Sunday, November 17, 2013

Another Week Passes

 

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Hard to believe our month at Zion River Resort has reached the halfway point. Mark and Bobbie and Boonie have been keeping us busy with all the hiking and biking we want, and yesterday we had the pleasure to meet another fulltime couple, John and Susan (from RVino blog). They’re boondocked about a mile from Boonie in a beautiful BLM area just a few miles from us. They are avid hikers and are planning to join us on some adventures this week.

Here’s Jim relaxing in a rock armchair we discovered on our walk yesterday. Mark wants to come back and get it for a yard ornament.

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Wednesday night the RV park had a “Welcome Snowbirds” pizza party consisting of appetizers, salads, pasta, and various pizzas along with wine. A nice gesture! And as much as we enjoy boondocking, it’s been a luxurious two weeks not having to search for trash, water, dump, laundromat, etc. Been getting lots of use out of the microwave and crock pot, and we really like taking long showers for a change. And Sophie loves walking along the river behind our site. Now if we just had about a half mile between neighboring sites this would be perfect!

On Friday Jim, Debbie and I took a drive into Zion National Park for a hike on the Emerald Pools and Riverside trails. We’ve camped in Zion twice before, both times in the spring when the shuttle buses were running and cars were not allowed to drive into the canyon. During November the buses only run on Saturday and Sunday, so this was our first time driving in. We were afraid it might be really crowded but were pleasantly surprised.

Interesting Swiss RV in the Emerald Pools parking lot.

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Virgin River from the trail bridge.

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Although there wasn’t nearly as much water in the river, pools and falls as in our previous visits in April and May, it’s still a beautiful hike.

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The upper pool had the most water, and it was a great place for some reflection shots.

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We got to talking to a young couple and Jim jokingly asked it they would go stand by this giant boulder across the pool so he could get some perspective in the photo. They said they would if we emailed them the photos, so we agreed and they scrambled on over. They have five kids, so we were hoping they didn’t injure themselves getting there and back!

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The Riverside trail is a mile long paved trail along the Virgin River that takes you to the start of the famous Zion Narrows hike.

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 We were considering trying to hike in the Narrows but wanted to see what the river looked like. You have to rent boots, neoprene socks and dry pants if you want to be comfortable at this time of year. We talked to this father and son as they were coming out from their hike. They said it was fun but just didn’t sound all that enthused, having spent $50 each to rent the gear. I think we’ll pass this time and just stick to hiking on dry land.

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8 comments:

  1. Great photo's. We hope to spend more time at Zion.

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  2. I'm thoroughly enjoying your blog posts in the Zion area. I've never been to southern Utah in the fall and think I'll have to put that on the schedule. Thanks for all the info on the various hikes. Looking forward to seeing more.

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  3. I had no idea those boulders were so large until you persuaded that young couple to stand next to one.

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  4. What a cool armchair.

    The photos of the upper pool are gorgeous. Another wonderful day of enjoying the good life.

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  5. Love the rock arm chair! It would make a wonderful lawn ornament!

    Gorgeous photos from the Emerald Pools! I got some nice reflection photos in March when we were there. It is a wonderful place when there aren't a lot of people, isn't it!

    I so wanted to hike the Narrows but it was still closed in early March because of the swift water and freezing temps. Later, it was way too crowded. Oh, well!

    Your photos are beautiful and so clear. Thanks for the memories:)

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  6. jim gayle. did you get more pics of the swiss rv. please post if so.

    thank you billy

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  7. Hello Jim and Gayle, My name is Leila Hurst and my husband Phillip and I are the "brave" young couple that so courageously ;-) scrambled over to pose for your picture. I want to thank you for sending us those pictures and I also want to tell you how much I enjoyed looking through your blog, especially since I got to get a taste of Jim's hilarious personality while at the Emerald Pools. Although, I will say I got quite a surprise when I scrolled down and was greeted with the back side of a naked man. Later that afternoon I just started laughing and laughing. I really enjoyed seeing that you two came down to AZ. Phil and I are from Mesa and we would have loved to join you on your hike in the Superstitions, maybe next time :-) I plan to keep up with where you two are at. Thanks for sharing all of those beautiful pictures and adventures and I am glad to hear that Jim is in good health, that had me worried for a few minutes!
    Thanks again and I hope you have a fantastic week. We are headed back up to Zion and Bryce Canyon next week...with our 5 kids! (Oh heavens help us!)
    Sincerely, your guinea pigs, Phil and Leila
    philandleila@gmail.com

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