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.

Zion National Park and Gooseberry Mesa, Utah - Hiking and Mountain Biking

After a busy year full of fantastic adventures, it was time to wrap up 2013 and welcome the new year with some good friends in southern Utah.  Everyone enjoyed the New Year trip to Bryce Canyon last December so we decided to do something similar and rent a home for a few days just outside of Zion National Park.  As much as I love camping, it is nice to enjoy a little luxury once in a while, especially if that luxury includes a hot tub for star gazing after a long day of hiking or biking.

Zion National Park

I've always wanted to check out the Narrows of Zion, but the popularity of this particular hike and the massive crowds herding into the narrow canyon have been a major turn-off.  When I learned that some people use dry suits to explore the Narrows during the colder months, I knew this would be my chance to explore without the crowds.  Roger and I rented dry suits from Zion Adventure Company on Sunday morning and headed up the main canyon to the Temple of Sinawava to begin our hike into The Narrows.

Starting the hike into The Narrows

Roger in The Narrows

The Narrows

The Narrows

 Solitude in The Narrows

Natural spring in The Narrows

The dry suits and neoprene socks kept us warm all day, although the temperatures were fairly mild in the Narrows compared to the frigid weather Zion experienced a few weeks ago.  We saw several groups of people in dry suits throughout the day, but the majority of our hike was peaceful and quiet.  We hiked through Wall Street and turned around near Big Springs before taking a side trip into Orderville Canyon.  Orderville was icier and darker, and contained a few small obstacles and waterfalls to enjoy.  We hiked to Veiled Falls before turning around and heading back through the Narrows to the trail head.  We didn't cover a lot of miles, but spent about seven hours in the canyons.  I was never cold, but I was happy to put on dry shoes and warm clothes after a full day in the dark, wet canyons.

Ice in Orderville Canyon

Veiled Falls

Roger above Veiled Falls

On Monday morning, Roger and I headed over to the ghost town of Grafton.  The town was first settled in 1859 by Mormons hoping to grow cotton, but the silty Virgin River, destructive floods, and the threat of Indian attacks resulted in the town being abandoned around 1921.  A few buildings and the cemetery have been preserved and are now protected by the Grafton Heritage Partnership.

The school house and Russell Home in Grafton

 John and Ellen Wood Home in Grafton

Grafton Cemetery

Later on Monday, Keith, Roger, and I headed up the steep and muddy road to Gooseberry Mesa to do some mountain biking.  We started at the Windmill trail head and worked our way west toward the point of the Mesa.  The Windmill, Bowls and Ledges, and North Rim trails offered amazing views of the surrounding desert and cliffs of Zion, but were a little more technical than the "more difficult" description they were given.  Although there was little in the way of climbing as the trails sit on top of the mesa, sections of slickrock with quick, steep ups and downs made for a challenging ride.  The trail junctions were marked with piles of rocks, but we missed a few turn offs and ending up riding a little longer than expected.  The views from the point of the mesa were spectacular and worth the effort, and we returned to the trail head just as the sun was setting.

Keith at Gooseberry Mesa

Gooseberry Mesa

The point of Gooseberry Mesa

 Roger at Gooseberry Mesa

Sunset at Gooseberry Mesa

View from Gooseberry Mesa

After watching a beautiful sunrise on Tuesday morning, Roger and I hiked to the West Rim of Zion via the West Rim Trail.  The sun was out and it was a mild day, but the middle section of the trail, aptly named Little Siberia, was full of packed snow and ice.  Microspikes would have been perfect for the hike, but we managed to make it through the snow and up on to the West Rim near Cabin Spring.  We enjoyed the great views and warm sunshine before heading back to the house to prepare for New Year's Eve.

Sunrise from Virgin, Utah

West Rim Trail

West Rim Trail

Entering Little Siberia on the West Rim Trail

With Roger on the West Rim

Welcoming the new year

Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks, Utah - Hiking

The plan for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend was to camp at Escalante Petrified Forest State Park and spend the days hiking to some great slot canyons in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.  I was particularly interested in hiking to the Golden Cathedral and visiting Kodachrome Basin State Park.  Instead, an early season snowstorm blanketed the Escalante region with over a foot of snow and we were left scrambling for a new Thanksgiving plan.

Keith, Melissa, Katy, John, Jason and I headed down to Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park on Thursday morning after seeing that the area was mostly snow-free and camping was still available. We arrived at the nice, and nearly empty, campground later in the afternoon under sunny skies and a comfortable temperature for late November.  After quickly setting up our tents, we headed off to the sand dunes to watch the sun set from the moving mounds of sand.

Footsteps in the sand at Coral Pink Sand Dunes

Coral Pink Sand Dunes

Keith enjoying the dunes

Sunset at Coral Pink Sand Dunes

Sunset at Coral Pink Sand Dunes

The temperature dropped below freezing after sunset but we were able to enjoy a great Thanksgiving dinner around a warm campfire.  Melissa was kind enough to bring a case of Deschutes Jubelale to celebrate the evening.

Katy and John's Thanksgiving Dinner

Jason's Thanksgiving Dinner

Friday morning was frosty and windy as I headed out to the dunes to watch the sun rise.  The sand was really blowing and my face felt like it was being sand blasted as I watched the sun rise over a  nearby ridge.

Blowing sand

Sunrise at the sand dunes

After breakfast, we drove to Zion National Park to do some day hikes and enjoy the warm sunshine for the rest of day.  Upon arrival, we were shocked to see so many people and cars in every direction that we looked.  Apparently, Thanksgiving is popular holiday for people to visit the park and the snow and poor weather conditions across most of Utah probably forced additional people, like us, into the area.  We crammed ourselves onto a shuttle bus and rode to the Temple of Sinawava at the end of the main canyon.  After walking up the riverwalk for a bit (with hundreds of other people!) we decided to walk downcanyon for a while on a less formal trail that followed the Virgin River.  It was more peaceful experience and a good escape from the crowds.  Eventually we hoped onto shuttle bus back to the Zion Lodge and hiked to the Emerald Pools, a popular hike in the park but not particularly spectacular in the evening light of winter.

Zion National Park

Zion National Park

Virgin River - Zion National Park

After another windy, cold night of camping at Coral Pink Sand Dunes, we headed back to Zion National Park on Saturday for a full day of hiking.  Jason and I hiked to Observation Point since neither of us had done that trail.  Everyone else hiked to Angel's Landing on the opposite side of the canyon.  Observation Point is a great hike that offers spectacular views of main canyon and the surrounding plateaus above Zion, along with glimpses into Echo slot canyon.  After the hike, we met up with the rest of the group at the Zion Lodge and headed back to camp at Coral Pink Sand Dunes for one more night.

 Echo Canyon

 Jason hiking to Observation Point

Hiking to Observation Point

At Observation Point

Jason at Observation Point

View from Observation Point of Zion

There was no wind when I awoke on Sunday morning and the nearby dunes were shrouded in a layer of fog.  The combination of  heavy frost, the shifting fog, and the morning sunlight made for some spectacular photo opportunities.  It was a great morning to be out on the dunes!

Foggy sunrise at Coral Pink Sand Dunes

 Fog and sand dunes

Trees in the fog at Coral Pink Sand Dunes

After breakfast, Jason and I decided to make a quick stop at Bryce Canyon National Park before heading back to Salt Lake.  The fresh snow on the pinkish-red rocks of Bryce is always a beautiful site.  We enjoyed the views from a few lookouts before making the drive back home.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon National Park