The Vermillion Cliffs were another one of God's masterpieces that we witnessed today. I felt as though my head was on a swivel trying to absorb all of the sights. Whether it was the rainbow cast over the pinkish cliffs, the tumble weed scrambling in front of our car, or the condors soaring among the peaks it was wondrous to behold.
As we traveled the elevation went from 3500 feet to 7000 and the temperature varied from 51 to 29 and back up again as we approached the city of Kanab. The terrain was ever changing - from multi-hued cliffs and rocks to pines forest and snow. As the winds were gusty and the temperature dropping it was time to grab for the coats, hats, and gloves again.
We thought we would stay in Kanab for the day due to the impending weather but as things were still clear when we arrived we ventured on to Zion. We hoped that this decision would not put us in line to be featured in some movie of the week chronicling our ill-fated choice and later demise. Never fear though we did have a plan to survive on Triscuits and Manhattans from the back seat.
I am running out of adjectives to describe the places we have visited. Zion was no exception. It was worth the white knuckle ride of switchback curves with no guardrails and a 1.1 mile tunnel with no lights save your own headlights. Because it was "off season" we were able to drive our vehicle through the park rather than take the shuttle buses that are required during the summer/fall. We stopped at one trail head and took a hike that elevated 820' in one mile! We made it half way up. I also hiked along some butte debris and I think I found some gold or at least that's what my vivid imagination believed it to be. During our travels we saw deer and wild turkey, and enjoyed more spectacular vistas, which is putting it mildly. Each day we are more amazed by the absolute beauty of our destinations. It seems that each place we visit is more incredible than the previous.
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