I am in Utah this week for a speech before the Utah Bar Association at their annual conference in St. George. As many of our readers already know, I love Utah which is a breathtakingly beautiful state. As an avid hiker, this area of Utah has some of my favorite hiking spots and I came a couple days early as an early birthday gift to myself. Today I am in Bryce Canyon where I will be hiking and climbing tomorrow.
These are pictures that I took yesterday in Red Rock Canyon, a gorgeous area of stunning red rock formations. I was surprised by the level of snow in the park but I intend to push on tomorrow with my planned hike. I tend to hike alone and enjoy the solitude of more remote trails. To be in Bryce and Zion is a truly spiritual experience.
Here are a few pictures from Red Rock:
This looks beautiful but I love that green stuff in WA state where I often hike around the numerous mountains east and west of Seattle – going to hike Mt. Washington tomorrow, east of Seattle off I-90. Whatever the state, green or otherwise, hiking is so much fun and it is such great exercise. Have fun, Prof!
Lovely place for viewing large scale geology. Not so much of all that pesty green plant stuff in the way of the rocks… 😉
I can imagine that the Bar Association could discuss the perils of denying people marriage licences based on personal animus, especially State Employees.
Utah Senate passes bill for officials to refuse marriages
http://www.localnews8.com/news/utah-senate-passes-bill-for-officials-to-refuse-marriages/31713580
i.e.
NOT just anti-gay, it’s pro Christian.
An Evangelical Christian can refuse a Muslim marriage license.
A Muslim can refuse a Christian a marriage license.
Pure animus drives their conviction…
How many Senators in Utah are licensed by the bar?
Three are so many wonderful places on Utah that picking one or a dozen is very hard. Suffice to say there is beauty around nearly every curve. And while Nevada has some very large desolate stretches, there are also gems hidden and not so hidden for those that seek.
Don’t forget Horseshoe Canyon.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Holy_Ghost_Panel,_Great_Gallery.jpg
After reading this post, I think Utah has to be my next western stop. Stunning.
Aridog – Utah is a great state to visit. I suggest holing up in St. George for a week and then going every place you want to go. Spoiler alert: On Sundays the small Utah towns are completely shut down. Gas up and get food before you take off.
Paul C … which is exactly why I mentioned them. They’re fine if you stay out of their way….e.g., get off their trail. Another reason for occasionally getting off a back country worn trail…cougars. They’re cats…if it is moving it is food in their minds….and just like human hunters, they watch “trails” carefully and you won’t see them usually. I’ve back tracked few times to find very fresh pug marks on the trail I’d just walked down….that was usually in Mill Creek Gorge (the one near Pray MT…there are two gorges with that name in MT) in Montana…perfect cougar country. Griz is usually there too…but they at least make noises you can hear and act accordingly…e.g., go the other way. My next move was usually to set off nearly 90 degrees away from the trail I was strolling along on…frequently uncomfortable, but generally safer. I always carry a compass and seldom get lost for very long even in rocky terrains where “direction” isn’t a given. Wolves may follow you, curious beasts that they are, but I’ve never had any approach me like food…and I’ve been within a couple feet of wild ones. If I happen to come across some fool’s garbage pile or dump…I get away from it as fast as I can….garbage changes everything in the wilderness.
Ken rogers … yeah, vis a vis the Nickelback tapes…better yet, take no ear bud device with you at all…they make you miss so much of the the sights and sounds around you. In my hikes through Colorado and Montana I’d have missed over half the wildlife, from birds to Griz, around me if distracted by some music in my ears. Then, that is said by some one who never turns on the radio or disc player in his truck either (other than when parked)…I want to hear what is around me, as well as see it and otherwise feel it. Ideally not from a rear ender or a side swiping, etc. … I’ve hit nothing myself in well over 30 years or more, but I’ve dodged a few loons because I could hear them coming.
PS: If hiking on a back country “trail” and you detect a critter that might be dangerous to you, even if just a moose…Get. Off. The. Trail. It is their trail, not yours. 🙂
Aridog – just as a sidenote, moose are not near as friendly as they look. 😉
A great hot springs, Pah Tempe, in the canyon on the Virgin River just past the bridge that leads to Hurricane. Ten minutes from St. George.
If you have time, drive to Cedar. It is spectacular with snow. Was there in late May one time and it still had snow. Bryce and Zion are beautiful, as are Arches and Monument Valley. Moab is incredible for four-wheeling.
Enjoy!!!
Looks lovely. Certainly something to look forward to within the warmth of summer.
One of my favorite places to hike, Professor Turley. The Arches National Park is pretty amazing, too.
So happy to see you enjoying the beautiful territory Utah has to offer, Jonathan. Since husband Larry retired last year, we split our time between Nevada and Utah. When I paint outdoors, Utah is the preferred landscape and we never tire of the beautiful red rocks, snow-covered peaks and wide, fantastic skies. Enjoy every minute, you deserve it!
Beautiful
Professor Turley, the latest issue of Arizona Vacations Magazine, which I publish, is all about Sedona, Arizona. It is filled with photos of the famous Red Rocks there, and has an entire article on Winter in Sedona with photos taken after the snow storms there in January. I think you would enjoy it, and you can read it online or download a copy for free at: https://www.arizonavacationsmagazine.com/Preview-Issue.htm
Sedona isn’t too far from the part of Utah you are visiting. If not now, you may want to consider vacationing in beautiful Arizona, soon.
Beautiful pictures, Professor. I can see why you love to hike there.
Just leave your Nickelback tapes at home. 🙂
Enjoy the hike.
Great photos. I’ve driven that very road a couple times. I have been to the canyons ~5 times. But, this past January when I stopped on my trip west, there was freshly fallen snow. It made it an entirely different experience. With these canyons, it’s about the light. The sunlight changes the view dramatically. That’s why the Southern Utah canyons are a photographers dream.