New sights, new friends, new adventures in Kolob Canyon of Zion National Park

Zion National Park is in 2 parts for those of us challenged by overnight camping, "roughing it", and "things that go bump in the night" !!!  The most visited portion is the canyon just outside Springdale, UT, where the Lodge is located and the shorter hiking trails, although The Narrows and Angels Landing are not for the faint of heart.  I probably am too old and decrepid and too big a sissy to try them.

My next adventure is in the portion of Zion National Park just off I-15, between Cedar City and St. George, UT  After checking in at the Visitors' Center there...

...manned by 2 lady rangers and a young lady in the tiny gift shop, I drove up the 5 mile drive to Kolob Canyons Viewpoint, where I took off on the 1 mile hike called Timber Creek Overlook Trail, which follows a ridge to a small peak with views of Timber Creek Kolob Terrace, and the Pine Valley Mountains...on a clear day, which quickly down graded.

You may think that white cloud behind me is just another beautiful cloud in the blue western sky, but it isn't.  It is smoke from a fire that re-lit overnight. and spread very quickly.

In the hour or 2 that I was at Kolob Canyon of Zion, the smoke clouded the entire sky toward the north.

All the following pictures were taken between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. with the sun high overhead.

The sun through the smoke makes a strange filter.

Get out your magnifying glass and see if you can read this sign on the views to be seen from the overlook.

Farther away from the fire, the smoke is just laying over the tops of the peaks...as seen from the trail.

From along the trail, looking back over the parking lot toward the north and the smoke being carried by the prevailing winds.  In the parking lot, I saw cars with license plates from Davidson Co., TN and Shelby Co., TN  Most I have seen in one place.

These views would be awesome on a clear day, but they are pretty spectacular through the smoke.

The cloud drift to left may be smoke; but the long, skinny cloud truly is a cloud; and the view is much clearer to the east.

...and even clearer to the south.

You meet the nicest people on the trails.  These 2 couples, one from Nashville and one from Florida, saw my UT fanny pack and struck up a conversation. The fellow from Florida graduated from UTK.  Another small world story.  They were very interested in my working in the Parks and wanted to know more.  There is more to tell later in the day.

It's a happy time when you make new friends in the Park.

The smoke took some of the beauty out of my pictures in Kolob.  Now that we have had rain (actually a week of rain), I'll go back and get clearer pictures.

Watch that first step behind you, Peg.  It's a long way down.

That tiny, dark peak just to the left of the tree sticking its tip up and the sandstone just the left of it...that's supposed to be close to Las Vegas, maybe 150 miles away.  Note no smoke obliterating the view. 

 "On a clear day you can see forever." 

The valley below Kolob Canyon of Zion National Park.

I'm headed to Cedar City and back up into the mountains to Cedar Breaks National Monument for

another adventure.