Zion to Grand Canyon

April 17, 2023

I’m a National Park Nerd. I’ll admit it. I love the concept, and I love Teddy Roosevelt for making an impact on the National Parks system. They are here for us to enjoy, and I certainly do! I’ve been privileged to visit many of the parks in the western US.

I also like to find those less-famous National Monuments. A friend suggested that I stop at Pipe Spring National Monument on my way from Zion to the Grand Canyon.

Pipe Spring is worth a visit, especially if you like history. It is a Mormon pioneer site with the main building, Winsor Castle, and two cabins intact. There’s even a corral with longhorn cattle, and the spring still feeds the ponds on the site.

Interior of Winsor Castle (not really a castle)

You can also walk a half-mile trail above the buildings for spectacular views. It’s a perfect stretch-your-legs stop.

My next stop was the Glen Canyon Dam. Sorry, I didn’t take the dam tour. I had other things on my agenda. I did walk out on the bridge, though.

I wanted to tour the Lower Antelope Canyon but found the numerous ticket websites daunting. Instead of booking online, I opted to stop at the local tourist office to see if I could get in that afternoon. I was in luck, but I also had time to kill before my 2:45 tour. (I had gained an hour since Arizona does not recognize Daylight Savings Time.)

Riding the golf cart down to the marina at Antelope Point

I decided to drive to Antelope Point on Lake Powell. From the map, I could see that there was a marina and restaurant.
It was an interesting lunch stop, to say the least. We customers were shuttled down to the marina in golf carts. It wasn’t as scenic as I had anticipated, but the food was decent, and it was an experience.

I have mixed feelings about the Lower Antelope Tour. First, the rock formations are incredible. It truly is a sight to see, and if you enjoy taking photos, the results can be genuinely awesome.

What I didn’t enjoy was that it was crowded. Thirty of us left in three groups of ten to “tour” the slot canyon. It was more like a “stand and wait” than a tour. What took 75 minutes could have been a 15-minute tour. I’m not sure if there would be a better solution. They are limiting the number of people on the tours. I guess I prefer to avoid big crowds.

It was 4:15 by the time I got back to my car, and I still had an hour and a half of driving to get to the Grand Canyon. I was exhausted by the time I checked in at Yavapai Lodge. But I was at The Grand Canyon!

First shot of the Grand Canyon as I drove in from the east entrance

Two Days in Zion

April 15-16, 2023

It had been over twenty years since I had last visited Zion National Park, and I was overdue for a trip back.

Zion has beauty and wonders that you must experience firsthand.

First, I recommend arriving early, before 8:00 AM. After a long day of travel on April 14th, I happily slept in and arrived at the park just after 9:00, and the parking lot was full. I’ll admit I was a little frustrated. To see the main canyon in Zion, you must park and take the shuttle (from March-November). Private cars are not allowed in that section of the park.

I’m not opposed to the shuttle system. It makes sense. And I arrived at 7:30 the next day to find plenty of spots in the parking lot.

There is a section of the park where you can drive a private vehicle. It takes you through the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel and out of the park’s east entrance. Since I was unwilling to pay to park outside of the park, I opted to drive on the 15th.

In the end, it was a good plan. I stopped several times and got to enjoy the scenery and took several short walks. When I sat down for lunch, a herd of goats arrived to join me. No complaints.

But if you go to Zion, you must see the canyon.

I started by taking the shuttle to the final stop, the Temple of Sinawava. From this stop, take the Riverside Walk for about a mile along the Virgin River to The Narrows. People hike in the river through the Narrows when the water is low.

Since it was mid-April, there was no possibility of walking upstream. Water was rushing with great force. The abundance of water made for some outstanding waterfalls throughout the park, something you wouldn’t see at other times of the year.

The next stop was Big Bend. The main attraction was the Condors up at the top of the canyon.

On to the next stop.
Weeping Rock was gushing, not weeping. Again, due to the spring melt-off. It’s a short hike up and worth it to stand under the rock ledge and watch the water crash over.

I then disembarked at The Grotto for my main hike of the day. Across the road, I got on the Kayenta Trail, which took me to the Upper and Middle Emerald Pools. (I could see the lower pools but didn’t feel the need to hike down to them.)

Approaching the Upper and Middle Emerald Pools

From there, I hiked to Zion Lodge for a much-needed lunch. Sadly, the menu was limited and disappointing. But the scenery was the star of the day.

After briefly stopping at the Court of the Patriarchs, I visited the museum. The shuttle driver suggested walking back to the parking area from there. Since I had one day to take it all in, I took his advice. It was getting pretty warm by then, and I was happily exhausted when I got to my car.

Park City to Hurricane

April 14, 2023
The best part of my nomadic life is days like today.
This morning, I checked out of the condo I’ve been staying in for a week and hit the road. There is something so exciting about exploring new territory, and today did not disappoint.
I got started at about 9:30.
My first stop was at Cove Fort, Utah. I found this stop the old-fashioned way by looking at my road atlas. Yes, I have this actual book. It is indispensable for trip planning!

Built in 1867, Cove Fort wasn’t a military installation but a haven for travelers. It was a way station for the Pony Express, had a telegraph office, and offered food and lodging for visitors.

All of the rooms at Cove Fort maintain their original qualities.

The site is beautifully maintained by the Mormon church. Each of the rooms in the fort is decorated to show what life was like there in the mid to late 1800s.
The enthusiastic volunteers are happy to answer questions and share details of the family that operated the fort.
Additionally, the bathrooms are sparkling clean, and the visit is free of charge. I highly recommend this walk through history if traveling south of Salt Lake City.
My next stop was the Parowan Visitors Center. Parowan is a small town off Interstate 15, the gateway to Brian Head and Cedar Breaks National Monument. I was hoping to see Cedar Breaks, but I was pretty sure the road would still be closed due to snow.

I was right. The road was closed, but the stop at the Visitors Center was worth it. This is something I have learned on my trips to Europe. Always stop at the local tourist office. You will almost always gain extra knowledge of the area, usually from pleasant locals.

Inside the vault at the Parowan Visitors Center

The coolest thing about the office was that it was in a former bank, and the vault was intact. I also learned all about the Cedar City vicinity. For example, did you know there is a Shakespeare festival from Late June until Early October? I’d love to return for some autumn hiking and live theater.
I then drove up to check out Brian Head Resort. It was sunny and hovering around 30 degrees—perfect! Oh, if I only had time for some skiing.

Skiers enjoying a perfect spring day at Brian Head

I made another stop at the tourism office in Brian Head. I received even more information, including an extensive trail guide. I need to find a hiking buddy before I return.
The next stop was Kolob Canyons, the northwest corner of Zion National Park. Sadly, the road was only open two miles up, but that may have been a good thing because it was already 4:30.

The only activity choices were to hike along Taylor Creek or walk up the road past the closed gate.
I decided to go on the hike. The woman at the visitor center told me that there would be numerous creek crossings, but I could step on stones to get across.
She was right. There were numerous crossings. By crossing #11, I had had enough. I couldn’t see a way across that wouldn’t result in a soaked boot. So, I turned around and completed the ten crossings a second time. Twenty was plenty!

I walked up the road a bit, but my stomach was screaming for dinner, and I felt I had gotten enough exercise.
I arrived at my cozy Airbnb around 6:30, showered, made dinner, and called it a night.

Looking forward to more exploration tomorrow!

Skiing the Melt in Park City

April 13, 2023

I arrived in Park City last Friday, April 7th.
When I made the reservation, I was really, really hoping that there would still be snow. My two previous visits to the area were in the summer, another great time to be here. It’s a hiking and biking haven.

But Park City is also the home of the 2002 Winter Olympics. In the summer, I have watched the skiers jump into the pool at Utah Olympic Park. I’ve imagined skiers on the snowless summer slopes. And I could see myself gliding on my cross-country skis across the fields and along the trails.

I had to return to see that beautiful white blanket covering the mountains and valleys.

Last summer, I added “Park City in the Snow” to my bucket list.
With this season’s record snowfall, I got lucky. Sometime in March, I read that the ski resorts would stay open through April 23rd.
Since I was coming solo, I decided to leave my alpine ski gear in the storage unit. You might think that’s crazy. Why would I come to a World-class ski resort and not hit the slopes?

I’m a much better cross-country skier. Honestly, it’s dangerous to downhill ski solo, especially on an unfamiliar mountain. (Maybe I have become slightly more cautious after falling off a horse last summer.)

I skied four out of six days during my visit. Temperatures have been reaching the 50s and 60s, so skiing has been best in the mornings. It gets too slushy in the afternoon.

Yesterday was my best day of skiing. I drove out to Round Valley, which has an extensive network of trails. It’s also an off-leash dog area. What could be better than skiing with happy canines romping through the snow? Sure, they mess up the tracks a bit, but I got out early in the morning, and the conditions were good.

Round Valley: Mountains in every direction!

Today was another story. Temperatures dropped overnight. It was hovering around freezing this morning with light snowfall. Good ski conditions, right? It would have been great except for the 10-20 mph winds. And then there were gusts up to 30.
As the eternal optimist, I bundled up and returned to Round Valley.

It was a different world a day later. I felt like I was on an expedition to the North Pole, fighting the wind and sliding backward in the icy tracks.
Then I would get a reprieve from the wind, enough to keep me going.
When I decided to turn around, I experienced the bliss of the wind pushing me in the tracks. What fun! Suddenly, the initial effort was paying off.
Then, I reached the open field near the parking lot. The track had a barely noticeable downhill slope. It would be the perfect ride back to my car.
Clearly, one of those 30 mph gusts hit my back at just the right time. I was speeding around a curve, initially gleeful but quickly becoming fearful. The wind pushed me out of the tracks and onto the open field. There was no choice but to intentionally crash because it was going to happen anyway.
Luckily the snow was relatively soft, and I landed safely. I chose to take off my skis and walk the rest of the way to the car. Why push my luck?
It was a memorable way to end this year’s ski season.

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