St. George, Utah - Biking and Hiking

My favorite thing about winter is taking mini trips to warmer locations to escape it!  This weekend, Roger and I headed to St. George, Utah, for some road biking, hiking, and sunshine.  We also planned to see our friends Hunter and Col who recently moved to a new home in nearby Dammeron Valley.  On Saturday, we drove to La Verkin, UT to begin our bike ride.  This would be the first ride of the season, and it felt so good to be back on the bike!  Our loop took us through Toquerville and then down to Leeds where we made a stop at the old CCC camp that opened in 1933.

Leeds CCC Camp

First ride of the season

After departing Leeds, we bike past beautiful Quail Creek Reservoir and then towards Sand Hollow Reservoir.  We decided to turn around before making it all the way to the reservoir as the scenery was rather dull.  We headed back to La Verkin to complete the ride of about 35 miles.  On our way back to St. George, we stopped at River Rock Roasting Company.  It was a great find with awesome views of the Virgin River from the back patio.

Post ride refreshment at River Rock Roasting Company

It wouldn't be a trip with Roger without some Mormon history!  We took a tour of the beautiful Brigham Young winter home in St. George after our ride.  He was smart and spent the cold Utah winters in relatively warmer St. George.  The St. George Mormon temple was also on our agenda and a beautiful place to visit at night.

Brigham Young winter home

St. George Mormon temple

On Sunday, we drove up to Dammeron Valley to visit Hunter and Col and enjoy a wonderful brunch at their new home.  They took us for a short but spectacular hike on the Red Mountain Trail to Snow Canyon Overlook.  The views were incredible and the weather was a perfect.  It was a great way to kick my Spring fever into high gear!

Jer enjoying the views

Celebrating Spring

Snow Canyon Overlook

Watchman100 - Zion National Park, Utah - Road Biking

Roger and I registered for the Watchman 100 bicycle ride a few weeks before the September 27th event.  The website says that the 100 mile ride takes place "in Southwestern Utah where the sun shines more than 300 days a year."  As the weekend neared, it became clear that it was going to be one of those other 65 days.  I made the case that we shouldn't even bother heading to St. George on Friday night, but we had already paid for the registration and the hotel.  It was also possible that the weather wouldn't be as bad as the forecast.  After a very late departure from Salt Lake and sleeping through the 5 am alarm in St. George, we made our way to the start line in Springdale as flashes of lightning lit up the western sky.  "Look at the radar!" I kept thinking.  Why was no one concerned?  I decided I definitely wasn't going to ride.  But then I decided to ride, grumbling my way to the start line.

How did I get talked into this?

The first 15 miles were lovely as we passed through Rockville and Virgin.  The sun was out, lighting up the surrounding sandstone cliffs, and providing a dramatic contrast to the black clouds approaching us from the west.  As we descended into LaVerkin, the storm let loose with uncomfortably close lightning strikes, gusty winds, and torrents of rain.  Being outside, in the open, during a lightning storm is my least favorite activity in the world.  We took shelter for about 30 minutes against a church building, then resumed riding through puddles and rain showers as the worst of the storm subsided.  We had planned to ride the 100 mile route, but the constant rain and occasional sheltering from lightning slowed us down significantly.  It also seemed like most people had abandoned the ride.  We finally decided to ride the 70 mile route and made our way back to Zion.  By the time we returned to Springdale, we were done.  The ride organizers had great food and hot coffee for the people who endured the ride, some even completing the 100 miles!

Roger and I decided to walk up the canyon to check out the flooding that forced the closure of all roads in the park for the afternoon.  Zion Canyon was wet and moody, and the Virgin River was raging out of its banks in a few places.

Virgin River flooding

Virgin River flooding

Zion Canyon in the rain

Zion Canyon in the rain

The sun was out on Sunday morning, so we decided to go for a hike before returning to Salt Lake.  We walked around Kayenta Art Village for a bit and then headed up nearby Hellhole Canyon, a gorgeous wash with a terrible name.

Hellhole Canyon near Kayenta

Hellhole Canyon near Kayenta

 Red Mountain

Patterns in the wash from a recent flood

Red Mountain Wilderness

Despite the washout, I am looking forward to riding the Watchman100 again.  It was a beautiful route with enough elevation change to make it a challenge.  Hopefully the ride will take place on one of those 300 sunny days next year.

Hurricane Cliffs, Utah - Mountain Biking

Roger and I made a quick weekend trip to southern Utah to ride our mountain bikes and celebrate Hunter's birthday.  The weather was looking cloudy and cool in Salt Lake, but sunshine and warm temperatures were in the forecast for St. George.

We decided to check out the Hurricane Cliffs Trail Network in Hurricane, a short drive from St. George, on Saturday morning.  After a good breakfast at the Main Street Cafe in Hurricane, we headed to the Hurricane Hill Trailhead on Highway 59.  We struggled to find the dirt road that would connect us to the Goulds Rim Trail, but after asking for directions we found the road just downhill from the trailhead.  After a couple of miles of climbing on the dirt road, we reached the Goulds Rim Trail and then Goulds Trail a few miles later.  Both trails were easy and offered great views of Gooseberry Mesa where we had ridden for the New Year holiday.

Dirt Road to Goulds Rim Trail

 Spring flowers in the desert

Goulds Rim Trail

Goulds Trail

We crossed Highway 59 near the base of Gooseberry Mesa and made our way on to the Jem Trail.  After a few steep drops, this trail became a smooth, long coasting ride down toward the Virgin River with views on Zion Canyon in the distance.

Jem Trail

Views from the Jem Trail

Instead of immediately connecting back to the Rim Trail at the bottom of Jem trail, we continued our descent down to the Virgin River for a couple more miles.  This area was very scenic and offered some great views of the Virgin River.  After a break to enjoy the sunshine and scenery, we returned on the same trail back to the junction of the Jem Trail and the Rim Trail.

Riding along a drainage into the Virgin River

Virgin River

Beer break

The 7.3 mile Rim Trail back to Hurricane Hill trailhead was very scenic with some great views into the Virgin River gorge.  The trail was also more technical and had some steep climbs toward the end of the ride.  By the time we completed the entire loop, we had ridden about 24 miles of mostly easy single track.

Before heading back to Hunter's place to celebrate his birthday, we decided to do one short, easy ride at the Santa Clara River Reserve.  We started at the Anasazi Valley Trailhead and rode the Tempi'po'op Trail for a few miles up and back to the petroglyphs.  The trail offered some nice views of Red Mountain and the Ivins area.  After a full day of riding, it was time for food and fun.  Thanks to Hunter and Col for being such great hosts for the weekend!

Santa Clara River Reserve

Petroglyphs

Snow Canyon State Park, Utah - Hiking and Road Biking

Roger and I decided to do a quick trip to St. George to enjoy the warmer temperatures and sunshine for the weekend.  There was one camp site available for reservation in Snow Canyon State Park so we booked the site and headed south after work on Friday evening.

Snow Canyon State Park

The temperatures were mild but the wind was howling as we set up camp on Friday evening.  Despite the windy conditions, I was determined to start a campfire and enjoy a beer before bed.  The fire was easier to start than I had anticipated and the wind began to subside, making for a pleasant evening of stargazing and dreaming about spring activities.

Roger needed to take care of some things in St. George on Saturday morning so I decided to do a short hike before our planned bike ride on Saturday afternoon.  I hiked the easy trail to Three Ponds in Snow Canyon and found plentiful signs of spring along the way.  The scenery along the way to Three Ponds was more spectacular than the destination itself.

Leaves were popping out all over Snow Canyon

More signs of spring

Flowers along the way to Three Ponds

View along the hike to Three Ponds

Along the hike to Three Ponds

Roger and I got on our road bikes for the rest of the day and cycled north through Snow Canyon to the town on Veyo, then southwest to Gunlock Reservoir State Park, and finally east into Ivins.  The loop is about 40 miles and we still had some extra time, so we decided to bike into St. George for a few more miles  before returning to Snow Canyon.  Our total mileage for the day was 50 miles.  Later that evening, Hunter and Col joined us for a great night of fun and beverages next to the campfire.  Thank you Hunter and Col for all the extra beer and firewood!

Roger getting ready to ride

At Gunlock Reservoir State Park

Riding back to Ivins

On Sunday morning, Roger and I decided to do another quick ride before heading back to Salt Lake.  We planned to ride north and pass through Veyo again before continuing on to Enterprise, thinking it was only about 18 miles one way.  At the 20 mile mark, we decided to turn around, not realizing that we weren't even close to the town.  It is actually about 32 miles from Snow Canyon to Enterprise, so that trip will have to wait for another day.  We enjoyed our 40 mile out-and-back ride and headed back to Salt Lake on Sunday afternoon.

More early spring flowers

Riding out of Snow Canyon

Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, Yant Flat, and Mojave Desert Joshua Tree Road, Utah - Hiking

The frigid, smoggy inversion that plagues the Salt Lake Valley each winter has been in full force for the past few weeks.  Without any storms to clear the stagnant air, the city has been suffering from pollution and cold temperatures. Meanwhile, the higher elevations and the deserts of southern Utah have enjoyed plentiful sunshine and relatively mild temperatures.  With a three-day holiday weekend for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Roger and I decided to head south to take advantage of the unusually warm January weather and give our lungs a break from the polluted air up north.

Camping at Red Cliffs Recreation Area Campground

Red Cliffs Recreation Area

Stealing a weekend from winter!

We decided to camp at Red Cliffs Recreation Area, just north of the small town of Leeds, UT, to give us access to some of the many trails within Red Cliffs Desert Reserve.  Also,  I have camped at nearby Snow Canyon State Park many times so this gave us an opportunity to try something new.  We arrived at the campground on Friday night and found it busier than expected.  Some of the sites were under construction but we were able to find a nice, open site to set up camp and cook dinner before heading off to bed.

Quail Creek passes through Red Cliffs Recreation Area campground - an oasis in the summer!

The clear skies made for a frosty morning so we waited in the tent until the sun began to warm the air.  We enjoyed the clear blue skies and glowing red rocks that surrounded our campsite as we ate our breakfast and prepared for the day.  We drove back through the town of Leeds and on to Silver Reef Road before making our way along the base of the Pine Valley Mountains, following a bumpy but passable Forest Service dirt road.  Our destination was Yant Flant and the Candy Cliffs, colorful sandstone formations that drop off from Yant Flat to the surrounding desert below.  We found the trail leading to the cliffs and walked across Yant Flant for a mile and a half, enjoying the warm sunshine, desert scenery, and the satisfying feeling of stealing another day from winter.

Walking across Yant Flat

Utah agave on Yant Flat

We arrived at the cliffs and spent a few hours walking around the surreal sandstone landscapes.  Some of the features reminded me of the famous "Wave" in Arizona, with more muted but equally beautiful colors.  The views into Red Cliffs Desert Reserve were spectacular and we could see the stone towers of Zion along the eastern horizon.  We had the entire place to ourselves and the quiet solitude made our visit even more enjoyable.  When we were done wandering and photographing, we hiked back to the car and continued along the dirt road towards St. George, enduring some particularly bumpy and muddy patches along the way.

Roger at Yant Flat

Yant Flat and Cottonwood Canyon

Yant Flat

 Yant Flat beer

 Roger at Yant Flat

 Yant Flat

Yant Flat

Yant Flat

Later in the day, we met up with Hunter, Col and their dog Kendall to do a loop hike from the Chuckawalla trail head. We spent a few hours hiking around the red rocks and enjoying the views above Snow Canyon Parkway.

Hunter and Roger

 Kisses from Kendall

Col

Small arch along the trail

On Sunday morning, Roger and I hiked a portion of the Red Reef Trail from the Red Cliffs Recreation Area Campground to some small waterfalls a couple of miles from the trail head.  These waterfalls and pools of water are popular swimming areas during the warmer months, but we had most of the place to ourselves for the entire morning.

Red Reef Trail

Red Reef Trail

Red Reef Trail

Later on Sunday, Hunter and Col offered to take us for ride in their new Jeep along Old Highway 91.  We drove through some beautiful Joshua Tree forests on the Mojave Desert Joshua Tree Road Scenic Backway and made frequent stops to walk through and photograph the beautiful desert trees.  After a quick stop in Beaver Dam, AZ to purchase lottery tickets (I didn't win), we met up with Col's parents in Mesquite, NV for some Bingo and casino-people watching.  A big thanks to Hunter and Col for such a fun day and thanks to Roger for a great weekend of escaping the inversion in southern Utah!

Mojave Desert Joshua Tree Road Scenic Backway

Mojave Desert Joshua Tree Road Scenic Backway

Barrel cactus - Mojave Desert Joshua Tree Road Scenic Backway

Mojave Desert Joshua Tree Road Scenic Backway

Mojave Desert Joshua Tree Road Scenic Backway