Zion National Park & Hurricane Peach Days

Our friends, Ed & Johnna met us in Hurricane, Utah for 

several days. We went to Zion and saw lots of bighorn sheep.

Some were curious and stopped to check us out. 

Others were just hanging out. 

We saw about 25 that day, which is the most 

we have seen the whole month.

It rained off and on the day we were there so we just took a few

short hikes. This is the view out the tunnel on the east end.

We rode the shuttle through the park until the rain stopped and

walked up to Weeping Rock. Notice the dirt filled waterfall.

This view is from the side at Weeping Rock.

The next day we played pool at the clubhouse with our

friends because of the rain. 

During Peach Days one of the many activities was the rodeo.

Now we are city folk and have only been to one rodeo before

this one. It is great to experience different lifestyles and events. 

Here the kids are participating in the Chicken Chase. We 

laughed and had so much fun watching them running 

around trying to catch the chickens. If the kids gave the 

chicken back they received a dollar. A few carried 

their chicken around for several hours. Poor chickens!

 

There were several different classes of Bull Riding, Barrel
Racing, Mutton Bustin, Steer Riding, Team Roping,
& Cash Sheep. 

This little gal who was about 4 years old walked her

horse around the barrels. Notice her legs are too short to even

reach the stirrups. Slow but very cute!

Another event we have never seen is the Cash Calf.

 They attached money to two calves and the kids 

chased them down to grab the money.

The finale was the Hide Race.  The horse and rider started at one

end of the arena with a large hide attached to a rope. 

They trotted down to the other end where they went

around a barrel and a partner jumped on the hide, 

held on for dear life while the dirt was kicking up in their 

face and raced back down to the end.

A form of entertainment we have never witnessed. 

It was a great event for the families and the community.

 Another great hike in Zion is the Canyon Overlook Trail

 which is right after the large tunnel on the east side. You can
 see Bridge Mountain, The West Temple, Alter of Sacrifice, 

The Streaked Wall, The Sentinel and Pine Creek Canyon from 

one vantage point. Notice the road with hairpin turns. That is
how you get up here. Stunning!

 It is a one mile sandy, narrow trail with

a scary wood and iron bridge that jets out and creeks!

Just like life, you never know what is around the corner. 

Bryce Canyon National Park

We are staying in Hurricane, Utah for a month so we are 

doing several day trips around southwestern Utah.

Here we go down Queen's Garden Trail at Sunrise Point.

When we were here a few years ago it started raining and 

had to turn around, so glad it is a beautiful sunny day.

It is cool to see the hoodoos from below.

This is the largest group in the world.

Queen Victoria formation. 

Two Bridges

Thors Hammer

A long way back up to Sunset Point. Then we walked the 

Rim Trail for half a mile, back to Sunrise Point
where our car was parked.

If you go to Bryce be prepared for cooler
weather because the elevation is 9,000 feet. 

Goblin Valley State Park in Utah

 Scott's daughter, Julia, highly recommended

Goblin Valley State Park. 

It is a unique area that has lots of places to hike.

This overview picture is taken from the Curtis Bench Trail.

 Goblin Valley is about a mile across and two miles long.

You can walk all around and on the "Goblins" or
mushroom shaped hoodoos.

 I don't know if it was the heat in the high 90's

but we could see a dog in this formation.

 After seeing the two skulls, we decided it might be a sign
to turn around and head back. 

 We made these reservations months ago and didn't
remember there isn't electricity!
Thankfully we had a nice shaded picnic area where
we could catch a breeze.

Our visitor doesn't look happy. Maybe it needs a manicure.

 Three sisters formation.

On Saturday they had two telescopes set up for viewing

planets, double stars, and a nebula galaxy. 

This area is a certified dark sky area and it was the
Perseid Meteor shower the weekend we were here.
 As you can see there isn't anything around for miles
and no lights. A perfect location to see "shooting stars"
or meteor showers.

We sat up two nights watching the show and 

the Milky Way was the best we have ever seen!

 It went from horizon to horizon.