10-11-08 Saturday (The Rocks of Baklava)

We went to Utah today to see Zion National Park. On the way we stopped off at Moqui cave. It was OK, nothing spectacular. Once we arrived to Zion we chit-chatted with the Ranger at the guard gate. Ranger Helen. She was very nice. Jim handed her our card. Maybe Ranger Helen will read the blog. Hi Ranger Helen!

It started snowing pretty heavily at times but it blew around the ground more than it stuck. I have several photos and videos of the snow.

Jim and I pondered the birth of the awesome rock formations. At one point, I asked "why, were you there?" He replied, "No, but Carl was and I asked him." Very quick of Jim, but Carl wasn't there to counter. Some of the formations looked like flaky dough layers.




Some time ago, Zion stopped allowing vehicles into its heart due to congestion and pollution. Apparently, the number of visitors has grown. To battle the problem, they keep shuttles moving in 7-8 minute increments.

At lunch time, we got off at a shuttle stop to the Zion Lodge. The restaurant was closed (probably until dinner) but they had a fast foodish type counter with no where to sit. They had outdoor seating. It was under 30 degrees, no thank you. We decided to wait until we left Zion.

Around 4:30 pm, we left the park and stopped for a late dinner. "Zion Mountain Ranch" had an awesome view of buffalo, horses and snow falling but was pricey. I think we had the dinner menu. We settled on quesadillas and chicken fingers instead of the $25 meals they offered. I think we should have reviewed the menu prior to sitting. Well, what we had was tasty, hit the spot, and again the views were great. I also had hot chocolate. Yum.

On the drive home, it was snowing heavily in some areas. When we reached the campground (about 1.5 hours from Zion), the area was lightly covered in snow. Our patio was snow covered. It's awesome, but at 24 degrees, damn cold.

Further temperature complications have developed. Jim has found that there is no water coming out of the campground spicket. It's probably frozen. We have some water in our tank but I'm not sure if it will be sufficient for dishes and showers. Awwwww crap! After about an hour Jim managed to thaw things out with a space heater and hot water. Now we can fill our reserve tank.

Here's 4 videos: