April 19

As the great basketball coach and commentator Dick Vitale often says, “Awesome Baby!” That is how I describe the 5-mile roundtrip hike of Taylor Creek in Zion National Park. This trail is in the northern Kolob Canyon section, not the much more heavily trafficked southern section with the Virgin River, Angels Landing, and the 1.1-mile long tunnel road. I-15 provides a quick trip from Vegas to the Kolob Canyon turnoff, the location of the Kolob Canyon VC. And when I say quick, I mean with 80 mph speed. Interstates in Utah are 80 mph, when away from urban centers like Salt Lake City. But there was one section of I-15 which should not be taken at 80 mph, and that is the nine-mile stretch between Desert Springs, AZ to almost the state line with Utah. The scenery was breathtaking, the interstate cutting between high arching canyon walls. That scenery was then matched by Taylor Creek. The first mile of the hike seemed more like a forest walk than a mountain hike. But one could easily see the approaching 2,000-foot tall canyon walls. Once sandwiched between those sides, the adrenaline increased. The trail ends at Double Arch Alcove. This gigantic feature faces north, so there was plenty of packed snow spread out around its base. By August it should be gone. There is one arch stacked on top of another. Well, for now they are not what we consider to be true arches, but in a million years or so they might look more like all those photos in National Geographic, being able to see between two ends of rock. About 30 hikers crossed paths with me, which was less than the 50 creek crossings I had to make. The trail follows Taylor Creek, and to make things interesting the NPS decided not to have the trail stay on one side of the water. You will get wet… just depends on how well you can find various stones which will minimize the wetness level. Probably by July one can stay completely dry, after the snow melt has made its way to the Virgin River. The ruins of two log cabins from the 1930s are along the path. Their appearance easily makes me appreciate my non-log house.

One comment about Vegas and the view along most of I-15 this morning. The amount of haze was horrendous. If I did not know better, I would say man’s eyes can only see a single wavelength in the visible spectrum; a dull grey. We continue to hear how particulate from California keeps getting pushed eastward, impacting the Grand Canyon and other scenic areas. It was on display this morning.