Day 210: Square (RV) Peg, Round (Tunnel) Hole

Posted on March 5, 2014 by Ben

After a late start and exit from the Watchman Campground, we stopped by the Zion entrance booth to have our RV measured for passage through the East Tunnel out of the park. After some hand wringing by the ranger, they gave us the “go ahead” pass for the tunnel at the Eastern entrance. When we got to the tunnel, the ranger at the guard booth shook her head and moved the cone to let us in. The tunnel is a little over a mile long, and the clearance at the curb is 11’ 4”. We’re at about 10’ 4”, I think, so I stayed very close to the center line as we rolled through. We reached the other end without a scratch!

Having spent many a season in Zion, Mike recommended another petroglyph site on our way out of Zion. We pulled over at the appropriate spot and hiked off to investigate. Before long we found the site:

The second location had still more petroglyphs:

More rock texture:

We walked back to the road from the petroglyphs and under the tunnel supporting the road:

The formations on the East side of Zion are a bit different from the West side:

Continuing East towards Kanab, we decided to head South to visit Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. The sand here is ground up Navajo Sandstone and is more of a deep orange than pink. The sand is very fine, like sugar, and is quite firm to walk on:

The kids beat us to the top:

There were many beautiful patterns in the sand at the dune’s crest:

M pulled B down the hill, and went so fast she had to turn her head aside to avoid the flying sand:

Leaving the state park, we continued East and stopped for the night on BLM land about 15 miles from Kanab. With the cellular antenna, we have a decent connection. It’s nice to be dispersed camping again, and with trees instead of cactus for the first time in several months:

Tomorrow we have to get up early to be at the visitor center in Kanab by 8:30am for the lottery for permits to enter The Wave. There are 10 permit spots given away per day, and this time of year about 35 people show up to fill those slots, so it may be a few days before we get the permits. See the trip map for details.

Day 209: Zion, Day 3 – New blogs, Hiking, and Biking

Posted on March 4, 2014 by Ben

We’ve added a blog for Trish and M, they are listed in the Menu above, please take a look!

This morning I got out for a 20 mile ride that included an 800 foot vertical climb up Highway 9 to the Eastside Tunnel. You know it’s a good climb when multiple legs of the road can be seen in the same photo:

On the way up I was treated to a great view of Zion Arch:

On the way back to the RV, I stopped in at South Campground and met Mike of LightCurve.com. I’ve been following his blog for some time now, so it was nice to meet him and his dog Blue in person!

After lunch, we hiked up a local hill to look down canyon:

Next, we hiked the Watchman Trail, which leads to an overlook:

The weather got a little ominous:

We were rained on for 15 minutes or so, but then the sun came back out:

After completing the hike, we drove to a petroglyph site that Mike had recommended:

Yummy rock texture:

Tonight we had a campfire and roasted hot dogs. Tomorrow we will be leaving Zion through the East entrance. The width limit for going through the tunnel without a pilot car (and paying a fee) is 7’ 10”, and we’re 7’ 9.75”, so it will be interesting to see if we’re let through.

Day 208: Zion, Day 2 – Birthdays, Hiking, and Ghost Towns

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Ben

This morning we had a birthday party for B. She asked for a cake for every year, so we obliged as best we could:

It’s another beautiful day in Zion National Park:

After homeschool, we drove out of the park to visit Grafton, a Mormon settlement on the Virgin River abandoned in the 1940s:

Either people were shorter back then, or they ducked when they went through doorways:

After Grafton, the kids received their Zion Junior Ranger badges:

We then drove up-canyon to the Emerald Pools trailhead and started hiking:

We reached the lower pool pretty quickly:

We then continued up on the upper pool trail:

After some climbing, we reached the upper pool:

Viewing the lower pool overhang from above:

Zion is just amazing!

By the time we got back to the RV, the sun had set:

Not a bad view from the campsite across from us:

Originally we were going to leave tomorrow, but we’ve decided to stay here tomorrow night as well and leave on Wednesday.

Day 207: Zion National Park, Day 1

Posted on March 2, 2014 by Ben

Shabbos at our dispersed camping site North of Virgin, Utah was at times rainy and very windy. Sunday morning brought nicer weather:

The views from this spot are amazing:

We drove 20 minutes East into Zion National Park and secured a campsite in Watchman campground. $18 a night buys a site with electricity and even WiFi!

After piking up Junior Ranger workbooks and touring the visitor center, we drove out to the end of the park road and hiked the 2 mile round trip paved trail to the beginning of the Narrows:

Saturday’s rain created temporary waterfalls from the canyon walls towering above:

Before long we reached the beginning of the Narrows. Continuing would require hiking in the river:

Many of the views in Zion remind me of Yosemite:

The GPS track isn’t very accurate because we were in the canyon. Our walk there and back was in fact on the same trail.

We stopped a couple times to photograph the amazing terrain:

Next we drove South and hiked the short but steep Weeping Rock trail. Rainwater seeps through the sandstone and is then forced out of the rock face when the water hits an impenetrable shale layer: