The Narrows

At the end of the road in Zion there is a mile long trail along the Virgin River that leads to what is called "The Narrows." It is a long narrow canyon with towering cliffs along the water's edge. When the river is low, as it was when we were there, a person can walk through the river deep into the canyon.

Walking sticks were handy.

There was a group of slow moving elderly people just off the end of the paved trail. Many of them linked arms for additional stabilization as they crossed the river for the first time.

This was probably one of Christina's favorite things we did on our trip. She really enjoyed the unique adventure of walking through The Narrows with her trusty walking-stick and her very wet hiking boots. It was an amazing time!

More Narrows

A unique overhang. As water flows down the side of the limestone it leaves mineral deposits such as the striping seen in this photograph.

We turned around near this spot but we could have hiked for several more hours among cliffs like these.

Christina rests in a water worn sandstone formation.

Kolob Canyon

Occasionally I'll stick out my tongue as Christina is getting ready to take a picture just to see if I can mess her up. I do it quickly so it can't be caught on camera but I incorrectly timed it this time around. Kolob Canyon is in the background.

My sweet wife.

Kolob Canyons is part of Zion National Park but is located on the northern edge where relatively few tourists attempt to go.

Looking across the high plateau at the cliffs of Zion. This was at an overlook not far from Cedar Breaks.

Cedar Breaks National Monument

The colors and rock formations of Cedar Breaks reminded us of Bryce Canyon. This was a very picturesque area. The rim elevation was over 10,000 feet and groves of spruce and aspen dotted the large meadows filled with golden autumn shrubs and grasses. We saw more mule deer on a short evening drive in the monument than we saw in most other places combined. As we closed our eyes at the end of the day we listened to elk bugling in a nearby meadow under the half moon.

Fins stick out of a brightly colored ridge.

The evening sun was giving us its last warm rays.

Moon over the Breaks.

Brian Head Utah

This is Brian Head Peak, rising about 800' above the surround countryside. If you look closely you can see a small portion of the roof of the shelter at the top of the peak.
The vegetation up here was interesting as well. There would be pockets of spruce (I think) and aspen and large grassy meadows. The vegetation in the picture was typical of the area.

At the top. 11,307 feet. Brrrrr!!!!

Looking out the window of the shelter revealed the high cliffs of Zion protruding in the distance. If you were to look out the door to the South, you would see Cedar Breaks. If you were to look out the other door, you would be looking at the Brian Head alpine ski area.

Sunset from Brian Head.

We said good-bye to Cedar Breaks NM pretty early the next morning because it was COLD! Thankfully there was a strong wind through the night so the temperature didn't get lower than 34 degrees F (according to our RV neighbors). Judging by the temperature the previous evening (low 40's) I thought for sure we would have frost on the tent but thankfully it didn't turn out that way.

A few miles outside Cedar Breaks we drove by a large herd of sheep wandering through an open meadow. They seemed very happy, as many of them would run and play with each other.

Desert Sands

Christina watches a stream of sand flow down a slope at the Coral Pink Sand Dunes near the Arizona/Utah border.

Sand. These dunes stretched for miles.

The pedestal holding this boulder is about 6 feet tall. As the nearby cliff (not shown) would erode, large boulder would come tumbling down the slope and settle on the very erosive soil. The boulder would protect the soil directly beneath it from erosion as the surrounding soil was washed away by the fierce rain storms. We found this along the road near the Navajo Bridge.

The clear waters of the Colorado River, clarified by the settling pond known as Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Dam. Surprisingly cold water if a person doesn't expect it. This area is known for its outstanding trout fishery.

Ancient Structures

Wukoki, a modern Hopi word meaning "Big House." This particular site is believe to have been inhabited from 1120 to 1210. Most of the other structures in this area were constructed and used about the same time.

Christina crouches by a door.

The door to the room is visible and another door is just barely visible, all but its corner hidden in the left hand shadows.

This photo was taken from the edge of the large walled plaza that archaeologists believe was used for a variety of day-to-day activities.

This was a pretty neat site with an amphitheatre to go along with a structure that was still in pretty good repair. On the other side of the structure there was a ball court as well.

Masonry wall was constructed around this large sandstone outcrop.

Christina admires the masonry wall. Note the holes in the wall about 12 feet high. These were for poles, some of them still had poles or pole fragments visible. They supported the floor of an upper story.

Moon over a volcano.

More Ruins

A view from the ruin they call the Citidel. This is looking toward the plains that eventually drop down into the Painted Desert. The topography in this area is karst. 180 degrees from this location is a large sinkhole and in the distance beyond it, the highest peaks (cone-shaped volcanos) in Arizona give character to the horizon.

There were three different well-preserved structures along the edge of this 15-20 foot deep box canyon. There were several other structures in various conditions nearby as well.

This is the most distant structure visible in the previous photo.

Montezuma's Castle. Incorrectly named after the ancient Aztec ruler, but a very impressive structure built into a limestone cave. It is estimated that this was last inhabitated around year 1450. For a masonry structure to survive that long is astounding. There were additional ruins close to this location that archaelogists believe housed the rest of the estimated 200 people living in this area. Also not far from here is Montezuma's well, a sink hole that is being refreshed by 1.5 million gallons of water per day and has structures built into the side of it.

Arizona Natural Bridge

We stopped at a roadside park to walk down to a nearby natural bridge. I was expecting to see a thin little arch, not this expansive tunnel. We arrived between two thunderstorms so there was water falling from the edge of the roof into the little pool in the foreground.

The roof of the bridge included many formations that are often seen in caves.

The stream flowing through the bridge was pretty quiet despite the recent rain showers but in the past it had taken out the walkway and bridge that was about 5 feet above the stream.

We huddled on this side of the bridge as we waited for the thunder storm to abate.