Here is the checkerboard mesa under a rainbow. Very nice!
The sandstone cliffs of Zion are quite amazing. You can see the structure of dunes and layers of sand on the eroded surface.
The mix of red, pink, and white rock is striking.
Most of Zion is closed to cars. However, its easy to get around on the shuttle bus system. Sometimes, its standing room only.
A nice place to visit is the Weeping Wall. Water perculates and pours out at a sandstone overhang. The area around the weeping wall is very green. Lush and beautiful.
In places the water really pours out forming small waterfalls.
It is very lush and there are lots of plants growing from the sandstone.
It rained hard and the Virgin River flooded and turned an orange color. There was a lot of wood debris in the river. We had gone to the river wanting to go tubing on the river. The conditions seemed to dangerous so we decided to try again another day. Last time the boys spent hours tubing the river. Because of the flooding we only went in once. The water was moving fast and it was a bit dangerous. We decided to bale before anyone got hurt.
Our favorite part of Zion is the hike up the narrows of the Virgin River. They call it the grandfather of slot canyons. The walls are up to 2000 ft high and in places the canyon is only 20 ft wide. We had hiked the first part of the canyon 3 years ago. The goal today was to go a couple miles into the canyon to a place where Orderville Canyon merges with the narrows. It had rained yesterday closing the narrows because of flooding. We struck out hoping it would not rain today.
In most places there is no dry land along the bank of the Virgin River. You have to hike in the water. Water shoes and a walking stick are a must. There is a nice little waterfall a few hundred yards into the canyon.
As you hike deeper into the canyon the walls get taller and the canyon becomes more narrow.
Here a nice sun beam makes it to the river on the canyon floor as Bart and Alex walk on an exposed stretch of shoreline.
After a few hours walking up the river we came to the side canyon (Orderville). We had made it before any rains had come. The side canyon was deep and narrow. Well worth the work it took to get there.
The hike back was tough because we were tired and getting sore. Walking on river rocks that you cannot see can be challenging.
DIane and I thought it was a wonderful way to spend a day in Zion National park.
After this horseshoe turn in the river, the canyon begins to open up.
After we hiked back out we came upon a sign warning of flash floods. It was not there when we started in the late morning. The family had a good laugh. This day we had taken a wonderful hike and missed any flooding. What a great memory we would have of the adventure deep into the narrows.
Diane and Alex took a horse riding tour in Zion Canyon. They rode under the Patriarch's.
Diane was on Elvis
Alex was on Little Joe
Bart and I are very allergic to horses. So while Diane and Alex when on their ride, Bart and I took a shuttle to see the Partiarch's. There was an interesting rainbow in the cirrus clouds above the canyon wall.
The Patriarch's are quite striking. This sight from the view point is quite wonderful.
Bart and I played chess in he Zion Park Lodge while we waited for Alex and Diane to return. After we reconnected, we had a nice lunch at the lodge.
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