bryce Canyon City, UT Today’s agenda was more ambitious than usual. We started the day with a hike on Fairyland Loop. This 8-mile hike goes through spectacular hoodoos and scenery along the rim and into the canyon; including a spur trail to Tower Bridge. The hike is considered strenuous due to its length and meandering trails with multiple elevation changes and severe climbs. The sky was an unbelievable shade of blue with lovely white clouds. We had started out just after sunrise, so we were able to watch the sun light crawl down the...

Oct 7, 2020 - Mossy Cave, Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon City, UT We are corrupting Diana. Today was another travel day so we drove both cars. We traveled Highway 12 and should have reached Bryce Canyon National Park in 2 hours and 15 minutes. We were able to do it in just 5 ¼ hours. We did not miss a single scenic turnout! The drive was amazing. We left the desert terrain of Capitol Reef, climbed up the mountain and entered a region more similar to the Rocky Mountains. We were dazzled by the incredible color even though it is past prime. Incredible! In addition to dealing with a 14%...

Oct 6, 2020 - Chimney Rock and Sulphur Creek Falls

Torrey, UT There was more of Capitol Reef National Park to explore so we set off before dawn again for Chimney Rock Trail. We watched as the sun coming over the mountain lit up the rocks before us in brilliant colors. Breathtaking! As was the trail as it led straight up level with the TOP of Chimney Rock. We were not impressed with Chimney Rock and think someone was desperate to come up with an enticing name, but we did enjoy the hike and the views. We rewarded ourselves with pie in the park (again) before setting off on the 20-mile Scenic...

Oct 5, 2020 - Hickman Bridge and Grand Wash

Torrey, UT The most iconic image for Capitol Reef National Park is Hickman Bridge. Hickman Bridge is the most famous (and crowded) hike in Capitol Reef National Park. We chose that as our first hike of the day. We also learned that there is a difference between an arch and a natural bridge though they look the same to us. Natural bridges are formed by flowing water that has cut through sandstone. Natural arches that have been formed by weathering processes but not flowing water. Over time, persistent winds and freeze-thaw action have slowly...

Oct 4, 2020 - Capitol Reef National Park

Torrey, UT This was another travel day. Capitol Reef National Park is a hidden treasure filled with cliffs, canyons, domes, and bridges in the Waterpocket Fold, a wrinkle on the earth, extending almost 100 miles”. It is one of the lesser visited National Park, but we certainly do not have it to ourselves. The park was named for its whitish Navajo Sandstone cliffs with dome formations—similar to the white domes often placed on capitol buildings. The Native American Fremont Culture here solidified around the 500s from food foraging groups, to...

Oct 3, 2020 - Delicate Arch

Moab, UT Delicate Arch People come from all over the world to visit Arches National Park, and visiting Delicate Arch is on the top of their to-do lists. This particular free-standing arch has become a widely recognized symbol of the state of Utah. It is on their license plate and is one of the most famous geologic features in the world. The trail to see Delicate Arch up close and personal is 3 miles roundtrip and climbs 480’ steadily uphill over slickrock and along a narrow ledge with a sheer drop-off on one side. One follows the rock...