Stop 12: Springdale, UT (Zion National Park)

Just as we were afraid of, the trip from Las Vegas to Zion was extremely windy. The wind met us head on but kept shifting back and forth a few points, just enough to completely shift the effect on our sail, the trailer. We persevered and, by the time we reached the Arizona border, it was pretty much over.

We love Zion and have been here many times over the years. With the exception of the last time, all of our stays have been at the Zion Lodge. After our last experience with the horrible food at the Zion Lodge (Cherry Salmon: Salmon smothered in maraschino cherries - Yum). We decided to start staying outside the park in Springdale, where restaurants actually have to compete for customers. This beautiful park that we are staying in is right behind the hotel that we stayed in on our last trip. It's outside the park but still in the beautiful canyon. It has lots of trees and is right on the Virgin River (though it does concern me that the main road through the RV Park is called Flood Road).

The rocks above our site.

The Virgin River near our site.

Looking at the rocks on the other side of the canyon (our trailer in the foreground).

A group looking for the swimming hole.

Virgin River

Day 1, we decided to head up into Zion Canyon. Cars aren't allowed in the canyon so we caught the shuttle up to the visitors center, crossed the bridge and showed our passes and caught the shuttle up into the canyon. While we were at it, we checked at the visitors center to make sure that we'll have no problems when we go to take our trailer through the Zion / Mt. Carmel Tunnel on Sunday (they'll need to make it one way so that we can drive down the middle - we've never gone through when it wasn't one way so it must happen a lot).

Our first stop was the Court of the Patriarchs.

We made our first family trip to Zion in April, 1995 (Kristen had been here once as a child). We stayed in one of the rustic cabins at Zion Lodge and set the alarm to get up early on April 12 to head for Las Vegas. We woke up later than expected and found that we had no electricity or telephone. During the early hours of the morning, a huge landslide had dammed the Virgin River between the lodge and the only way out of the canyon. The newly created reservoir was a threat to Springdale and the campgrounds downstream (who had no water by the way). Evacuations ensued until the new reservoir overflowed and created a new riverbed which, unfortunately, flowed through where the road had existed previously. We were trapped in the canyon and were told that it would probably be several days before they could get us out. They couldn't even guarantee that we wouldn't have to leave our car and then recover it once a road was built.

This plaque near the Court of the Patriarchs shuttle stop commemorates that occasion.

 On the bright side, the crowds were nonexistent at the tourist locations in the canyon. We did kind of stay close in case the news changed. The lodge had food that would go bad if it wasn't eaten so they kept us well fed. Early in the evening, everyone was called together for the announcement that a temporary dirt road was nearly complete but that the river was already trying to take it away. They had all of the cars line up and put the buses last. They were afraid that the buses might collapse the road so bus passengers were crowded into the cars. When the word came, we all shot across the dirt road to freedom.

Somehow, they were able to reopen the lodge 45 days later. Briar found this LA times story from that date.

A picture from the plaque. The river around the base of the slide is where the road used to be. The dirt road to the left of that is the beginning of our escape route.

The Court of the Patriarchs. From the left: Abraham Peak, Issac Peak, Mt. Moroni and Jacob Peak (the white one in the background)

Our next stop was the Zion Lodge. We hiked up to the Emerald Pools and back and then had lunch at the Zion Lodge.

This is as good a time as any to mention that the air here is filled with big white fuzzies. The fuzzies collect in nooks and crannies everywhere and look like clumps of cotton. We never thought about how cottonwood trees got their names but this is the reason. The fuzzies are carrying cottonwood seeds.

On the way to Emerald Pool.

Crossing the Virgin River on the way to Emerald Pool.

On the way to Emerald Pool.

On the way to Emerald Pool.

On the way to Emerald Pool.

Water dropping into Emerald Pool (the actual pool is rather scuzzy).

Kristen, the waterfall and the scuzzy pool (there's a reason for the pool's emerald color).

More water falling into Emerald Pool.

The Zion Lodge (we ate out on the upstairs porch).

2 of the many climbers that we saw.

Our next stop was the Temple of Sinawava where we hiked the Riverside Walk up to where the Narrows starts. The narrows is a very narrow part of the canyon that you can only pass through by walking up the River (which could flash flood at any time by the way).

Along the Riverside Walk.

Along the Riverside Walk.

Along the Riverside Walk (No fear of people - I thought that he was going to jump onto the camera).

Along the Riverside Walk.

Along the Riverside Walk.

Along the Riverside Walk.

Along the Riverside Walk (looking up in to the narrows).

Coming back down the Riverside Walk.

Coming back down the Riverside Walk.

 Our last stop of the day was Big Bend where we looked at Angels Landing and the Great White Throne.

Angels Landing (this is where the angels were supposed to land to have a good view of the Great White Throne.

The low part of the ridge is only a few feet wide with steep drops on either side. This land-bridge is a part of the trail to Angels Landing..

The Great White Throne (the edge of Angels Landing is on the right).

Looking down the canyon from Big Bend.

We ended day 1 with dinner at a favorite restaurant in the area (conveniently across the street from the RV park), The Spotted Dog Cafe. It was a new discovery for us when we were last here 3 years ago and we thought that it was new then. Wrong! It's been there 35 years and we missed out on all of our earlier visits.

Day 2, we decided to go through the tunnel to the very different Eastern end of Zion. We've driven that way many times before on our way to Bryce National Park (and will be doing so again on our way out of Zion) but we've never really treated it as a destination before.

There's a long grade up to the tunnel and this is a look back towards wher we're staying from one of the pull-outs.

Another view from the same pull-out.

The Zion / Mt. Carmel Tunnel wasn't really designed for RV's. When there are no large vehicles, traffic is 2 way. When there are large vehicles, they convert it to 1 way and the large vehicles drive down the center. 1 way is the norm and our day 2 return trip was the first time that we had ever seen it 2 way.

Our trailer meets the largeness requirements so we will have to pay a $15 "escort fee" when we go through to assure that the tunnel will be 1 way.

The sign as you approach the 1.1 mile long tunnel.

Here we go. That'll be us in a couple of days.

No lights in the tunnel. A couple of windows to the outside canyon provide the only light.

Approaching the end.

The very different landscape of the East side.

Love the way that the sandstone looks likes it's rippled down.

This is called Checkerboard Mesa.

This was one of the first things that we saw going into the canyon on day 1. We weren't able to get a good shot of it from the shuttle so here it is today.

The peak on the left with the trees around its top-knot is called West Temple. The lower, very white peak to its right is Sundial. We found the white plateau with the red streaks running down it interesting - its called the Alter of Sacrifice.

Upon our return, we hit a museum, got some lunch and looked at the shops in town. We thought that that was pretty much it for our day 2, but events conspired against us.

We were just sitting down to relax when Kristen insisted that she smelled something. It smelled like someone was tarring a roof to me so I was willing to let it pass. That didn't fly with Kristen so pretty soon, I was searching for the source of the smell. It was definitely concentrated at the front of our trailer. It was a sulphury, roof tarry smell that, up close could just about knock you out. I opened the battery case and that sucker was hot and smoking. Obviously, I detached the battery immediately.

I soon had the battery tied down in the back of the truck and I was on my way to an Camping World that we spotted 50 miles back in St. George. They said that the water level had gotten low in the battery, exposing the core and triggering the meltdown (it was a "maintenance free" battery so we couldn't have added water if we wanted to). We now have a brand new battery

Day 3 has been a restful day. We had thought about making a longer trip to visit some of the more distant areas of Zion but there was an Iron Man event going on down in the Hurricane area and the traffic and road blockages promised to make travel an ordeal.

We got an early start and trucked our bikes into the Visitors Center in the park. We wanted an early start so we could be assured of finding a parking place and we were successful.

The sun hasn't hit us yet but Kristen is there in the foreground. Thought that the morning sun on the mountains was spectacular.

More of Kristen in the dark with light on the mountains.

The Virgin River from one of the bridges that we rode over.

Once we were back at the truck, we drove to the Southern end of Springdale to capture this scene that we'd spotted coming into town.

After we showered and had some lunch, Kristen wanted to check out some rock shops that she'd spotted on our way to take the previous picture. We did that, gassed up the truck and spent the afternoon enjoying the beautiful view from our trailer. In the evening, we enjoyed another dinner at The Spotted Dog Cafe.

In the morning, we're off to Bryce Canyon National Park.

-JC-