Three weeks in Virgin, Utah…
Why we came…
To explore Zion National Park!
The campground…
Zion River Resort RV Park was excellent! Sites varied from relatively tight back-ins to spacious, long pull-throughs. The place is well maintained and well run. We had full hook-ups, a nice laundry room, and decent wi-fi (slow during peak times). Verizon cell phone is very weak, but there is a booster in the office. There was even a nice pool and hot tub. Though the campground is next to highway 9 which gets tons of day-time traffic, it was peaceful at night. Winter is mild in this part of Utah so the area is popular with RV’ers. Zion River Resort has excellent “”Snowbird” rates down to $395 a month for a roomy pull-through if you commit to a five month stay. They expected 60 “seasonals” this winter! It’s a nice to place to stay in an incredible part of the country!
We were very comfortable at Zion River Resort
Nearby towns…
The campground is in Virgin, population 600 and elevation 3,600 feet. There isn’t much in Virgin, but there is a good grocery store and a few restaurants seven miles west in La Verkin. Hurricane is another three miles south of La Verkin and has even more options including a big Walmart. St. George, 30 miles southwest of Virgin, has just about everything. Most important, the west entrance to Zion National Park was 12 miles east of the campground.
Adventures…
Zion National Park…
From the park’s web page:
Zion National Park encompasses some of the most scenic canyon country in the United States. Within its 229 square miles are high plateaus, a maze of narrow, deep, sandstone canyons, and the Virgin River and its tributaries. Zion also has 2,000-foot Navajo Sandstone cliffs, pine- and juniper-clad slopes, and seeps, springs, and waterfalls supporting lush and colorful hanging gardens.
With an elevation change of about 5,000 feet-from the highest point at Horse Ranch Mountain (at 8,726 feet) to the lowest point at Coal Pits Wash (at 3,666 feet), Zion's diverse topography leads to a diversity of habitats and species. Desert, riparian (river bank), pinyon-juniper, and conifer woodland communities all contribute to Zion's diversity. Neighboring ecosystems-the Mojave Desert, the Great Basin, and the Rocky Mountains-are also contributors to Zion's abundance.
Whether walking along the Virgin River and looking up 2,000 feet at the craggy cliffs or standing on top of the East or West Rims and looking down 2,000 feet at the ribbon of green along the shimmering river, Zion National Park is spectacular. Then add the quiet wilderness and amazing landscape of the Kolob Terrace and Kolob Canyon, all with excellent hiking trails, and it’s our favorite Utah national park!
On 31 October we hiked to Observation Point with Tony and Stef…
We had been 12 miles from the gate of Zion National Park for five days and had not ventured into our favorite Utah park. We were waiting for two of our best friends, Stefanie and Tony, to join us before we ventured there.
We are honored to have Stef as a guest blogger for her and Tony’s visit.
“Ambitious companies hire Stef to craft persuasive online content.” For more information on her talents, see her web page: http://stefaniefrank.com/.
Written by Stef:
The Magic of IRL
I recently saw a headline on social media that implied it’s hard to make friends once you’re out of your 20s. Whether that’s generally true or not (I didn’t bother to click), I know without a doubt that in some instances, people click instantly. And the friendship that results has a magical quality to it. The catch: the “click” takes place In Real Life (IRL).
In 2013, Arleen and Shawn were wintering at Lake Mead. I met Arleen through a mutual friend on social media. Arleen was seeking a referral to a bike shop - and some information I was able to pass along led to her buying a new bike. YAY! That could have been the end of the connection. But something told me to take it further. Sure enough, Arleen and I clicked instantly when we met IRL - a friendship sparked and has lasted long after their short stay at Lake Mead.
Social media and texting make it easy to keep a connection going. Of course that’s not the same as being IRL with someone. Which is why catching up with Arleen and Shawn on their recent visit to Zion National Park was one of the highlights of my year. Everyone raves about Zion - and rightfully so. For me though, the magic of that weekend was spending time with Arleen. And Shawn. And, of course, Tony!
Nearly 4,000,000 people visit Zion National Park each year. Most of those people go between mid-May and mid-November. To ease the increasing congestion, visitors must use a shuttle service to access the six-mile Zion Canyon Scenic drive.
Stef, Tony, Arleen and I boarded the shuttle early on Monday morning and disembarked at the Weeping Rock stop.
We were greeted in the parking area by a flock of wild turkeys. These birds know where to hide out for Thanksgiving!
A lone hiker caught us as we climbed the switch backs. After leap frogging each other a couple of times, we chatted and introduced ourselves. Wes was from Kansas and had come to Zion for a week of hiking.
We chatted as we climbed and enjoyed the incredible scenery together. Wes hung out with us the rest of the adventure and we’re glad he did! He fit in well with our little group.
Stef: Observation Point is an amazing trail. 4+ miles straight up, with the scenery transforming the higher you go. There are a lot of turns on this trail and part of the fun is peeking around each turn to see what eye candy the canyon will serve up next.
The trail was challenging enough for me to stretch out of my comfort zone a bit - but not so difficult as to grind me down to a pulp who has nothing left at the end of the day. The weather was perfect, the scenery was grand, the company was out of this world.
The hike reconfirmed what I need in my life: time with great friends who I trust implicitly, the fitness and health to accomplish what I want, when I want and how I want, and the peace of mind to enjoy both.
There’s no denying life is complicated - so much is out of our control.
Which is why spending time IRL with friends in majestic settings is so important. Thanks Arleen. And Shawn. And Tony. And Wes.
We sat at the top, 2,000 feet above the valley, for at least an hour taking in the view, sharing observations, eating lunch, and attempting to capture the incredible scene with our cameras. It was a great adventure with great friends!
Hike route to Observation Point / Being silly with Stef and Tony
The canyon narrowed between high sandstone walls
We had a lot of fun exploring the narrow slot canyon
About half way up the trail to the Observation Point
Wes, Stef, Arleen, Tony, and I roughly 1,500 feet above the Zion River Valley
The view from Observation Point, 2,000 feet above the Zion River Valley
A great adventure with some great friends!
On 1 November we explored Snow Canyon State Park with Tony and Stef…
Tony has fully explored the southwest. He and Stef have ridden their bikes in Snow Canyon State Park. We mentioned that we had seen Kit Carson’s inscription, an old west gun slingers grave, and a volcano cinder cone there. This was all new to Tony and he was eager to see these unusual things himself!
We drove about nine miles north of St George on Highway 18 and parked at a pull out near the volcano cinder cone. We would save the tough scramble up the volcano for last.
First, we crossed the highway and carefully navigated through cactus, deep sand, and over sharp volcanic rocks and boulders. And then a dry sandy wash provided a brief easy route. We enjoyed reading numerous animal tracks in the sand.
Finally, Arleen and I recognized the sandstone cove where the inscription was: “Kit Carson 1869”. Just below that, inscribed on another rock is “U.S. PARKS SERVICE”, which to us adds a degree of authenticity. Many explorers and westward immigrants left their names written or carved along their trails. Kit Carson traipsed all over the west. It’s amazing to think that he was in that same spot nearly 150 years ago!
Next we dashed back across the highway and skirted the east side of the cone. We passed through a few gates that allowed easement through private property. Then we followed ATV trails up and around to Lava Ridge. It was easier to take the long way on the ATV trails rather than navigate cross-country through rugged desert.
It was wonderful to leave the deep sand behind and climb up the slick rock to the top of one of the points on the ridge. From our perch we had a great view of Snow Canyon’s impressive pink and white cliffs.
At last, we came across the remnants of the “human” skeleton. We contemplated whether the skeleton was real and decided that it was just various animal bones arranged like a human. Regardless, we enjoyed the mystery and the nearby views. Tony had fun looking at the Geocache too.
Finally, we walked back to the Cinder Cone and tackled the rocky and steep trail to the top. We rested awhile on the rim of the long dormant volcano and took in the expansive view. Then we slid down the rocky trail back to our vehicles.
We had a wonderful lunch in St George and shared some final stories and laughs. We look forward to them and Glenn and Marge visiting us again for more IRL experiences!
Hike route in Snow Canyon State Park / Hiking to the top of the Cinder Cone
“Kit Carson 1869” is inscribed on the rock (click the pictures for more detail)
Arleen, Stef, and Tony looking out over Snow Canyon State Park
Is this a real human skeleton? / Tony posing with something from a nearby geocache
The Cinder Cone is in the background / Posing on top of the Cinder Cone
Taking a break on the Cinder Cone
On 3 November we explored the ghost town of Grafton, Utah…
Tony always has a folder full of information for us. On this trip he had pictures and even a rubbing from the Grafton cemetery. The pictures so intrigued us that we went to see the cemetery and the ghost town for ourselves.
Grafton Utah was settled by five Mormon families in 1859. They built homes, dug irrigation ditches, and planted crops. The last resident left in 1945. During that time the residents endured floods and Navajo raids. Four films, including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid have been filmed in the area.
Grafton is on the other side of the Virgin River and downstream from Rockville, Utah. As the road changes from pavement to dirt, a sign asks drivers to reduce their speed: “If there is a plume of yellow dust behind you, you are driving too fast”.
We drove by the cemetery to the remnants of the ghost town. Along the way, we could see the old fences with wagons and other relics.
At the town site, we saw that they had wisely chosen a site that was back dropped by the mountains and temples of Zion National Park. The area is desert but the Virgin River provided year-round irrigation. We explored the few buildings that remain and tried to visualize ourselves toiling an existence from the arid earth.
Next we went to the cemetery. There we saw the headstones that attested to the difficulty of the pioneers lives. Several were just infants. Three members of the Berry family were killed during a Navajo raid. However, “many Paiutes were loved and respected by Grafton settlers.” Some of them are buried here, too.
A Grafton home built in 1862 / Another Grafton home built in the 1870s
The Grafton cemetery where people were buried 1862-1924
An old wagon / Cedar Pete was a Paiute Indian buried around 1890
A couple of the ornate headstones / Three people were killed by Indians on 2 April 1866
On 5 November we fly-fished Kolob Reservoir…
Kolob Reservoir sits at an elevation of 8,107 feet. That’s 4,500 feet higher than our base camp in Virgin. Since it was late fall, we waited for a nice warm day to kayak and fish the pretty lake.
It was only 23 miles up Kolob Terrace Road but the road winds up through the terrace and took us nearly an hour to get there. But it was a very scenic with 10 miles of the route in Zion.
We launched the kayaks and paddled a ways to a point of mostly submerged rocks on the other side of the reservoir. We both cast our leech flies, let them sink deep, and slowly worked a nice drop off where we hoped that trout were feeding.
I had a few hits and landed one decent 14” rainbow. It was slow for both of us. The wind picked up. It was chilly and difficult to control the kayaks and fish. We considered going home.
Suddenly my rod bent over! For almost ten minutes I wrestled with a heavy fish that stayed deep. I was using line rated to five pounds and knew this fish could easily break off. Finally, I was able to see the massive rainbow trout! I gently worked it to the side of the boat. The trout was so fat I had trouble handling it. I estimated it to be about 22 inches long and weighing about six pounds! I thanked it for a great battle, released it, and then watched it slowly disappear into the depths.
As Arleen and I paddled back, the image of that fat fish was etched on my mind. It had been possibly the biggest trout I had touched this year. It was a great way to end the 2016 fishing season!
Arleen fly-fishing Kolob Reservoir
Fighting a trout / This hefty rainbow trout was in the six pound range!
On 7 November we hiked the Sand Bench Trail…
Sand Bench trail is the primary horse route in the Zion Valley during peak season from March to October. We read in Joes’s Guide to Zion National Park that the hike is an, “an underrated gem”. Joe had yet to steer us wrong and, in addition, it was a loop route, our favorite type of hike.
We took the park shuttle to the Court of the Patriarchs stop. We took a moment and walked to the overlook to get a picture of the dramatic sandstone cliffs.
Then we crossed the road, and onto the trail where a bridge crossed the river. Here we joined the horse trail coming from the lodge. The trail varied in condition. In some areas concrete had been laid down and we were able to walk at a decent pace. In other areas, we saw why the trail was named the Sand Bench.
Heavy horse traffic churned up deep sand and that makes it a slog for hikers. However, all along the trail we had a view of the Sentinel and we were distracted by flora such as the colorful manzanita. Several of the bushes were heavy with berries.
As we climbed the loop we met another couple. They were the only other people we saw on the entire trail. They were worn out from climbing the deep sand on the west side of the loop. A counter clockwise route is the way to go on this trail!
At the top of the loop we had a great view down onto the valley, the Canyon Junction and the steep Mount Carmel highway switchbacks. And two thousand feet above, the Temples loomed.
Just as we had been warned, there was deep sand on the west side of the loop. Thankfully we were descending and it was fairly easy. Also, now we had a great view of the surrounding mountains, domes, and thrones.
When we reached the junction back to Court of the Patriarchs stop, we decided to continue onto the Lodge. Joe was right. The Sand Bench was a gem and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Of course, it helped that we were there during off season and did not have to compete with any horses.
Hike route on the Sand Bench Trail / Berries on a Manzanita bush
Crossing the bridge over the Virgin River
Cool views along the Sand Bench Trail
The trail was very peaceful
Zion National Park is incredible!
Fall colors along the Virgin River
On 8 November Arleen hiked near the Visitor Center…
Arleen drove into Zion Canyon to the main visitor’s center to get a permit to hike “The Subway”. It would have been unthinkable for her to drive into the canyon without going on a hike.
The trailhead for the Watchman Trail is accessible just north of the visitor center. The trail is just a mile and a half long and climbs 300 feet. It provides a great view over the visitor center complex and across the Virgin River to the impressive West Temple.
Great view from the Watchman Trail
On 9 November we hiked to “The Subway”…
The Subway is a unique geological feature in the Kolob Canyon area of Zion National Park. It is a “W” slot canyon formed by the Left Fork of North Creek. It is a simple creek that has carved out a spectacular formation.
“Due to the popularity of the Subway and Mystery Canyon, the park created an online lottery for reservations. The Advance Lottery does not run from November through March due to a low demand for permits.” So we were able to pick up our permit the day before at the main visitor’s center in Zion Canyon. We had to carry a copy of the permit with us and display the other part in the truck.
We got an early start on a Wednesday morning. It was not to beat any crowds since the permit system only allows so many hikers per day. Rather, it was to make sure we could get to our goal and then have time to make it back to the parking area before dark. In fact, the park service advises all winter hikers to take a headlamp. How difficult was this trail going to be?
We started at the Left Creek Trailhead. You can also get there by starting at the Wildcat Canyon Trailhead for the “top down” version. However, the “top down” route requires, “rappelling skills, 60 feet of rope, and extensive route finding experience. The route also requires swimming through several deep pools of very cold debris-filled water.” That’s a bit much for us!
We were going to do the “bottom up” version, a strenuous trail that only required, “route finding, creek crossing, and scrambling over boulders.” That, we could handle!
First we had to scramble down a 600 foot, steep, switch-backing, rock strewn trail. We were hampered by our boots. Since we would be wading (and the water is very cold this time of the year), we wore our fishing neoprene socks and wading boots that weigh about two pounds apiece and are quite clunky.
Once in the creek bed, we turned left and northeast up the North Creek. The park service briefed us that the trail is the river. There were areas below the high water mark that, with it being winter, were dry and we were able to move along at a good pace.
Then we got to sections blocked by Volkswagen-sized boulders that we had to scramble over. At times we walked up the creek which was ankle to calf deep. However, Arleen waded through one pool that was thigh deep on her.
As we hiked (and scrambled), we hopscotched with a dozen other hikers. There was a group of five hikers from France and a group of three photographers weighed down by expensive gear. We made route finding suggestions to each other from time to time.
After about three miles of creek crossings and scrambling over boulders, the floor of the canyon changed. It was now smooth sandstone and it was very easy to walk through the ankle deep water and directly up the creek.
This was broken every couple of hundred yards by unique stair stepping water falls. As we walked up them, we had a feeling we had passed into another world and were experiencing something special.
Then we walked around a sharp right turn. There it was: The Subway! The smooth concave walls were weeping and adorned with ferns that stood amongst the jewel colored walls. We could see the conduit twisting to the left and we eagerly ventured forward.
We quickly saw that we had to be careful where we walked. The sandstone floor was punctuated with deep emerald potholes. It was hard to measure the depth. One of the French guys stuck his trekking pole in a hole and didn’t touch the bottom. Most holes were three to five feet across but others were only a foot across but still very deep.
We were only able to walk a hundred yards into The Subway before coming to a 30 foot wall. Here we saw a half dozen “top down” hikers rappelling down. It was fun to watch in the narrow space that felt more like a cave then a canyon.
Apparently “bottom up” hikers only see a third of the tube. We returned to the outside of The Subway and took a long break where we could admire the formation and warm up.
We retraced our steps down the canyon. A short way from The Subway we met James McGrew. James was at Zion for the Zion National Park Plein Air Art Invitational. We are used to seeing these artists along roadways working their paintbrushes. But James had hiked all the way into the canyon with his easel and tools! He said he prefers to be out in the fresh air. We admired his oil painting of the impressive scenery and were surprised that he had spent less than an hour on it.
We climbed out of the canyon just as the sun was sinking far to the west. It was an incredible day and The Subway was well worth the challenge to see it.
The Left Fork Trail leads to “The Subway”. It’s a tough nine miles roundtrip with a thousand feet of climbing.
The initial part of the trail drops steeply / A rest along the stream / Small trout were in many of the pools
Much of the route was in the rocky stream / The first of the beautiful stair-step falls
A slice of heaven
Each waterfall seemed to be more beautiful than the last
Entering “The Subway”
The Subway is incredible!
Hiking back downstream and glad to be in the sun
On 11 November we had a “date night”…
It was time for a “date night”! We both dressed up…I even wore a button-down shirt to look good for my girl.
First, we went for a dinner at the Cliffside Restaurant in St George. The restaurant sits on a cliff above the west side of town. We had a wonderful view of the city and we could see the spires of Zion National Park to the east. We sat there and enjoyed a wonderful sunset as the colors across the city and the mountains changed to sherbet colors.
Based on our experience, restaurants with epic ambiance sometimes lack quality food. However, we enjoyed everything that night from the Coconut Crusted Shrimp appetizer to the Butternut Squash Soup to the Chili-Glazed Salmon to the Linguini and Meatballs and finally the Chocolate Chunk Cookie Skillet. “Date night” was off to a rousing success!
While we sat there, we noted a large “D” on the cliff and wondered why a “D”? Arleen googled it and learned that the local college is Dixie State University. That explained the “D” but why Dixie? We would learn more about it later that night.
Next, we went to Brigham’s Playhouse in Washington, Utah for the performance of the play Oklahoma. It is a small 200 seat theater that considers itself a dessert theater and offers local ice cream, root beer, popcorn, and fresh baked cookies. It was like stepping back in time.
The play was outstanding and the performers were very talented. We thoroughly enjoyed it!
To top the evening off, it turned out that Arleen was seated next to Washington Mayor, Ken Neilson. During intermission, he and Arleen chatted. They discussed the history of the area and Arleen finally asked him about Dixie.
The first Mormons to settle the area were cotton farmers from the southeast. One of those farmers was Mayor Neilson’s Great-Great-Grandfather. Just like in the southeast, the cotton farmers were successful along the banks of the Virgin River in Utah and referred to their new home as “Dixie”.
The story was a great way to end the evening!
The view of St George, Utah from the Cliffside restaurant
Tickets to the play “Oklahoma” at Brigham's Playhouse in Washington, Utah / Auditioning for a part?!?
The very talented cast. It was a great performance!
On 13 November we hiked to Cable Mountain…
We have climbed to the Observation Point via the East Rim Trail twice, and each time remarked about Cable Mountain to the south. We wanted to see the historic Draw Works up close.
“The Draw Works was originally conceived and constructed by Springdale pioneer David Flanigan, who regarded the Draw Works as a fulfillment of an 1863 prophecy by Brigham Young that lumber would one day be transported from the canyon rim “as the hawk flies.” During operation of the Draw Works, from 1901 to 1927, the structure was used to move hundreds of thousands of board feet of lumber, goods, people occasionally, and a dog once, to the canyon floor 2,000 feet below. The structure was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.”
There are three different starting points to hike Cable Mountain. You can begin from the Weeping Rock Trail Head on the valley floor or from the east entrance. We decided on the Stave Spring Trailhead.
The drive itself was an adventure. We took Highway 9 east for about 27 miles. This took us into the park and up and over the Zion-Mount Carmel switch backs. Then, into the infamous tunnel that was completed on July 4th, 1930. The tunnel is an engineering marvel and we were able to get peaks of the East Temple through vent holes. Once on the east side we marveled at numerous geological features such as the Checkboard Mesa and numerous slot canyons that beckoned us to explore them.
We took a left onto North Fork County Road and wound around for about seven miles till the road dead ended at the Stave Spring Trail Head. It is not well marked so it was good that we had done our research beforehand.
The trail started in a pleasant ponderosa pine forest. This was the reason Flanigan built his sawmill near here in the early 1900s. The trail head was over 6,000 feet elevation. So in the four miles to Cable Mountain, the trail climbed less than 600 feet…easy!
We made a stop at the namesake spring. A good-sized herd of deer were visiting the freshwater spring at the same time. Otherwise, the trail was not very remarkable.
Thankfully, during the last mile of the trail, the view got interesting. We could see Strawberry Point and the Pink Cliffs far to the north.
As we moved to the west and out on the point, we traversed through a bunch of scrub oak. Finally, we popped out on to the end of the point. The remnants of the Draw Works were right in front of us.
We walked further to the south and found an epic overlook to sit and enjoy the view of the valley almost 3,000 feet below us. We even spotted a few mountain climbers across the valley clinging to a shear wall.
We enjoyed the hike and the view. After hiking most of the trails in Zion National Park, the East Overlook Observation Point is still our favorite.
Hike route to Cable Mountain / The little-known Stave Spring Trailhead is the easiest route to Cable Mountain
Cable Mountain has an interesting history / We were in awe of the rock climbers
The spectacular view from Cable Mountain. See Arleen?
“Super moon” adventure…
Arleen has a new DSLR camera and she was eager to get a shot of the “super moon” rising in mid-November over Zion National Park.
In some ways the adventure was a success. Using Google satellite, she found an east-west running canyon with a higher cliff to the west. That spot conveniently had the Kolob Terrace road running next to it. This was the perfect place to set up while not having to venture too far back to the truck in the dark.
She set the camera up on a tripod with a perfect view of where the moon would come up to the east right as the sun set. She attached her larger lens and focused on the gap between two mountains.
From here, things did not go as well. The wind picked up and caused the tripod to vibrate which blurred some of her pictures. The timing was off…The moon came up after the brilliant sunset colors had already faded. In her pictures, either the moon was too bright and washed out but you could see Zion’s cliffs, or the moon was detailed but everything else was black. After a discussion with a professional photographer, she learned that most full moon shots are two pictures that are overlaid in photo software.
She is looking forward to another opportunity.
Arleen’s picture of the “super moon” rising over Zion NP on 14 November
Zion National Park is one of our favorite places! We’ve done two visits totaling seven weeks and we’d gladly return. Click this link to see our blog from Fall 2013.
New Friends…
We often walk around campgrounds and meet other RVers. That is how we have met a lot of folks we now consider good friends.
During one of our walks around Zion River RV Resort, we noticed a new Arctic Fox fifth-wheel trailer. We got to chatting with the owners, Laura and Alan, and discovered that the RV was only 10 days old! They were out on their first trip.
Arleen asked Laura if she was a member of Northwood RV Owners Association. Laura said she was. Arleen mentioned our user name, “mud on the tires”, and Laura exclaimed she had been following us and our blog! We felt like small celebrities.
After that we often chatted with them. Finally, one evening we hung out near their nice fire and shared stories and future plans.
We look forward to seeing Laura and Alan again down the road and wish them happy adventures and safe travels.
New RV friends Allen and Laura
Next…
We are in Heber City, Utah where we’ll stay until early April. We plan to ski and snowboard Park City Mountain Resort and snowshoe the beautiful Wasatch and Uinta Mountains. Bring on the snow!
Parting shots…
A whole bunch of turkeys hang out along the Virgin River in Zion NP / We saw lots of deer, including this impressive buck
(129,850)
Great pictures. Great history.
ReplyDeleteThank you.