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View Full Version : pre SHOT trip to Zion's National Park



chadbag
01-17-10, 21:17
We left for the SHOT Show Saturday and are staying a couple of days in St George Utah. The family and my folks are with me. Today we spent a few hours at Zion's National Park. Here are some shots I took with my iPhone.

We drove up to the end of the road that goes along the Virgin river (not the through road). We parked and walked up the trail -- a mile -- along the river to where it starts to get really narrow.

Along the way we ran into these guys. Obviously on govt welfare (they live in a national park ;) ) they did not seem to care about us as we stood about 15 ft away and watched them and talk about them

http://www.shire.net/chadphotos/zions/IMG_0901.jpg


Along the way we saw a spring with water coming out and flowing into the river. It was not obviously water running down the walls of the canyon and then going into the river. This water was on one side of the trail and the other (up canyon side) was not wet at all. Even in Jan (and there was ice and snow remnants on the ground) you get green growing aquatic plants in a desert.

http://www.shire.net/chadphotos/zions/IMG_0902.jpg

Some more shots as we walked up the trail.

http://www.shire.net/chadphotos/zions/IMG_0905.jpg

Water from melting snow runs down the canyon walls...

http://www.shire.net/chadphotos/zions/IMG_0906.jpg

We got to the end of the trail where it starts to get narrow and the sheer walls go down into the river. This is standing on the rocks right past the end of the trail looking up the river.

http://www.shire.net/chadphotos/zions/IMG_0912.jpg

This is looking the same direction but looking at about a 30-40 deg angle up

http://www.shire.net/chadphotos/zions/IMG_0913.jpg

Standing at the same location facing 180 deg off from the last two, ie, looking back down the river

http://www.shire.net/chadphotos/zions/IMG_0915.jpg

EDIT: I think this was actually walking back down shot from the parking lot at the end where we parked to walk up to the narrows, not weeping rock.

http://www.shire.net/chadphotos/zions/IMG_0916.jpg

As we drove back down we stopped at a place called Weeping Rock or Weeping something or other...

Here we are looking down standing at the weeping rock under the overhang. The first shop is lookup at the skyline and the next shot is focusing the camera on the rock instead so it self adjusted the light

http://www.shire.net/chadphotos/zions/IMG_0917.jpg

http://www.shire.net/chadphotos/zions/IMG_0918.jpg

Zions was a fun few hours to visit. I had not been here since I was a kid. Really quite amazing to look at.

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We are staying in St George these couple of days at the Worldmark by Wyndham resort in the Presidential suite -- the place has more square feet than my house I think. Totally cool place. Personal jacuzzi, two master bedrooms with jetted tubs, 3rd bedroom and a total of 4 bathrooms, very large kitchen and family room with flat screen TV, etc. Too bad we have to leave for Vegas in the morning... I could get used to staying here. (We have a nice reservation at the Worldmark Las Vegas Ave in a 2 bedroom penthouse suite but it won't be like this...)

LockenLoad
01-17-10, 21:26
great park, I was there 5 years ago, hiked up the 3 falls trail, thx for the picture

chadbag
01-17-10, 21:29
We were only there a couple hours. We have an almost 2 year old and almost 7 year old... Luckily my folks were with us and they have these lifetime get-in-the-national-parks free cards (for seniors) they purchased so we put grandpa in one car and grandma in the other car and did not have to pay to get in so even a short trip was very well worth it.

LockenLoad
01-17-10, 21:36
yea I bought a 1 year pass when I drove out west for 50.00, got me in all the national parks

bradb55
01-17-10, 21:48
Check out Redrock Canyon too. Its awesome. Its just outside of Vegas. Have some fun and stay safe.

Iraqgunz
01-17-10, 22:23
Definitely on my list of parks to visit.

woodandsteel
01-17-10, 23:33
I can't wait until my daughters are a little older. The wife and I would love to take them out West to the National Parks like Zion or Yellowstone. Right now they would be too young to appreciate it.

The NatGeo channel had a show on the National Parks the other day. My older two girls were riveted to the television.