St. George KOA Campground - Hurricane, UT – September 7-13, 2015

We decided that we’d catch up on emails and all things Internet on Monday. Problem: Internet in the RV park is really bad, so we headed into Hurricane, UT to McDonald’s to use their free WiFi. Problem 2: because it was Labor Day school was not in session so we were inundated with families with lots of kids—and screaming noise… Ugh! We put up with it as long as we could before heading across the street to Wendy’s for lunch and their free WiFi. Problem 3: their WiFi was set to only about 10-15 minute usage so we had to continually logon. Ah, such are the downfalls of RVing…

Other than that it was a good day, albeit very hot. Temps had already hit the mid-70s at 7:00 a.m., climbing to the high-90s that afternoon.

Tuesday we were in awe as we spent day 1 in Zion National Park, viewing only a few of its many features. If you haven’t visited this breathtaking bit of God’s creation, you really must put it high on your bucket list.

Zion National Park, which is located in the SW part of Utah, was once a floor of a shallow sea, and delta of a great river and network of streams and lakes. Distant volcanoes erupted leaving layers of ash which is more visible as basalt on the drive into the park than in the park itself. More than 180 million years ago (according to geologists) a desert of windblown sand provided the raw material for the Navajo sandstone and Kayenta sandstone, which composes the 2,000’ high cliffs in Zion Canyon.

The next stage in the creation of Zion was the slow uplift of the Colorado Plateau, which raised the entire region 10,000’ starting 13 million years ago. Streams running off the plateau, such as the Virgin River with its load of sand, pebbles and sometimes boulders, carved the canyon we see today. Also contributing to the erosion process are numerous cracks in the sandstone, through which water runs, forming more avenues for erosion.

The Virgin River is still carving its path, even though the drought in recent years has significantly reduced the river’s flow. Landslides such as the Sentinel Slide along the river continually change the landscape of the canyon. The Sentinel Slide was most recently active in 1995, which resulted in damage to the road through the canyon. Flash floods can increase water flow by over 100 times its normal flow, but in 1998, a flash flood increased the volume of the Virgin River from 200 cubic feet per second to 4,500 cubic feet per second, again damaging the scenic drive.

Zion National Park covers 229 square miles, in which Zion Canyon is the prominent feature. The canyon is 15 miles long and up to ½ mile deep, cutting through the reddish and tan-colored Navajo Sandstone creating the fabulous formations we see today. The park’s unique geology allows for numerous plant species to live, as well as 289 species of birds, 75 mammals, and 32 reptiles.

Native Americans came to this area thousands of years ago with the arrival of different clans of the Anasazi and tribes of the Parrusits and Paiutes. Mormons, who came into the area and settled here in the mid-1800s, are responsible for naming this place of sanctuary and the refuge it provided. Massive stone formations and red cliffs elicited feelings of reverence in them and the names they gave reflect this: Angels Landing, the Great White Throne, Altar of Sacrifice, the West Temple, and the Three Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 

Originally named “Mukuntuweap National Monument” by President Taft in 1909, it was renamed Zion National Park, the name originally used by the Mormons. It was thought that if people couldn’t pronounce the name they wouldn’t come to visit. I’m not sure that would have made a difference because Zion National Park is such a spectacular sight. Photos just don’t do it justice, but we share the following photos to give you an idea of what we saw.

The road into Zion Canyon is 6 miles long, ending at the Temple of Sinawava, referring to the Coyote God of the Paiutes. At the Temple the canyon narrows and a paved trail (2.2 miles round-trip) continues to the mouth of the Zion Narrows, a gorge as narrow as 20’ and up to 2,000 feet tall. Propane powered shuttles transport visitors to the Temple (private vehicles are not permitted beyond the Zion Lodge).

We boarded the shuttle at the Visitor Center, riding it to the end of the road. Along the way I saw a mule deer off to the right in the shrubs.

Our first stop was at the end of the road, for the Riverside Walk and the natural amphitheater called Temple of Sinawava. It's also called "the preacher and the pulpit" by some folks.

Along the walk myriad vegetation form “hanging gardens” as seeping water penetrates the porous Navajo and Kayenta sandstones and shale allowing the plants to thrive.

Along our walk we decided to eat the lunch we packed, so we selected a quiet spot along the river atop some rocks. We had visitors who begged for bits, but we thoughtfully declined as there is a $100 fine for feeding wild animals in the park.

The top left squirrel was chirpping away as we walked by him,
just before lunch. The 2nd squirrel was begging and begging for
handouts, ready to jump in my lap and our backpack. He was
literally 6" away from me. The caterpillar was as big as my
middle finger--wonder what he'll become...?

Next on our list was a stop at Big Bend for a fabulous photo op. This stop allows for a 360 degree view of surrounding rock formations.

Our next stop of the day was at the Court of the Patriarchs, a spectacular view of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob peaks, as well as Mount Moroni.

The last stop of our first day in the park was at the Zion Human History Museum, which had indoor exhibits, art exhibits and a 30-minute orientation film describing Zion National Park and its history. Very interesting!

The day, by this time, had grown very hot (upper 90s and into the 3-digits), so we called it a day and headed back to the campground.  Day 2 in Zion would be Thursday.

We headed to Mesquite, NV’s CasaBlanca Casino on Wednesday to meet up for lunch with friends Steve and Sandee who had lived in Federal Way, WA and attended the same church as us. They now live in Golden Valley, AZ. Was so good to visit with them again; it was like we had never been apart, even after 7 years. We played a few “games of chance” (Dick at Blackjack, and me at Wheel of Fortune); I came out ahead $.91 and Dick came out with $90 to the good!

When we left Mesquite in early afternoon, the temps had soared to a whopping 107 degrees! Whew!

Thursday was our second day at Zion. We again boarded the shuttle at the Visitor Center with our first stop at Weeping Rock, a ½ mile hike, often steep, up a paved path. Weeping Rock is a rock alcove high above the canyon floor with dripping springs, ferns and moss covered rocks. The vista was stunning. It’s well worth the hike up to see it. On our hike up to see Weeping Rock we saw a mule deer walking on a trail above us. Very cool! But we were sad to see how emaciated she appeared to be. Apparently there was also a fawn with her but we didn’t see it. Here's a link to a video of Weeping Rock, too.

We stopped at The Grotto next, which is a portion of a trail through the canyon leading to the Zion Lodge and Emerald Pools. High above us was Angels Landing. Here, as we crossed a foot bridge, we noticed another mule deer down in the river. It was not at all timid, but just took all the onlookers as a normal occurrence.

We had packed a lunch again so decided to eat it outdoors at the Zion Lodge, assuming we could find a shady spot, which we did.  During lunch we noticed a parrot perched on a bicycle under one of the trees. Turns out his name is Kramer; he rides with his owner who appeared to be quite a bicyclist. The only thing we found out about Kramer is that he gets very agitated by river rapids. Here's a link to Kramer--enjoy! After lunch, while I checked out the Lodge and store, Dick walked to the Lower Emerald Pool, about a 1 hour trek round-trip. He said he had to be very aware of where he stepped as he looked up at the surrounding cliffs due to the steep drop-offs—no railings.

Dick shot this video at the Emerald Pool; we thought you'd like to see it.

By the time Dick returned to the Lodge the temps had climbed to 101 degrees; we decided to call it a day. The shuttle dropped us off at the Visitor Center, where we purchased the obligatory t-shirts, climbed in our big black truck, turned on the AC and headed back to the camper. We arrived to temps hitting 104.

Friday was a day to recoup. I made a blueberry coffee cake with frozen wild blueberries from Canada (lovingly preserved in my mom’s freezer for quite a few years, I’m sure). Good stuff! It was a hit not only with Dick, but with neighbors Jerry and Barb from Wisconsin. We ran a few errands, but didn’t do much else.

On the return trip from errands we stopped at Quail Creek Reservoir, which is within a mile of our campground, to take some snaps. Quail Creek Reservoir is one of the most unique geological features in SW Utah. The park is cradled in a long upwarp of folded rock that sweeps in a northeast direction; erosion creates a window into its colorful layers and geologic history. Rock layers on the east side are tilted toward the east, while rock layers on the west side are tilted toward the west. The bacon-striped layers are formed from red mudstone and white gypsum. The yellowish brown sandstone and pebbly sandstone which appear at the tops of the surrounding cliffs were deposited by rivers that once flowed in this area, ultimately causing the erosion of porous rock.

The original earthen dam, built in 1984, catastrophically collapsed in 1989 causing over ½ of the volume of water in the reservoir to be unleashed causing millions of dollars in damage, but no fatalities. The blame: poor engineering and construction caused seepage to dissolve the gypsum at its foundation. Completed in 1990, the new dike is about the same size, but constructed with a roller-compacted concrete foundation.

Although there wasn’t much action on Friday when we stopped, weekends bring the crowds to the water, which looks to be 8-10’ low due to the drought.

We always hope for cooler weather to last throughout the day when it’s 64 degrees at 7:00 a.m. However, again on Saturday, that was not to be. Temps climbed to 104 by the afternoon. We did have an enjoyable lunch in St. George, UT meeting up with a former co-worker and her husband at a delightful restaurant, The Painted Pony. I hadn’t seen Veronika since she retired in 2010, after which she and her husband Mike moved to St. George. Before meeting up with them we walked through the adjacent Farmers’ Market, enjoying the live music. For lunch we dined on a roasted carrot and red pepper soup, gorgonzola salad, a turkey club, a grilled Portobello sandwich, meatloaf with mashed potatoes and a lovely Cobb salad. Need I say YUM?? YUM-YUM! The Painted Pony is a definite “must” for a meal stop if you’re in St. George.

Returning home we spent the remainder of the day watching college football. Dick was pleased that Ohio State won over Hawaii, 38:0, and that Washington State University won over Rutgers, 37:34.

Sunday morning we lazed about, until Dick decided to take a motorcycle ride while I wrote the blog. Temps by 11:30 a.m. were in the high 80s, and due to continue to climb to the low 100’s by late afternoon. Dick’s ride took him to Virgin, UT on RT 9 where he hung a left on Kolob Terrace Road headed for Kolob Reservoir. The Kolob Terrace and Canyon is located in the NW portion of Zion National Park. However the hard road ended about half way to the reservoir so he turned around—but see the stunning photos below.

On the return trip he decided to check out the Red Rock Recreation area located across I-15 from our campground. Enjoy some more stunning scenery in the photos below. The Red Rock Recreation area is home to the “Adams House” built by a Mormon stonemason in the 1860s. It’s built as a “double cell” or “double pen” home, meaning that there are 2 doors in the front, with a fireplace and chimney at each end reflecting the symmetry of Greek Revival style. Built on a foundation of large stones, sandstone blocks make up the interior and exterior walls, with the space between filled with rubble to act as a sort of insulation. The varied colors of stone are laid in an alternating pattern; both colors are used in the lintel stones over the doorways and windows. There are quite a few relics of these homes in this area, but this is one of the only ones still intact. A small community of Mormon settlers had settled here creating the town Harrison, but they moved on to other areas when water resources became scarce.

That’s it for another week of fun and frolic in SW Utah. Rain from the Pacific storms are forecasted for the next day or two. We hope to get some relief from this dry and heat. We continue our stay here next week with a visit to Bryce Canyon National Park.  Stay tuned…

Love ‘n’ hugs,

RJ and Gail