Days 10 through 12 - Zion National Park and Salt Lake City

On June 20, we took a last look at Grand Canyon, filled our gas tank and traveled up to Zion National Park in southern Utah. Most of the drive was not through parkland, but it still had its share of picturesque buttes, mesas, mountains and stream valleys. What was really great about the route was coming in the east gate of Zion. We were greeted by white cliffs dotted with junipers and other small trees before we entered the main part of the park through the mile-long Mt. Carmel Tunnel. In the late 1920s, the tunnel was drilled and blasted through a large sandstone mountain, and here is what you see when you come out the other side.

Mt. Carmel Tunnel Is in Here

We checked in at our motel in Springdale near the south entrance then waited before the heat and the crowds to subside before returning to the park in the late afternoon. Over millions of years, the Virgin River has cut through the sandstone to form Zion Canyon. In summer months, much of the drive along the canyon floor is accessible only via a park shuttle. We were going to be here two more days, so we just took the shuttle to the end of the road to help plan our attack.

Upon reaching the Temple of Sinawava up-canyon, we still had enough daylight to take the easy Riverside Walk, listening to Yellow Warblers singing in the Cottonwoods and watching for Mule Deer. We also watched hikers returning from their hike up "The Narrows" along the riverbed-looked like fun although we never got to try it. We got back to Springdale in time for excellent Mexican food and beer at the Bit and Spur.

Virgin River Narrows

As at Arches and Grand Canyon, the strategy is to go early, take a break in mid-day and return later in the afternoon. On Friday, we took the shuttle to Zion Lodge and hiked the popular Emerald Pools Trail. This takes you up to a canyon a series of pools and waterfalls (dripping in summer). Lots of birds were singing, too, including more Yellow Warblers, Juniper Titmice (or is it titmouses?), Plumbeous Vireo and the western subspecies of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers.

Waterfall at Lower Emerald Pool

We made it to the middle pool but surrendered to the steep climb to the upper pool and returned down hill along another trail to the Grotto picnic area. We passed probably 200 people going up hill, so our timing could not have been better. During our lunch, we watched Black-headed Grosbeaks, Canyon Wrens and a Western Wood-Pewee move around the area.

Black-headed Grosbeak

Mormon settlers named the area Zion, and along with other early visitors gave biblical names to many of the peaks. The Court of Patriarchs seems quite apt, with three peaks being called Abraham Isaac and Jacob. At another stop, the face of a flat-topped Altar of Sacrifice is colored with the blood red of an iron compound.One final stop before our rest period was at the Human History Museum, but these juvenile Western Kingbirds stole the show.

Western Kingbird Infants

Laundry chores kept us from getting back to the park until Saturday morning, Before exploring another area of the park, we went up the canyon one more time, stopping at Weeping Rock to see the water coming out of the cliffs and to get a good look at the Great White Throne.

The Great White Throne

Most park visitors never take the Kolob Reservoir Road up to Lava Point. The road is west of the canyon and goes in and out of the park as it climbs uphill.  Lava Point is quite different from the sandstone rock canyon. It is a lava-rock plateau nearly 8000 feet above sea level and offers a view of the back side of the sandstone peaks of Zion Canyon. The habitat also is quite different, with berry bushes and other shrubby plants enclosed by tall Ponderosa Pines. This proved to be one of the birdiest places on our trip so far, with Audubon's and Black-throated Gray Warblers, Green-tailed Towhees, Townsend's Solitaires and several other species. We continued on to the reservoir, where we watched a couple of Eared Grebes in their breeding plumage of cinnamon and black.

Green-tailed Towhee

The evening was spent relaxing with some local brews and listening to some good live music by an odd mix of musicians - grungy looking guitar player, nicely dressed vocalist and a music student dressed who warmed up with a little Tchaikovsky. Hey, son Andy, remind you of anyone?

Sunday morning, we headed toward Salt Lake City to visit with our niece Elizabeth and her family. Fortunately, another seldom-visited part of Zion was on the way. Just off of I-15 is Kolob Canyon. Just when you think you have seen everything the park has to offer, you find something else just as beautiful.

Kolob Canyon

Elizabeth is a daughter of Mary's brother Tom, and she lives in Salt Lake with her husband Jared Walters and their children, Sophie and Natalie. Because of the distance from our east coast home, we had not seen them for nine years when Sophie was a baby and long before Natalie was born. As we were getting to know Natalie a little bit, there was a knock at the door and Elizabeth's brother Edwin entered. What a treat to get Edwin, too, who lives nearby outside of Provo. We had not seen him since 1996. Needless to say, he was not quite as we remembered him, reminding us of his father in younger days. Much thanks to the two girls for giving up their room to give us a place to crash.

 Mary with Edwin and Elizabeth

Mary, Elizabeth and Natalie

Tomorrow: along the Oregon Trail.