Zion Canyon

Today was busy day. We visited Bryce Canyon in the morning, but spent the evening in Zion Canyon. Zion Canyon is special because you do not stand at the rim and look at the beauty from above, you drive into the canyon and are able to experience each and every layer of rock up close and personal. The approach to the canyon entrance is, perhaps, the most impressive of sights. The rocks are beautiful, deep red, and textured and layered as if painted in the brush strokes of a master artist. There seems to be no particular pattern to the rocks, each layer has a personality unique to the layer above or below.









The blazing sandstone walls grew higher around us as we descended several thousand feet into the belly of the canyon.





Along the rocky crags we came upon an unexpected resident. A small group of big horn sheep were grazing on the brush growing in the crevices. The dominant male of the family took a moment to pose for this picture. Isn't he handsome.



Oh yes, and isn't this young male handsome, too?



We passed through a 1.2 mile long tunnel that was blasted from the center outward in the 1930s. It was America's longest tunnel for many years. The temperature quickly cooled and shade overtook most of the area we walked. The soil was strikingly red.



Upon closer examination we found it to be a powdery clay. The abundance of red clay pottery in this part of the country is no longer a mystery.



We took the shuttle bus from the visitor's center and intended to get off at the next stop, but our bus driver was such a wealth of information that we decided to stay on and get the full benefit of her knowledge. The views were incredible. The White Throne shone like gold in the waning sunlight.



The last stop on the shuttle tour was at the Riverside Walk along the Virgin River. It was an easy, paved walk that was so serene and lovely with lush green trees, pink quartz sand, whispering breezes, and meandering river water. As the darkness began to blanket the deep valley, we embarked on our trip back up, up, up to the rim. Despite the unimaginable size and indescribable beauty we have seen up to this point, I have to say that Zion Canyon has been the highlight for me. I placed my hands on the rocks and felt a connection to the ancientness of that place. The creativity with which the landscape here was formed, reinforces my belief that a higher power was the creator of this place. Mother Nature could not have done such a remarkable job on her own.