Autumn colors

early September off-roading in Dixie National Forest in beautiful Southwestern Utah.  What glorious Autumn colors!

This post is for SkyWatch Friday hosted by Yogi.  Come join this awesome meme and meet folks from all over the globe.


photo by me © 2016   all rights reserved

narrow

somewhere in Utah...

 in a slot canyon looking up

A stream runs through it.  

 

Yes, we did climb up here. (But this is not us.)  a short, but tricky ascent.  We are wearing hiking sandals and the water is oh so cold!


 

Here we are, the four of us.  (I'm on the right.)

beautiful Kanarra Creek just before arriving at the slot canyon

NOTE:  Kanarra Creek runs through a beautiful canyon west of the northern part of Zion National Park.

LINKS:
hike details and a couple photos 
information with links to photos and a topo map

Alphabe-Thursday, hosted by Ms Jenny, is so much fun!  This week our letter is "N."  Come visit others' submissions HERE and join in the fun!
 


photos by me © 2010

Ten Ts

twigs

tie dye

I dyed the outfit.  My daughter photographed this sweet little baby.

tree

along the trail to the hoodoos in Fairmont Springs near Kootenay

trail to top of hoodoos

view of hoodoos from below 

Hoodoos are tall, thin, spires of rock with variable thicknesses, having a "totem pole" shape.  They consist of soft stone topped by harder rock that erodes much more slowly.


tasty

chocolate covered cherry mice



top down

somewhere along the coast of Oregon


another trail

in Utah 

topography

We stayed with friends in Hurricane.   a topographical map for planning a mountain biking trip.  Notice that the gorgeous Zion National Park is nearby.



two 

 Oliver and Earnest

I'm linking up with my favorite teacher, Ms Jenny Matlock, as we work our way through the alphabet.  Please do go visit the other students, for you never know what gems you may find--humor, poignancy, information, visions of far away places, stuff you've never even dreamed of!  Check it out HERE.  You may even wish to join in yourself!  This week our letter is "T." 

photos by me © 2005 - 2012 all rights reserved

U

UMBRELLA

UNDER

UNEQUALED CUTENESS

 
UNRIPE

UNDERTOW

UTAH

UPROOTED

In the above exercise I have explored some of the uniqueness of the ubiquitous letter U.  I hope Ms Jenny will not consider my work unnecessary and unusual or even unfinished, but will grant me a useful grade.  

Ms Jenny is a teacher of unparallelled good grace.  You will want to see the completed homework assignments of the other students.  This week we studied the letter "U."  Hurry HERE.

photos by me © 2005-2012    all rights reserved

Greens

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utaha.trail.in Bryce Canyon--see the person?

somewhere in Utah.  I love the layers of various green colors in this landscape.

on our way to Zion National Park, Utah

entering Zion National Park.  Notice the red road.

Zion National Park--Emerald Pool

Zion National Park

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, North Rim.  A storm is coming up.

These are a few of my favorite photos from a trip to Utah in the late Summer of 2010.  I love the colors in all of them.  Some landscapes show stark vibrant contrasts--azure blue sky, sandy orange-red rock, vibrant forest green foliage, perhaps even a puffy white cloud.  Others have muted shades and layering of colors.

LINKS:

Bryce Canyon National Park

Zion National Park

Grand Canyon National Park

Alphabe-Thursday is a favorite meme! Come and join in the fun! You will be charmed and perhaps even enlightened! See more entries HERE. This week our letter is "G."

I'm also participating in SkyWatch Friday, another fun meme with lovely photographs from all over the world! SkyWatch Friday is hosted by Wren, fishing guy, Sylvia, Klaus, and Sandy.

photos by me © 2010 

goodbye, old year

somewhere in Utah

For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.
And to make an end is to make a beginning.
~T.S. Eliot, "Little Gidding"

 Why won't they let a year die without bringing in a new one on the instant, can't they use birth control on time?  I want an interregnum.  The stupid years patter on with unrelenting feet, never stopping.... 
~John Dos Passos, 1917

photo by me © 2010

Angels Landing

Angels Landing is a towering 5785 foot monolith gracing Zion National Park in Southern Utah.  The hike, with an 1488 foot elevation gain, up this narrow fin is one of the most thrilling in the National Park system.  

The trail up to Angels Landing starts at The Grotto.  Farther along, the trail begins to get steep.

The trail up this exposed ridge is steep and narrow with long drop offs sometimes on both sides.  The views, however, are spectacular!

looking back.  still near the beginning.

Looking up, there is spectacular beauty!

After hiking through Refrigerator Canyon, we begin the portion of the trail called Walter's Wiggles, a series of 21 tight switchbacks going straight up.  (Check out the links below to see photos.  One is starred.  Look quickly to see what this really looks like.)

looking up at the last few switchbacks of Walter's Wiggles  

(To get a sense of what this is really like, check out the links below!)

After making it to this point, we come to Scout's Lookout, a large flat area with restrooms.  Many people stop at this point because the next section is scary as you will see.  Here we stop to eat our sandwiches. 

Next up:  the chains!  The last half mile is across a narrow ridge with drop offs on either side.  Along most of this section, chains are anchored into the rock.

Don't look down!

There is a section about a quarter mile long of scrambling up rocks, holding on to the chain.  We made it!  The end of the hike!  NOT!  Look ahead and above--there's the last quarter mile!  up that fin!  (You can see part of this trail under the pine branch.)
Disclosure:  I stop at this point and take photos of the brave souls continuing on.  That would include my husband and our friend Pam.

See the narrowness and drop offs on either side?!

coming back down from the very top.

Actually, coming down was much easier and less scary than going up.  If I had known that, I may have continued on at least for a bit.

On our way back down now.

 

the end of the trail--the bridge over the Virgin River

LINKS:
Zion National Park Angel's Landing information

National Park Service virtual hike

Joe's Guide to the hike complete with topo map 

great trail photos --see Walter's Wiggles 2nd row 3rd from left

*great photo of Walter's Wiggles-- a must see!

another Zion POST with some links

good trail information

Walter's Wiggles were named after Walter Ruesch, the first superintendent of Zion National Park.  He oversaw the construction of the West Rim Trail as well as the trail up Angels Landing.  He wanted a trail that was functional yet melded into the landscape.

I'm so happy Ms Jenny has decided to do another round of Alphabe-Thursday! This is such a fun meme!  Thank you, Ms Jenny!  Come and join in the fun!  You will be charmed and even enlightened in a delightful way!  See more entries HERE. This week we are at the beginning of the alphabet with the letter "A."

I'm also participating in SkyWatch Friday, another fun meme with lovely photographs from all over the world!  SkyWatch Friday is hosted by Wren, fishing guy, Sylvia, Klaus, and Sandy.

photos by me © 2010