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 Utah's canyon trekking,deck chair packing desert explorer who dreams of visiting Canada someday
3988 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2009 : 09:26 AM
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Do you see the heart? Way up high on the mountain side?
What a beaufitul day! The fire east of Zion is still being pesky with all its smoke billowing
and causing some haze in the park. But, it still was a great day!
The day began with a list of household chores to complete. I finished them in record time and
headed up to Zion for a nice afternoon stroll followed by a swim in on of Zion's two great swimming holes. ahhhh...
Let's start with the bridge that crosses the creek before climbing the switchbacks in the truck to the Mt. Carmel Tunnel.
 
What a pretty bridge!! It is so overlooked by visitors to the park. What a shame. The stone mason and several crews had built many bridges in the park. But, this one, he wanted to make his 9th symphony, so to speak. He gathered stone from all over the park and had it shaped for setting. He built a beautiful stone arch bridge. The bridge, for years, was seen the whole way, driving up the road. But, time passed and the park service allowed trees and scruff to line the shores in a "natural" state and it eventually all but covered the bridge.
Now, this gem sets in a backdrop of natural habitat that only the few who take the time to stop, may enjoy. pssstt.... uh...there is a bodacious swimming hole just little than half a mile up the creek, under the bridge. ahhhhhh....
Ok! back into the truck and up the road through the tunnel.
Then, to the large waterfall that so many have photographed in downpours or photographed the solid ice in winter. This is where my hike begins.
I parked just around the bend after you go through the second tunnel and headed into the wash.
Then, scrambled up on top of the waterfall pouroff. It was bone dry. No water, now.
   
Then, I came across this little snake. Not poisonous.
Ever upward, following the slickrock water flow as it cut it way between two slickrock hills.
I came to a large bowl with four peaks surrounding me. way cool!!
I hiked around for a bit and then, headed to the top of my mountain looking over the road below.
See how they carved the road out?
Hmmmm I think I see BC tags on that car? 
   
I love it!! Now, over to the south, I walked through some sand, slickrock, and scrub to get to the overlook into the south side of Zion. Beyond the park.
    
I headed back down and got back to my truck. I turned around and drove back down to the swimming hole. The swimming hole is located at the bottom of the canyon; parked right where the tunnel road intersects at the bridge over the Virgin River and the canyon road.
I walked up the canyon road just a few hundred yards to a little pathway on the left saying river access. Once down the path, to the river, a large, mossy, concrete spillway exists.
I waded above, slid several tiimes down the spillway, and swam in the pools below. ahhhh
As I lay back on the spillway, water rushing over me, I was looking off at the salmon colored walls. What an amazing place.
Hope you liked the hike.
You see, you can park anywhere on any of the pullouts above the tunnel and explore.
In fact, even right at the tunnel, park and go into the creek and walk a wee bit upstream and get a taste of a slot canyon. If it becomes a bushwhack, then get in the car, drive to the next stop and try another canyon. You will be rewarded with solitude, and be off the beaten path in some amazing scenery.
Cheers! jerry |
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Trail running, bike hucking, fast packing, beer drinking collector of pine cones on a day pass
AKA
Dances with Trees
Forest Gnome Cabin
Canada
13035 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2009 : 09:34 AM
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Outstanding, Jerry, thanks for the desert fix |
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North Vancouver
Canada
745 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2009 : 10:17 AM
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| Awesome report. Thanks Jerry. I have been to Utah a few times but have never made it to Zion. I have it on my list! |
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Smurf Village, BC
Canada
1495 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2009 : 10:40 AM
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| Looking at your photos makes me long to be in Utah right now! |
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Popkum, BC
Canada
5887 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2009 : 10:57 AM
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| I love Zion and you did a great job of portraying it's beauty! |
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Whistler
719 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2009 : 4:02 PM
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| Great area. Are those twins still building bike trails? |
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Whistler, BC
Canada
1174 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2009 : 4:37 PM
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| Nice trip report, Jerry. I've hiked that route a few times with my wife, often on her birthday, which just happens to fall on an annual spring vacation up here. Despite the fact that it is one of our favourite areas in Zion, neither of us has ever noticed the "heart." Thanks for bringing that to our attention! |
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Utah's canyon trekking,deck chair packing desert explorer who dreams of visiting Canada someday
3988 Posts |
Posted - 09/07/2009 : 10:03 PM
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Thanks, Mick!  Zion is always fun, for me.
Hi, NS! Come on down! Best times are late sep through november. Then, it can get cold.
Also, April and may are good. June, July, and August can be really hot hot hot..
Glad you like it, Guntis. Thanks! People around me can't understand why I go out so much.
Thanks, Flowing Brook! Some day, I will have to get together with you two and take you to
my favorite spots in Valley of fire?
Hi, Sharon. I don't know anything about it. I know there is a proposed 40 mile bike trail from Zion all the way to St. George, Utah. Wouldn't that be something? wow!!
Ohh....you just reminded me of where I haven't hiked in eons. thanks!! Now I know where I'm going this Friday, if I don't hike with Telkwa. All right!! There's an old canal they don't use anymore from the Virgin river to the towns of Hurricane and La Verkin. I will walk them out
to the old hot springs and take a soak....hehe
awww glad you liked the "heart O' Zion" I don't know if anyone has ever called it that or took a picture of it that way, either. Maybe you can hike up there, take a picture of her and you with it in the background and frame it? How nice that would be.....there's no patents on hearts.....
OMG! I talk so much that I finally got a good lesson this very hike/weekend.
I got back to the ol Jalopy truck and a young couple pulled up right next to me in the narrow pullout and got out with cameras in hand. They looked over, smiled, and said hello....
Then, I introduced myself, commenced to talk about the heart, pointing, flailing like a madman and saying oh oh there's a huge arch on the mountain round the next bend. They couldn't get a word in edgewise....hehe Of course, I came to find out they spoke NO English.
They said something nice in their foreign language, waved as they drove away....
D'oh!! That'll learn me... trying to show off and playing like I was the expert local or sumpin.... Either that, or that foreign language bit was their rehearsed defense mechanism whenever they met a hiking zealot? hehe I crack myself up... |
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271 Posts |
Posted - 09/09/2009 : 09:14 AM
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We'll be heading that way at the end of Sept.
Gooseberry
Rainbow Rim trail, North Kaibob trail hike!
Virgin River Rim Trail
Thunder Mountain.
Can't wait! I love the desert. |
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Simpson quoting tree hunter and canyon rapping rockhound who longs for the return of his trapped Toyota
Salt Lake City, UT
USA
2268 Posts |
Posted - 09/09/2009 : 09:53 AM
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| Ahh Zion. I miss ye badly! RM-are you sure you don't need any geological consulting work done down there??? |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
631 Posts |
Posted - 09/09/2009 : 4:23 PM
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| thanks for the lovely TR! great photos! |
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Utah's canyon trekking,deck chair packing desert explorer who dreams of visiting Canada someday
3988 Posts |
Posted - 09/10/2009 : 10:19 PM
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Hi, Splintz!
Sounds like you will be mountain biking?
If Going to the North Rim, and biking, or hiking, check out Crazy Jug Point.
Great, quiet little nook.
Glad you liked it. There's so much to see and do.
Hi, TMC! Once I win the lottery in Arizona, I'll gladly pay for your expertise to help sort through the mine trailings like Topaz Mtn? I'm going to a place tomorrow hopefully to look at what was rumored to be an old Spanish silver mining attempt in the La Verkin hills. It's a narrow slit in the rock that is supposed to open up. We'll see if I chicken out, or not going into mines solo is not my bag.
Thanks, Quirkygal! I love Zion! Fun place that never seems to disappoint.
Listening to some music, charging batteries and getting ready for my hike to a place called the devil's slide. No chores.....yesh!! |
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271 Posts |
Posted - 09/15/2009 : 6:00 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Rented Mule
Hi, Splintz!
Sounds like you will be mountain biking?
If Going to the North Rim, and biking, or hiking, check out Crazy Jug Point.
Great, quiet little nook.
Glad you liked it. There's so much to see and do.
Yup, Mountain biking, with one hike on the North Kaibob trail to Roaring Springs. Will check out Crazy Jug point! If you have any other suggestions I'd gladly take them. Like where's a good place to camp near Navajo Lake for the VRRT. |
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Utah's canyon trekking,deck chair packing desert explorer who dreams of visiting Canada someday
3988 Posts |
Posted - 09/24/2009 : 8:56 PM
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I would like the nice forest beds located at the Mammoth Cave parking area. The woods are flat and the trees spread out with pine needles all over the ground. You can still go into the caves which are lava tubes until October. Then, they lock you out of most of them due to bat hibernation? Do bats really hibernate? I don't know. I just heard that from a forest service volunteer as to why they close it down in the late fall.
Very nice place. I can get directions to the parking area. It's off a good paved road onto a good dirt road to the parking area. The lava tubes are fun.
email me and I will get the directions and then, post them on the wiki.
I'm so lazy.....hehe
Don't wanna miss Strawberry point on the VRRT. Even if you don't ride all the way there, take the car and drive to the point and walk out onto it and look into the fingers of Zion!! wow.
It is featured in the book biking in Zion and Bryce. Strawberry point is pretty majestic.
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the "HEART of Zion
