Zion National Park, Utah

Last month I ended my southwest extravaganza by visiting Zion National Park in Utah. Just before reaching the Park, I passed through Red Canyon and was able to watch the sun rising. It was perfect.

As soon as I entered the Park, all the "too good to be true" vibes from Zion hit me. Wow I was here!

I drove in through the east entrance, and was immediately drawn into the sights, sounds and colors of Zion, my home away from home. If you are interested, here is the NPS website for Zion National Park, with all of the much needed information for visiting this gorgeous place.

Its so pretty to see the green pines mixed in with the red and white sandstone. In the fall you have the added beauty of the leaves changing color; a most spectacular sight.

I stopped all along the road to take picures, talk to people and admire the scenery. But it was hot!

How lovely the mountains in Zion are, so strong and majestic.

That would be me, shooting a selfie while climbing around on the rocks.

Each hour got hotter and hotter. Determined to cool down, I headed for the river.

One of my old swimming holes, from back in the day when I worked in Zion. Once a co-worker and I were lounging around in the water here, when one of the male waiters showed up and wanted to show off. He took off his shirt and dove into the water, without even checking it out first. He came up groaning and holding his arm, which ended up being broken. He tried to hide it from his boss, but how can you hide a broken arm when you are waiting tables? Obviously you can't as he soon discovered. 

I hopped onboard the shuttle, as you can't drive past the turnoff to the lodge unless you are registered there. At the lodge I jumped out, and wishing to avoid the crowds, I walked across the street to the river and started wading downstream.

The water was ice cold, but that didn't stop me from taking the plunge.

It felt so good to escape the heat and submerse my body in the refreshing water.

An old gnarled tree stood on the riverside, a witness the passage of time here in the canyon.

After swimming a bit, more people jumped in and had the time of their lives. On my way out, I crossed the bridge and snapped this picture of a young couple that had befriended me. As soon as I took the picture, my plastic spray bottle fell out of my backpack and landed in the river, never to be seen again.

At that point, I decided to cancel my camping reservations in Zion National Park for the following week, and instead headed home.  The 105 degree heat was proving too much for me.  May God bless you and keep you safe and secure. May you get out into the natural world and see the things He has created. May you know and partake of His great love and mercy. Blessings! Susan Little

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Last month I took a massive southwest camping trip, which towards the end included Bryce Canyon National Park. Several years ago I worked in Zion for 6 months and visited Bryce on two separate occasions. It's so much nicer to take a chunk of time and camp within the park, where you can really get to see the beauty up close and personal.

Clouds forming over Bryce Canyon.....phenomenal!

Right near my campground I took a hike on the Navajo Loop Trail which is near Sunset Point. The tall hoodoo in the center is called Thors Hammer and is probably the best known hoodoo in the park. Hoodoos are strange formations composed of sandstone and siltstone which have been eroded over time by the elements. 

On the Navaho Loop trail I also saw many downed trees, sculpted so beautifully by wind and rain. 

At Inspiration Point I followed the trail all the way up to the top. It felt like I was on top of the world looking down at beautiful orange, red, and yellow ocher colored castles. 

That would be me posing for a selfie at Inspiration Point.

This spot in particular struck me as the most beautiful place in the Park. However each and every spot was beautiful in its own way!

At one point I stopped at a place that had recently been ravaged by fire. Dead trees covered the landscape. In the midst of it all this prickly thistle was blooming. "Life will find a way." Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblums) in Jurrasic World.  

At Bryce Pt. I loved to watch the ravens flying over the canyon. It is such a magnificent sight, similar to the condors at the Grand Canyon.

Ravens have always intrigued me, not crows, but ravens like the one above in the picture. Ravens are bigger than crows, and are more the size of a red-tailed hawk. They have larger beaks and often travel in pairs, while crows can be found in larger groups. Both crows and ravens are smart, but ravens are considered one of the most intelligent animals on earth! 

This stunning formation is called Natural Bridge, and it is here at this spot where I made the acquaintance of the black raven above. 

At the end of the Park road I came upon Rainbow Point. The contrast between the two formations and the dark green pines is an artists dream.

I scouted around Rainbow Point and found the Bristlecone Loop Trail. Just as I started down the trail,  it started to sprinkle but it wasn't a problem and was quite refreshing considering how hot it was! Bristlecone Pine trees are one of the oldest living organisms on earth. They are also extremely resilient to harsh weather and bad soils which helps prolong their lives!

The last place I hiked in Bryce was at Fairyland Canyon, with an elevation of 7758 ft. 

The heat and the elevation were beginning to get to me, so I decided I had enough of Bryce and packed up my gear and headed down to Zion National Park. Life is good when I am on the road, even when it is challenging, it is good. Blessings to one and all! Susan Little

Grand Staircase Escalante, Utah

Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument is a unique, often overlooked treasure located in southern Utah.

I passed by the monument on my way from Arches National Park to Bryce Canyon National Park. It was early in the morning and the lighting was majestic.

The National Monument now spans across nearly 1.87 million acres of America's public lands in southern Utah! That's a big place, however I only saw a fraction of its beauty.

While out exploring, I pulled over and got out of my car and actually walked down these sandstone hills. I felt like a fly as the sandstone is not slippery and easy to walk across.

 I camped for 3 nights at Calf Creek Falls which lies within the monument. Yes it was hot, but every where I went in Utah was hot!  The creek ran right by my campsite, and when I got too hot, I set up my chair in the creek, grabbed some iced tea and just relaxed.

In spite of the heat, the highlight of my time there was the 6 mile hike up to Calf Creek Falls. It was very early when I started the hike, but I am a slow hiker and soon people were passing me by on the trail. Everyone was very friendly and stopped to talk with me.

Right about here I got really tired and stopped to catch a breath of hot, dry air. The red and white sandstone is stunning, and has been shaped through erosion to form patterns in the hills.

As I trudged up the trail, I lifted my head just in time to see the sunlight illuminating this tree.

The Ancestral Puebloans and the Fremont Indians lived here and farmed this land. Pictographs and granaries are seen from the trail, the evidence of a people long gone.

I love flowers, and this cactus flower caught my eye.

Desert varnish, a result of rainwater combining with iron and manganese, streaks the sides of the cliffs all throughout the canyon.

At last I reached lower Calf Creek Falls, a 126 foot waterfall, that cascades down the cliff into a pool of ice cold water. I tried to jump in and swim but it was just too cold. Instead,  I dunked my head underwater and got my arms and legs wet to relieve my heat exhaustion.

So magnificent! 

After the hike I was sitting on my chair in the creek when these 4 boys came charging up the creek, the next generation of river rats flaunting their machismo. 

The campsite at Calf Creek Falls is first come, first served, no reservations. Good and bad. Good that I can usually get a site, bad if I don't. This is my campsite, the only one in the campground with a shade shelter. It was wonderful.

Good night to all, and may you find peace with God and with your fellow campers.

Arches National Park, Utah

Arches National Park has always been one of my favorite parks to visit.  Over 2000 documented arches,  plus pinnacles, balanced rocks like the one above, fins and other geologic formations can be found within the park. Balanced Rock is a strange phenomenon. Even though the Entrada Sandstone boulder appears to be balancing, it is actually sitting on an eroding pedestal of Dewey Bridge mudstone. The boulder is estimated to weigh 3577 tons! Now that is a heavy rock!

For years I could not get a reservation at Devils Garden Campground and had to find a campground outside the Park. After staying at Devils Garden, I can see why people love to camp there. The sites were so big, with unusual rock formations and most had some sort of shade to hide in. 

Right near the campground, I walked through the desert and found all kinds of oddly shaped formations.

Flowers always intrigue me. How do they survive in such harsh surroundings?

All of the formations at Arches have been created through natural forces such as wind, water, freezing cold and extreme heat. Such an amazing place that at times resembles a different world.

I wandered through Turret Arch which is in the Windows section of the park. It is so massive, and difficult to convey its size through a photograph.

There are so many different kinds of lizards in this world. I believe this is a spotted leopard lizard, but if anyone knows differently, please email me at thecampingqueen72@gmail.com and  let me know.

This may be my favorite place in the park, Double Arch, which is a giant twisting mass of weathered rock, that forms arches within arches. I spent quite a bit of time sitting in the shade underneath the arches. A great place to meet people and talk to them!

At the very end of the road through Arches National Park sits Devils Garden, a colorful array of sandstone with strange shapes. Most of the arches are salmon colored Estrada Sandstone and buff- colored Navaho sandstone. 

Skyline Arch is also at the end of the road in Arches National Park, and is a very short hike over to the base of the arch.

Its always fun to photograph different perspectives of the same thing, like this one of Skyline Arch. It shows me that in order to fully understand someone or something, it is important to see them from more than one point of view. 

On my way out of the park, I stopped at a variety of interesting pullouts, where it is possible to just climb out on the rocks and explore. Definitely one of my favorite things!

Right near the entrance, I stopped at Park Avenue. There is a short trail from Park Avenue to the Courthouse Towers that is fun to walk. I remember the first time I stood underneath these massive fins. It was in the summer of 2005 and I had never seen anything like this place. It was all so intimidating.  

Good night to one and all!