July 24th Zion Canyon National Park

  


Monday, July 24, 2006
Day 29
Zion Canyon National Park

Utah weather is WEIRD. Today started off nice enough, in the upper seventies by the time we left for Zion. In Zion canyon it was extremely hot, and by the time we left there it was about 109 degrees. Most of the 59 mile drive back it was 108 degrees, according to the car thermometer. We could see dark clouds in the (not so far) distance, and we drove right into the storm. It was wild because you could really see exactly where the rain was falling and where it was not falling. Once we hit that rain it cooled from 108 to 70 in about five minutes. Then over the next 10 minutes it cooled some more to about 63 degrees! Unbelievable! And then there was the incredible lightning. This is not like the lightning we see at home, because you can SEE it, the whole thing from top to bottom. And it hurts your eyes! You can see triple strikes and square weird looking ones. We didn’t really hear any thunder, even though we were really in the midst of the storm.

Tonight it is the same thing. I am sitting outside at the picnic table and there is a storm moving in. The sunset just happened and it was a bright salmon color, and so is the lightning. No thunder, just lightning. And the wind is picking up. All that daytime heat causes these convectional storms. Anyway, let me tell you about Zion.

I did not care for Zion National Park, but I think the heat today affected my brain. I am no good in temperatures higher than my own body temperature, I think. At Zion you are down at the bottom of the canyon and it is supposed to be a “holy” place of refuge, at least the Mormons who “discovered” it thought so, but to me it was hotter than Hades and I did not enjoy it. The cliffs are beautiful, but you are crammed into a tour shuttle that is NOT air-conditioned and it’s just hot. For those of you at home who are thinking of a bunch of sweaty people all stinky and stuff, it isn’t like that, because it is DRY here and your sweat just evaporates. But the heat just makes me tired and thirsty and it gave me a stomach ache. I really seemed to be the only one complaining. Other people around me just looked a little hot. I couldn’t wait to leave. Forget hiking! We saw the whole park briefly, without hikes. Got out of the bus at a couple of stops to look up and see the canyon walls, did the Junior Ranger program, and tried not to die of heat exhaustion.

I also just wasn’t into the whole Biblical thing and couldn’t really see why certain rocks were called Jacob, Isaac and Abraham. One was the Great White Throne (God’s throne), and one was Angel’s peak. Didn’t quite sit right with me. Oh well, it was beautiful, and we enjoyed the drive there and back. If you are planning to go to Zion, try to do it on a less than 100 degree day! I didn’t even enjoy the Ranger program at this park because it was about the names in the park. I wanted the science, either animal life, plant life, or geology. Oh well, now you all think I’m a complainer. Can’t love ‘em all!

Now it is raining so I must return inside the air conditioned trailer. Man Rodney loves the cold! I’d just as soon open the windows. OK, lets see what else I can moan about…LOL.
OK, so tomorrow we’re off to The Grand Canyon, and hopefully we won’t die of heat exhaustion there, or at least me. Overall, Cedar City is a great city and this KOA is very nice. Bryce was AWESOME, and Zion is beautiful, just not on a 108 degree day, at least for me.

My next blog may not appear for a while, because I am sure we won’t have any access at the Grand Canyon (North Rim). So, read up and leave comments and I’ll be in touch soon!