Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada

On my way home from Zion National Park, I stopped at the Valley of Fire, in Nevada; a really cool state Park similar to Arches National Park. It is filled with weird rock formations, natural arches, canyons and Native American petroglyphs.

This formation is called the Seven Sisters, and is set apart from all the other formations. The powerful forces of wind and rain have eroded the sandstone into dinosaur shaped rocks, filled with strange little holes and tunnels.
This natural sandstone arch is slowly weathering away and may one day disappear all together. The campground I stayed at is just behind the arch and had some great campsites tucked away into the rocks.
The Petroglyph Canyon trail takes you back into a canyon filled with unusual formations, acacia trees, Native American rock carvings and Mouses Tank; a stream worn basin hidden in the rocks that trapped and held water.
Apparently a renegade Southern Paiute Indian used this canyon as his hideout, and after causing trouble, would escape into the canyon to hide in the secret caves where there was plenty of water to sustain him.
The sandstone is shaped in the strangest shapes, patterns, colors and textures. At first I couldn't even see the petroglyphs, but then I noticed them high up on the walls, carved into the dark parts of the rocks. They were everywhere. Sort of made me feel like I was standing on holy ground.

Zion National Park, Utah

My stay here in Zion National Park has been wonderful. Today my friend Dale and I spent the day exploring the park in the rain.
We hopped off the shuttle and took the Pairus trail along the river to photograph the Watchman. Clouds and rain created a mysterious atmosphere during the entire day.
At the Court of the Patriarchs, we followed the short trail to the viewpoint, then started climbing up the wet mountainside, far beyond all the tourists. We sat for quite some time taking pictures and watching the clouds move in and out of the mountains.
A pinyon pine cone; the pine nuts were a staple of the early Native Americans and have become my favorite addition to green salads and Jenny's homemade granola.

My dear friend Dale who stopped in to visit me at Zion; an excellent photographer, wonderful manager and great teacher!

It has been raining on and off all week, but today was the first day I saw the waterspouts. After we had coffee at the Zion Lodge, we hiked up the Emerald Pool trail, where Dale spotted the first waterfall.

From that point on, we spotted several more cascading off the cliffs; an unbelievably spectacular sight.

At one point we walked underneath the falls, guarding our cameras from the soaking spray.

Indescribable sublime beauty splashing down all around me; a perfect day even if I was soaking wet.

Kolob Canyon in Zion National Park, Utah

Several days ago I went hiking up in Kolob Canyon with Tom, my camping neighbor. The entire landscape was filled with a rush of color, texture and life; truly magical.
As I turned a corner and came upon this scene, a deep sense of contentment washed over me; an intense childlike joy that rose up like a bubble and burst into happiness. You can not improve on the Master Artist's colorful handiwork; I just take the picture and sigh.
Many people never see Kolob Canyon when they visit Zion. It is a 60 minute drive from the Zion Canyon Visitor Center, but well worth the effort.

Color this deep and rich makes me feel very wealthy.
Here is Tom, the master at detail, a wonderful photographer and fellow hiker. Thankfully he was there to pick me up and save my camera when I tumbled and fell into the creek.

The hike to Double Arch Alcove follows Taylor Creek up into the Alcove. We must have crossed the creek 30 times, back and forth during the five mile hike.
“The National Parks represent the wildness inside us. they’re the place where we can be lonely where we can experience solitude; they’re a place we go to as refuge as sanctuary. It’s the place we go out to, to come back in. It’s the only place perhaps left in many people’s lives where that’s possible.” Gretel Ehrlich The canyon was alive with color; crimson red, yellow ocher, lime green, rust orange, burnt sienna and jet black.
I am in heaven, soaking up the essence of nature in this spectacular place.
Double Arch Alcove; a stunning alcove with desert varnish stained cliffs, lush vegetation and water seeping down the sides.

Taylor Creek and the hike out to the Alcove has become one of my favorite places.

Shortly after we arrived in the Alcove it started to rain. We huddled up with four other hikers and shared our food, swapped travel stories and watched the rain.

"Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books." John Lubbock

Zion National Park, Utah

Zion National Park; truly a haven of safety and peace. As I was coming back from town one evening, I caught the moon rising over the mountains.
One morning I was eating breakfast and looked up and saw clouds hovering in the mountains. I jumped in my car and drove outside the campground and snapped this photo.

October is the perfect month to visit Zion; the leaves are starting to change, the air is crisp and cool and occasional downpours wash the earth clean.

During my stay, rain, thunder and lightening continually fill the sky. Wispy clouds play games with the mountains and keep me spellbound with their frail beauty. This view of the Towers of the Virgin is taken from behind the Human History Museum in Zion National Park.

Clear skies interchange with dark thunderclouds, wind and rain. This was taken on a clear day while out and about on the trails.
Erosion looks so good on trees and rocks; enough said.
My favorite swimming hole in Zion; it appears to be getting smaller as a huge deposit of sand has accumulated near the edges.

Up a little further from the waterhole is a second waterhole with a small waterfall pouring into it. This is where I went swimming today; nobody else was there, just me and the dragonflies which occasionally came over to kiss me.

The Watchman stands guard day and night, beautifully framed in a field of yellow.

While sorting through my emotional issues, I took a hike up to Hidden Canyon. The Great White Throne is the white mountain in the background, reminding me that God is here, watching over me and keeping me safe.
On my way up to Hidden Canyon, I had to bypass this tarantula, but grab on to the chain at the same time; quite a feat.
The Towers of the Virgin as viewed from the Pairus trail. Each day I hike this trail through the Zion wilderness; a time to absorb the beauty and spend time in quiet contemplation.
The Virgin River; I found this special spot away from the crowds and sat down to enjoy. I dipped my feet in the mountain stream and certainly was baptized in its foam!
One of the arches in Zion, way at the back of Hidden Canyon. Many people pass by the arch without even seeing it; a good lesson to keep your eyes open and observe your surroundings.
Maple leaves were falling all over the place; this one landed on the side of the cliff.
In order to reach the back of Hidden Canyon, you have to climb over this boulder, which I did, walk along the sandy bottom, climb over tree trunks, scale rocks and generally have an all around good time.