http://www.citrusmilo.com/zion2004/ilovezion2.cfm
This spring I did a whirlwind trip with a friend. At long last, I visited the Grand Canyon. But, though that brought tears to my eyes, the magnificence of driving down the winding road to Sedonna and the indescribable beauty of its surrounds was nothing I ever dreamed of and no picture, that I have yet to see, does it justice.
That being said, I would not have given up the trip through Indian Country up into Utah, either. Through maneuvering of our plans, we found ourselves going that way. since the other side of Grand Canyon was still closed for the winter. Our original plan had been to tackle several views of the canyon and Sedonna.
Once having found the other side of Grand Canyon Park closed, fortune found us driving amongst stretches and stretches of canyons in front and along side us, decorated with rock formations and brush in shades of sage and violets leaving us breathless on more than one occasion and speechless, while driving through many miles of the great expanse.
But, Zion National Park, which was our final destination, topped it all off in splendor. If you have never been there, it is truly a must see. The unfortunate thing about Grand Canyon is that you are never really inside the Canyon itself, unless you are the type that can donkey down and spend a few days doing so.
At Zion, from the drive through into the park, where you leave your car, you are already feasting on the majesty of natures creations towering over you on all sides and gazing at you through the window views carved into the tunneled through mountains part of your drive. One has to take care for one's driving and make sure that they are not driven to distraction, because it is a long way down.
The park itself has one enchanted spot after another and you are left to your feet or a bus ride to the upper most part of the park, passing all the major established trails, of varied intensity, on the way. One can get off at any of eight stops, and walk down to lower trails along the stream, get off at a specific trail or just ride up and down on the bus.
We got off at top and walked along the stream surrounded by rock formations that actually had some rock climbers on them, which looked more like ants than human form, climbing along the smooth, marbled and creviced rock walls. Looking at them, them it seemed as if I were getting but a glimmer of truth, compared to the spirit of the cliff that these climbers were coming to know.
Rock climbing or not, this park could easily be one's summer adventure with out boredom, during a month's visit. We had two days.
On our climb down we visited Weeping rock. You climb the trail to an overhang area where, one has a view of the rock formations in front that unearths in oneself, if one is willing, all consciousness of anything, but where you are in the moment. The water drizzling down from the overhang comes from no river or steam, but buried deep in the rock for aeons. One is tempted to like these drippings rest on one's tongue, but it is recommended not to. The parasitic environment of the water is unknown from day to day, but surely the Indians, Mormons and other who ventured through these canyons, running along the stream, must have been drinking water!
It was interesting to note the different cultures there. You had the campers (some who were there for more then a few days pleasure in nature), you had the rock climbers, you had those who prepared in advance and could afford the stay in the hotels within the park; you had those who just came for the day; you had those who walked everywhere, those who only took the bus and those who came for days on end to walk the trails, but might have drove in and out of the park daily. Finding accommodations in the park reserved long in advance and rather spendy, they put their money to other things like souvenirs for the children. You had those in T-shirts, those in real Mcoy hiking gear, those in pristine cleanliness without a bead of sweat on them, and those covered in dirt with climbers ropes loopedin rounds and propped on their shoulders. All those cultures coming to visit Zion (once thought of as paradise by the Mormons) was an interesting to watch in itself.
As I was looking at things online, I came to the above person's photos of Zion and among other places, the Finger Lakes Region upstate N.Y. I have always loved that area, and have fond memories of the lakes and beaches and woods, but I suppose that I did not have the spirit of adventure then. that I acquired later. The magical gorges below escaped my youth. I remember none of the enchanting images that are reflected in this photography, which I hope you enjoy below!
This spring I did a whirlwind trip with a friend. At long last, I visited the Grand Canyon. But, though that brought tears to my eyes, the magnificence of driving down the winding road to Sedonna and the indescribable beauty of its surrounds was nothing I ever dreamed of and no picture, that I have yet to see, does it justice.
That being said, I would not have given up the trip through Indian Country up into Utah, either. Through maneuvering of our plans, we found ourselves going that way. since the other side of Grand Canyon was still closed for the winter. Our original plan had been to tackle several views of the canyon and Sedonna.
Once having found the other side of Grand Canyon Park closed, fortune found us driving amongst stretches and stretches of canyons in front and along side us, decorated with rock formations and brush in shades of sage and violets leaving us breathless on more than one occasion and speechless, while driving through many miles of the great expanse.
But, Zion National Park, which was our final destination, topped it all off in splendor. If you have never been there, it is truly a must see. The unfortunate thing about Grand Canyon is that you are never really inside the Canyon itself, unless you are the type that can donkey down and spend a few days doing so.
At Zion, from the drive through into the park, where you leave your car, you are already feasting on the majesty of natures creations towering over you on all sides and gazing at you through the window views carved into the tunneled through mountains part of your drive. One has to take care for one's driving and make sure that they are not driven to distraction, because it is a long way down.
The park itself has one enchanted spot after another and you are left to your feet or a bus ride to the upper most part of the park, passing all the major established trails, of varied intensity, on the way. One can get off at any of eight stops, and walk down to lower trails along the stream, get off at a specific trail or just ride up and down on the bus.
We got off at top and walked along the stream surrounded by rock formations that actually had some rock climbers on them, which looked more like ants than human form, climbing along the smooth, marbled and creviced rock walls. Looking at them, them it seemed as if I were getting but a glimmer of truth, compared to the spirit of the cliff that these climbers were coming to know.
Rock climbing or not, this park could easily be one's summer adventure with out boredom, during a month's visit. We had two days.
On our climb down we visited Weeping rock. You climb the trail to an overhang area where, one has a view of the rock formations in front that unearths in oneself, if one is willing, all consciousness of anything, but where you are in the moment. The water drizzling down from the overhang comes from no river or steam, but buried deep in the rock for aeons. One is tempted to like these drippings rest on one's tongue, but it is recommended not to. The parasitic environment of the water is unknown from day to day, but surely the Indians, Mormons and other who ventured through these canyons, running along the stream, must have been drinking water!
It was interesting to note the different cultures there. You had the campers (some who were there for more then a few days pleasure in nature), you had the rock climbers, you had those who prepared in advance and could afford the stay in the hotels within the park; you had those who just came for the day; you had those who walked everywhere, those who only took the bus and those who came for days on end to walk the trails, but might have drove in and out of the park daily. Finding accommodations in the park reserved long in advance and rather spendy, they put their money to other things like souvenirs for the children. You had those in T-shirts, those in real Mcoy hiking gear, those in pristine cleanliness without a bead of sweat on them, and those covered in dirt with climbers ropes loopedin rounds and propped on their shoulders. All those cultures coming to visit Zion (once thought of as paradise by the Mormons) was an interesting to watch in itself.
As I was looking at things online, I came to the above person's photos of Zion and among other places, the Finger Lakes Region upstate N.Y. I have always loved that area, and have fond memories of the lakes and beaches and woods, but I suppose that I did not have the spirit of adventure then. that I acquired later. The magical gorges below escaped my youth. I remember none of the enchanting images that are reflected in this photography, which I hope you enjoy below!
Comments