Thursday, 9/23
Up at 6AM, Pacific Time. 49 degrees. We spot these handsome bucks as we're leaving the campground - showing us their better side.
We've decided to skip going out of our way to look for garnets since the place is advertised quite a bit and according to the rangers, not very productive. Instead we get back on a stretch of 50, that loneliest road and go west to reach 93 South.
Whole lot of nuthin'!
An hour or two later, we stop at a small town named Pioche. It is a small, old mining town that offers free overnight spots and showers for travelers! Too early to stop for the day, but a shower sounds pretty good, so we stop to check it out. The town has a lovely park with green ball fields, a pool, pool house, etc. A sign says that they sold some land and used the proceeds for this park. We see a groundskeeper and ask about the showers and she kindly takes us to the pool house and unlocks things for us. Such a sweet, welcoming lady!
Just a few miles farther and we come to Cathedral Gorge State Park. An otherworldly place with slot canyons that are quite different from Little Wild Horse Canyon.
The tall rock formations here remind me of the sand castles made by dripping wet sand. But the rocks are hard and the trails created by water are quite interesting.
Here's the view looking up!
Only sign of life among the rocks.
Once we came across some other people and had to back up to find a spot wide enough for us to pass each other! Another time we come to a VERY narrow rock-strewn passage with VERY tall walls, and a bit of claustrophobia sets in for Beth - had to get out of there! Don't think I've ever felt that before!
There is an old water tower and picnic area built by the CCC back in the mid 1930's. The CCC certainly employed a lot of people, as we've seen their work all over the country! And it has lasted!
We stop at Miller Point overlook and then head east on 319 at Panaca, which is a great thing since traffic continuing south (towards Las Vegas) seems backed up for a long way! We travel through more rocky terrain and then greener ranch land and cattle,
till we reach the turn to Zion's Kolob Canyon. This is the western part of the park and not as crazy busy as Zion Canyon. We get maps at the visitor's center and take a nice 5 mile drive. Canyons, hanging valleys and beautiful scenery. A beautiful day in the 70s with brilliant blue skies!
The ranger at Kolob advises that the other part of Zion is extremely busy and if we want to get a parking spot at the shuttle into the canyon, we should be at the main Visitor's Center by 6:00 in the morning. Otherwise, folks have to park in the town of Springdale and get another shuttle to the Visitor's Center shuttle! We have to go through town anyway, so we'll take a look tomorrow.
We've read about boondocking on Kolob Terrace Road, just outside the Park, by the town of Virgin. There are some nice spots in trees near water, but they all seem to be claimed. We drive on and see some gorgeous scenery before we run into the National Park land again - no boondocking on National Park land.
So we turn around and find this nice spot for the evening, back on BLM land. Temperature only drops to the mid-60's, but that is quite comfortable with no covers!
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