Zion National Park

Zion National Park:

The drive south on Hwy 89 towards Mt Carmel and Zion NP, we think, is our least interesting...however, keeping in mind what we've seen over the past few weeks, and put in perspective, this may well be quite charming! The same cannot be said for the Zion RV and Campground...DON'T stay there!! Make the time to drive straight through to Springdale.

Now the fun bit...coming from the east, all oversize vehicles must pay a $15 tunnel fee as the road needs to be closed one way to allow RVs and trucks to use the centre of the tunnel because of its curved side walls. Built in the 1920's when such vehicles were unknown, the tunnel is the only access from this direction, and as we emerge into Zion Canyon, it is immediately obvious why the only way in has to be a tunnel!

One of the very few downsides to driving an RV is that it can be difficult to find a parking place in some pull-off areas at points of interest. Often all the spaces set aside for large vehicles are filled by quite small cars.

So it is that we are unable to make the short walk to the Canyon Overlook, instead making our way through the tunnel and on to the wonderful Zion Human History Museum, tracing the history of settlement from the Pueblean race through the arrival of Mormon pioneers, the considerable influence of Union Pacific Rail in opening up the area to the first 'tourists' and the declaration of National Park status on November 19, 1919.

You'll read this historical info in other NP blogs as well...it's a common thread woven into the history of quite a few Parks in Utah and in Arizona.

For three nights we are based at Springdale, the 'heart' of the NP, and during that time we use the shuttle to enjoy walking most of the trails accessible from the Zion Park Scenic Drive

Zion has two free shuttle services:

a                the 'town' shuttle which runs the full length of the 'main street,' for shopping, restaurants,     adventure tour bookings, ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) rental and the acquiring of souvenirs;

       

                   the National Park shuttle which runs the length of Zion Park Scenic Drive on which               private vehicles are excluded, except for those staying at Zion Lodge.  This road is               access to the trailheads and other areas of interest and is free of ‘where to park’ worries       as well as being much more environmentally sound as the shuttles are LPG powered.

As our introduction to the Park, we choose to 'Ride with a Ranger' on a special evening shuttle.  We spot some mule deer grazing quietly by the road, and Ranger Adam shares the history of the early population of the area, while pointing out the main geological and geographical features along the way.  We hear some local legends (myths?)…like the Flanigan boys and their logging endeavours. From the valley, we can just make out the gantry (flying fox) they used to lower the huge Ponderosa pine logs (and occasionally themselves!) to the valley floor from the top of Cable Mtn.

We sort of plan our days according to the weather, walking early and sometimes later, avoiding the heat of the day where possible, especially on those trails with little or no shade. The Riverside Walk leads to the Canyon 'narrows', a popular walk along a very narrow trail, ending at, or rather, in the river – the next part of the walk is in the river as the canyon narrows even further.  We don’t enter the “narrows,” instead taking the steep, paved path to Weeping Rock where the spring water seeps from the sandstone to form streams and 'hanging gardens.' 

We climb the Kayenta Trail to the Emerald Pools; not holding a great deal of water, given that it is the end of a dry summer, but well worth the effort to rest in the cool shadows before taking the path under a small falls and back out into the sun.  On occasions we take the shuttle between trailheads, or stroll along the river bed, imagining what it must be like in spring and early summer when the streams are flowing with melt snow. There are no animals out and about in the heat of the day apart from a couple of mule deer hiding in the shade along the creek bed.  Even the birds are silent.

Relocation to Virgin, just 13 miles away, gives us easier access to Kolob Canyon on the western flank of the Park. The RV Park there is at capacity as there is a mountain bike event, the final leg of 'The Red Bull Rampage,' a series that 'combines slopestyle, downhill racing and natural terrain free-riding' in the one event, with prize money of $45,000!!  David Holman & Peter Cranage...what am I talking about?? 

The move to Virgin...permanent population - 2 shops selling local rocks as souvenirs, a couple of burger joints, and a few cabins, apart from the RV Resort - is a great idea and we drive up the winding Kolob Terrace Road to the Reservoir, a steady climb from 3500ft to just over 8000ft, through the trees wearing their fall colours of gold and red, looking out over the meadows where cattle graze, and up to the high ground of what is essentially the 'backside' of where we spent the last three days. We have been watching ominous clouds gathering around the mountain tops and our decision to go for a stroll is interrupted as a brief thunderstorm (with lightning) sends us scuttling back to the truck, but the sun shines on our descent and we are hopeful of a great day tomorrow in the Canyon.

On our way back along the valley, we pass the start/finish area of the “Rampage” in the red clay hills, and also notice many folk camping along the dry river bed.  We comment that hopefully they have looked at the forecast for the next couple of days.

Alas! The thunder, lightning and heavy rain begins in earnest at around 10.00pm and continues virtually unabated until about 11.00am the next morning. The dry creek bed, separated from our campsite by a (fortunately substantial!) levee bank, is now a raging torrent several feet deep, carrying all before it - logs and all manner of debris - and we hear that Zion NP was closed for some time yesterday; bridges have been washed away; the Mt Carmel road we so blissfully drove along a few days ago has been undercut by a washaway and is closed indefinitely; campers have been rescued from riverside campsites; there is a rock blocking the highway we plan to take tomorrow. 

It is considered unsafe to travel anywhere in the area not cleared by road authorities...so we hunker down and watch the internet reports of road conditions in order to plan our safe onward travel. PS... even the mountain bike event is postponed!!