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Published: June 19th 2010
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April 22--I'll start this chapter with a trivia question: Which state in the US has the most national parks? I'll give the answer later in the chapter.
I left “Sin City” behind and headed for Zion National Park in Utah. Of all the parks I have visited so far, I think Zion is my favorite. It was discovered and settled by the Mormons in the 1800's. No matter what one may think about their religious beliefs, those Mormon pioneers were certainly courageous in their explorations, settlement and development of the west. We owe them a lot for their discoveries.
President Taft made Zion a National Monument in 1909. The newly created Park Service made it a National Park in 1919 and changed the name from an Indian name to Zion. The Virgin River flows through the canyon. Most of the mountains are huge monoliths and primarily red sandstone. Due to many visitors and heavy traffic, the Park Department banned autos and put in shuttles for people to use up and down the park. I loved that, because I got to ride, get off and on when I wanted, and take lots of pictures!! Although still cold, the park was
Clouds over Zion
Some of the monoliths under cloudy cover. in spring mode. The aspen and cottonwood trees were just leafing out and many different wildflowers were blooming.
I wanted to hike along the river to The Narrows which are a series of “slot” (very narrow) canyons cut by the river. Unfortunately, the run off in the river was at flood stage, so the area was closed. It was a cloudy, rainy day and very cold while I was there, but that didn't stop me from touring and snapping. Some of the formations are awesome. I wish I could remember some of the names, but I can't except for the “big three” called The Patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. These peaks were named by a Methodist minister in 1919.
While on the shuttle, I heard some of the visitors talk about the hiking trails in the park. One called the Angel Trail (reminded me of the Grand Canyon) is one of the most difficult hikes of all the parks. It's very long, covers a lot of altitude and precipitous and narrow. I have seen some pictures taken from the top of the trail, however, and the view is something else.
One of the things pointed out to us
Busy Beavers
The beavers had gnawed quite a few trees in the park. by our bus driver were the gnawed trees in the park. It seems the beavers have been very busy. Park staff had to put wire fence around the bottom of many of the park trees in order to save them!
April 23—I left the west side of the park and drove through the tunnel to the east side. I was astounded by the difference in the two sides of the park!
First, though, the tunnel experience. It is one mile long and when it was built in the 1920's was the longest tunnel in the world. There are six “windows”, huge openings in the tunnel. I was told they were not for looking out of (since one is moving) but were used to throw out the debris from blasting and keep the tunnel clear during the building. I had to pay $7 to have the tunnel all to myself as I drove through, because it is too narrow for two way traffic when an RV is coming through. Driving through a long tunnel with big “windows” with no other traffic is definitely a unique experience.
I don't know what kind of rock makes up the east portion of
The Patriarchs
Three of the famous monoliths in the Park the park, but I loved it! It is laid in layers, like a layer cake or stacks of pancakes in various shades of rust, brick and cream. In many places where water and wind have eroded the rock face, the colors appear swirled together. I've seen pieces of this kind of rock sold in souvenir stores or rock shops in the form of lamps, book ends and just display rocks. The swirls are pure artistry as far as I'm concerned. Of course, I also know who the Artist is. As I was driving along in one place, I saw a red bud tree in full bloom, growing out the side of one of the rock formations. I fumed because there was no place to pull off the road to get a picture of the beautiful tree against this fabulous rock!! I did get other pictures, of course. I loved the green of the juniper trees against the rock and also found a little creek creating its own path through the rock.
Okay, time for the answer to the question. If you guessed Utah, you are right! Utah has five National Parks: Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands.
Virgin River
The river that flows through Zion Park. The state also has the Natural Bridges National Monument, Hovenweek National Monument, Dinosaur National Monument, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and, of course, the Great Salt Lake and Desert. You want to see some sights? Visit Utah!!! Since I saw only two of the Parks, I will have to return and catch the rest.
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Sherill Trevino
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Spectacular
These pictures are awesome, the handiwork of God. We just returned from the Adirondacks and ahd a wonderful time in the mountains. Guess we need to plan a trip to Utah. Sherill