Four Seasons Wrapped Up In One Month

 

If you’d like to get a taste of all that Mother Nature has to offer, southern Utah is definitely the place to be during the month of November. We’ve experienced temperatures ranging from the low 80s to the upper 20s, skies ranging from cobalt blue to SAD-inducing gray, and precipitation ranging from drizzle to sleet and even snow. Yes, lots of snow!

And we didn’t even have to drive too far to experience it, just a handful of miles up Kolob Terrace Road into Zion National Park. It was a winter wonderland, nice to experience from the cozy warm confines of Mark and Bobbie’s Subaru.

Too much car sitting left Bobbie and me restless for a hike, but when we stopped at a trailhead the blowing snow and 28 degree temperature didn’t make it all that inviting. And of course Mark was wearing shorts! So we descended the road until the snow turned to drizzle and hiked down the muddy trail that leads to the Subway, a popular Zion hike that requires a permit. We turned around just before the trail started its steep descent into the canyon.

You’d think a guy who lives in Ouray, CO, where it rarely gets above 70, would have sense enough to put pants on!

Honestly, hiking in the rain isn’t so bad. The previous day we drove into Zion Canyon and hiked up the trail to Observation Point about a mile and a half into Echo Canyon. Water on the rocks makes the colors more vivid, and we couldn’t help stopping frequently to take pictures even though we were cold and wet. And there were a surprising number of others out there with us.

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Sadly Mark and Bobbie are leaving us today. John and Susan headed out a couple days ago with the help of a tow truck, and wise Boonie departed before the rain turned their lovely boondock into a mud hole. We will miss our hiking and biking buddies. It’s been a great month so far and we’re already thinking about coming back here next year. We think it might be wise to arrive in mid October, though, and boondock in one of the many nearby spots we’ve found on the surrounding BLM land. All are welcome to consider joining us. This area has much to offer and there are so many places to explore in and out of Zion National Park.

Our weather forecast is looking great for this coming week, so we hope to get in a few more hikes and bike rides before we leave. That is in between boxing up bikes and partaking in the RV park’s Thanksgiving potluck, of course.