Morning in Zion sunrise to 10 am

The West Temple, it sees most of the first light at Sunrise. 7810' high, almost 4000 feet above Zion Canyon.

Meridian and the Sentinel Peaks (L-R) and the Beehives in between.

The orange light of early morning is fading.

The Watchman at about 630 am catching its first rays of sunlight.

Along the way up the Watchman Trail, these yellow flowers and the Watchman Peak.

This view of the Watchman makes me think of Grand Teton in Jackson Hole

Looking back at the West Temple about 9 am from the Watchman Trail.

Asters and Prickly Pear

Temples and Towers of the Virgin and the west rim of Zion Canyon

The Watchman rises east of Springdale Utah, the southwestern edge of Zion NP

Wild flowers near Watchman Point

The West Temple and the other towers at about 930 am from the Watchman Trail. The red dtreaked point on the right is called the Altar of Sacrifice.

Zion is my favorite NP. 

I have totaled up several months of time spent in Zion over my life.   I have hiked every trail, did over 80 miles of off trail canyoning, and even discovered two previously undocumented archaeological sites.  One time a mountain lion followed me for three days until I finally got back on trail and descended back down into the gorge (I think it was after food trash).  I never did see it, however, only its tracks.

Speaking of tracks; there are dinosaur tracks along Pine Creek, downstream of The Great Arch. Read up on the geology of the park and you will know what part of the rock formation to inspect.  And if one walks the arroyo draining the east face of Bee Hive Mountain, the observant eye will discover lots of plant fossils strewn among the stream bed sediments.  In fact fossils are all over the place in the park.  The West Rim Trail in the vicinity of the junction with the Angel's Landing Trail has a variety of sea bed and mollusk fossils  Those boulders at the trail junction with the dark brown, highly textured and detailed features on their tops sides are fossils that everyone passes without realizing what they are looking at.  

My favorite trail, of course if Angel's landing.  It is a truely unique vista from the top.  But one of the most sublime walks I've experienced is the Deer Trap Mountain Trail.  Extreme seclusion, amazing vistas and cultural history all packed into one fine excursion.  The mesas above the Narrows can be accessed going cross country, via the East Rim Trail.  I experienced the greatest sense of solitude, there, that I have experienced in the lower 48.  But you really have to have your canyoning skills honed, no one is going to find you if you go missing, and that area is real dry and easy to become disoriented.  There are some more accessible, really awesome, canyoning adventures in the north part of the park, too, but you'll have to find these on your own.

Ed

You have a good eye for photography GAry. 

Boy, where did the summer go? I left Zion a couple days ago after saving $3k. I am now in Las Vegas waiting for my Greyhound ride to Flagstaff. Planning to stay all winter if I find a place by late fall in October, or I will return to Tucson for the winter, as I have for over 36 years.

I really love northern AZ. Hope the fires are okday 

We have great sunrises every day here in Minden Naional Park Nevada. 

I spent a week in Zion in 91 and loved every minute of it...an incredible place. Arrived when it was near 90 then it snowed lightly when I was leaving. 

GaryPalmer said:

Boy, where did the summer go? I left Zion a couple days ago after saving $3k. I am now in Las Vegas waiting for my Greyhound ride to Flagstaff. Planning to stay all winter if I find a place by late fall in October, or I will return to Tucson for the winter, as I have for over 36 years.

 Gary, were you working at some job there to save the 3k? We were there once and found it beautiful but super crowded but it’s hard to go wrong in southern Utah. We love canyon country. Nice images you poste.

I was washing dishes for $9 an hour and was working 90 hours every two weeks, bringing home about $600 every two weeks. In six paydays I saved $2879. Plus I also get SSi.

Just bought a new fat tire 27 speed Raleigh bike. 

Setting it up for touring now. May head to Tucson in late October.

Looks like you upgraded from the plastic bucket panniers!

Ed

The scenery was nothing that vivid, but long ago on a 2-day drive from Ft Sill OK to White Sands Missile Range NM I remember being almost as stunned driving through “Apache Country.” For someone from the green northeast it boggles the mind. Beautiful pics!

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