During our 2-month GART two years ago, it rained twice: once on the Florida panhandle, and once in Missoula, MT. This trip it's rained at least a little every day, including this morning. It turns out late summer is considered the monsoon season in southern Utah and northern Colorado. Who knew? But no problem. It wasn't raining too hard to enjoy Zion, and, in fact, the rain gives the canyon a look it doesn't have in the sunlight. And it stopped raining by noon.
Zion is beautiful. Multicolored limestone cliffs tower over the canyon. Because of the recent rainstorms, numerous small (at this point) waterfalls have developed. They'll mostly dry up when the rainy season ends, but for now they provide extra interest to the park. Not that it need it.
As you probably know, heavy rain in the desert presents the risk of dangerous flash floods. The Virgin River runs through the canyon, and it's usually so shallow and slow-running that park visitors are invited to wade in it to get to trails on the opposite shore. Not today. Now there are signs warning people to stay out of the river. Of course, the signs are largely ignored. Someone will have to drown first.
On a hike up the mountains to see the Lower, Middle, and Upper Emerald Pools (aren't emeralds supposed to be green?), we were able to walk behind a couple of waterfalls. Neat! Also, I saw a guy who was obviously way too cool to wear one of those caps with a back part that shields your neck from the sun. I admit they're kind of funny looking. So this guy was wearing two baseball hats -- one forward and one backwards. I'm not sure it's really a better look.
On our way out of Zion we drove through a narrow mile-long tunnel built during the depression. It's so narrow that it can't accommodate a car going in one direction and a good-sized motor home going in the other. They have to close the tunnel to opposing traffic when a motor home needs to go through. Fortunately for us, what with school starting now, there aren't many motor homes on the road. The traffic tie ups at the tunnel must be terrible in the heart of summer.
On the other side of the tunnel the canyon looks very different. Instead of massive vertical rock formations, these formations, though just as large, look like horizontal layers put on top of one another by a baker wielding an icing knife. Stunning.
Tonight and tomorrow night we're staying in an old fashioned motel cabin a few miles from Bryce NP. Our front window looks out on mountains and grazing horses. Nice.
Tomorrow: Bryce Canyon NP.
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