Soaring Sparrows???

Zion Canyon, Utah

This morning I was to taken by the magnificence of the canyon around us, I just stood in one place and turned slow circles looking in all directions for almost an hour. During that time, the morning sun line climbed down the north face of the canyon and across the canyon floor. The rocks look so different in sun or in shadow.

Finally, the sun reached where I was standing. Within two minutes I went from being too cold, to being too hot. Now, mid afternoon, it is 99 degrees. I waded in the ice cold river for a while. I also used our sun shower hanging from a dead tree. It felt very good. Our camp site has zero shade so we have to go other places to find shade during the day. Next I am going to take our folding chair and put ir right in the middle of the river. I can bake my head while I freeze my feet.

Back to the morning. I saw a little bird about the size of a sparrow soaring. "Wait," I thought, "A bird that small can not soar." How do I know that? I can't say exactly; it has something to do with physics. The ratio of wing area to wight of the bird must be much higher to soar. So I watched the bird closely for a while. Sure enough it did flap its wings. However this bird liked to flap for 5 seconds, followed by 2-3 seconds of soaring. Cool. I can't remember seeing any other little bird doing that.

Tonight, we are going on a two hour our of the park guided by a ranger. This morning we heard a ranger explain the geology of Zion; also interesting. Tomorrow's, we move on.

Enjoying Zion Life

Zion National Park, Utah

37 12.207 N 112 58.893 W, 3942 feet altitude

 

This place is magical. So many others have depicted Zion in words and pictures, that I won't try to beat them.

This morning we started early in the cool before the strong strong sun came over the canyon walls. We visited weeping rock where water seps out from the rock walls and where natural hanging gardens wow those who look up.

Then we went to the river walk trail at the head of the canyon. This is the most famous place in Zion. It was great. We walked the paved trail one mile to the end. Then, we intended to continue upstream wading in the water. We both had crocs shoes suitable for wading. Poor Libby though, she got only ankle deep when she asked to beg off. We went back to the trail and looked at her feet. They were blue as smurfs! Her core temperature was way down also. Our ambitions are younger than our bodies.

Quickly, I got Libby back to the river bend spot. The warm sun was shining there. I also dressed her in my warm shirt and added my sox to here's, put hope her jacket, and sat her down on a rock heated by the sun. She protested that it wasn't needed, but when she stood up, the rock was cold.

We both envied the younger tourists. They could wade up the ice cld river to the narrow end. They could and did hike up the trails to the canyon rim and peer down at us from 2000 feet above. Getting old sucks in many respects.

We have another 1.5 daya to go at Zion. I'll make sure that we do our activities when it's not so cold.

By the way, I figures out that the cliff face right behind our tent is 3000 feet (1000 m) high.

 

The morning sun first touched the peak behind us. Note the moon above the peak.

Neighbors in our camp site. They are completely tame. Another neighbor, a ground squirrel, jumped up and ate our bread when we turned our backs of just a minute.

 

Sunset to Jacob a lake

Jacob Lake Campground, Arizona

36 43.012 N 112 12.841 W

 

Route 89 from Sunset Crater north to Page has amazing scenery. It parallels a rift where numerous thrust faults trusted the thick Colorado plate to the NE upwards. To the SE is the thin pacific plate. All along the fault line, magma and heat have penetrated. We took many photographs, but probably none of them will depict the beauty. By the way, a landslide blocked to route to Page, but we were able to use alt 89 to drive to Jacobs Lake.

We drove though Marble Canyon, spectacular. I've never been there before. Midway through the canyon we cross the Colorado River over a bib bridge spanning the gorge. The green waters of the Colorado were beautiful.

The camp site at Jacob Lake was a bit of disappointment. It lacked the colors and the beauty of the desert. Nothing but ponderosa pines in all directions. It was also at 8000 feet and the wind was blowing a gale. It was plenty cold. We went to bed at 1830 just to escape the cold. By 0500 this morning, the wind had stopped and it was nice.

Onward to Zion. On the way is a viewpoint with a breathtaking view of the valley below and The Escalante Staircase behind it. We could see more than 100 miles west, 100 miles east and 50 miles north. There is surely no,pale on the east coast with such a view.

Tomorrow I'll blog snout Zion.

 

Sunset Delights

Sunset Crater Volcano, Arizona

 

We had a great day just poking around within a 10 mile radius. Sunset Crater is beautiful. The San Francisco Mountains are to our east and The Painted Desert in the West.

We had a picnic lunch in The Painted Desert, then we hiked the lava trail. That is the same trail Dave and I hiked a few years ago. Libby was fascinated at the dramatic nature we encountered at every step.

Tonight, we will try for Jacob Lake Cmpground, north of The Grand Canyon. (Both of us have seen Grand Canyon before, so we'll avoid the crowds. ).

 

The picture shows The San Francisco Mountains. Aren't they beautiful with the snow on top? The meadow is at 7000 feet and the peaks at 12000 feet. Compare that to Mount Mansfield seen from Vermont. The lake is at 100 feet and the peak at 5000 feet.

Actually those mountains are the ring around a caldera. Visualize a single 20000 foot cone originally, which then collapsed Mount Saint Helen's style. Wow, what an event. There are two other calderas near by. What a fantastic place!

 

Sunset Crater

Sunset Crater Volcano, Arizona

35 22.329 N 111 34.363 W

We had a wonderful visit with John and Mary Ann. Thank you very much.

On Sunday we took a side trip to Payson. We remembered it from 25 years ago, when we drove through there on a quiet country road and found a quaint village. This time, the road had become a four lane divided highway and the village is an affluent retirement community. TOO MANY PEOPLE ON THIS PLANET.

We looked harder though and found the village of Gisela, population 500. Those 500 people have a huge and beautiful valley all to themselves. There is no through highway. We sought some Indian ruins, but we never did find them. What we did find was a clear creek a d swimming holes. The holes were full with squealing children having fun. The surroundings were also full of older children playing with their all terrain vehicles. It was a bit of Arizona culture that most tourists never see.

Last night and tonight we are staying in a camp site at the bad of the Sunset Crater Volcano. We walk on cinders and we are surrounded by collapsed lava tubes. It is a magical world. We had other plans for today, but I think we'll just explore this area instead.

The altitude here is 7200 feet, so the climate is cool and comfortable.