Zion Canyon is an awesome sight that can take one’s breath away. It draws people like a bowl ofhoney draws flies. I would be willing to bet that 95% of the visitors enter one gate and depart the other without giving a thought to anything other than the Canyon.
If one takes a drive fifteen or so miles westward from Springdale, they will find a road sign pointing to Kolob Reservoir. What isn’t so clear is that the road will take you up to the top of Zion NP. Rather than looking up at all the great walls of stone, one is looking across at the peaks themselves.
The weather was clear when we left Hwy. 9 and started up from an elevation of 3600 feet or so. By the time we reached the upper reaches of the park at 7600 feet it was raining, sleeting, hailing, and other assorted weather phenomena. We saw hardly anyone on the road, and very few vehicles at the many trail heads.
Rather than walls of rock, one finds pastures, cattle pens, and the occasional homestead.
The creekside Cottonwoods have been replaced by Aspen, and Alpine meadows.
Though I wanted to hike a trail or two, the weather put a halt to that. Following are some rather crappy pictures taken through the rain and sleet. Hopefully you can get a feel for the other side of Zion.
…..jc
Just awesome despite the weather -it's all part of the whole system of how this was created. Love it.
ReplyDeleteSome terrific photography...what a different perspective of Zion......I think the mist/rain adds a postive sense to the photo's..I am partial to the waterfall pics...thanks for sharing...try not to have Toooooo much fun. :)) Horst sends
ReplyDeleteSimply beautiful up there isn't it.
ReplyDeleteVisitors miss much by not seeing Kolob. You had some interesting views on that rainy day while it snowed at the North Rim. Good to see you. Enjoy the canyon. Think I'll run to the forest on my weekend.
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