Spring Break Trip Report: Day 7,8 and 9

Finally…a report on the last three days of the trip.

Day 7: Rest Day in Saint George

We stayed in a hotel were we showered and generally relaxed which is always weird for me to do after camping out in the desert for a week. We woke up and got to work studying and working at the “world’s greatest library” and then hung out for a bit in the park watching MOM T.V. (literally watching moms with their kids). It is one of the better reality shows I have seen and should get better ratings. We may have been the only ones watching the show though. Big cast…I don’t know how they pay them all in these tough times…har har.

Time to get up, Shiloh!

Later that day Susan went back to studying and I jumped in the car to go find a trail for a run. My original idea was to escape the heat in St. George and gain some elevation near Pine Valley, a tiny, cute little mountain town about 45 minutes northwest. The trails near Pine Valley were still holding a bit of snow so I opted for a trail I spied closer to St. George, located a little above Snow Canyon State Park. (a really scenic sandstone canyon similar to Red Rocks by Las Vegas).

I ran for about an hour on the Whiterocks Trail and the Lava Flow Overlook Trail. The views were great and the trail was a bit sandy but still wonderful to run on.

Here are some photos of Snow Canyon I took during the run.

When I got back to town I met Susan for some Mexican food and some ice cream…oh boy…I ate way to much food and bubble gum ice cream!

We then drove back to the Black and Tan wall to sleep.

Day 8: Black and Tan and Kelly’s Wall

This was a fun day of climbing! We started at Kelly’s Wall and after warming up Susan sent her 5.11b project from a couple days ago! She did it first try of the day and crushed. I was excited for her because this route was one of the hardest she has ever led. Great job!

Susan above the crux roof on her send.

Later, we went over to the Black and Tan wall to finish the day. I got on a route I had tried briefly many years ago that is 5.13a/b and is on the farthest left side of the cave at Black and Tan. I did much better on it this time and had a really good time on it. Didn’t send it but feel good for maybe ticking it on a future trip.

Susan continued her great day with a second try send of a 5.11 on the right side of the cave. This was her day!

We climbed a few more routes and then called it a day.

This is what Shiloh sees when begging from us at the crag.

That night we drove back up to Lime Kiln Canyon hoping to get one more day of climbing in before going home.

Oh yeah…we ran into an old friend of mine, Bobby Rosatti, at the Black and Tan wall. It was great catching up with him as he lives far away in Montana these days.


Day 9: Zion and Polygamists

The forcast was for high winds and rain and they were correct. There were crazy strong winds all night and into the morning. We didn’t have to weigh the options long before we decided to bail on climbing our last day on the trip and go to Zion to sight see on the way back to Flagstaff.

Here are a few shots we took while visiting Zion.

It would rain... Then it would shine.

Zion Emerald Pools upper waterfall

More Emerald Pools upper waterfall

Again, Emerald Pools upper waterfall

Zion was spectacular as always with the highlight being some crazy rain and hail and a polygamist family that was hiking at all the same areas as we were.

After just finishing the last tape of “Under the Banner of Heaven,” this was one of the more thought provoking days I have had in a while. Susan and I couldn’t stop staring and commenting on how we saw the family act and dress (we were not the only ones, just about every person they walked past stared at them like they were aliens from Mars). The father and all the boys dressed the same in their nicest blue jeans, country style button up dress shirts and vests and the wives and girls were all dressed in the exact same plain light blue dresses that went to their ankles and had their hair done with braids. They looked like they were going to church back in the late 1800’s.

Observing that family brought up quite a lively and thoughtful discussion that included women’s rights, pedifiles, general human compassion, government, human rights groups, republicans, universal health care and many other topics.

I couldn't help but feel sorry for the women who have probably never had a chance to have the freedom to make their own decisions about their lives. They were going to spend their whole lives doing exactly what their God and their husband told them to do. I felt really confused and didn’t know how I should react to what I had witnessed.

I believe that everyone should be able to do what ever they want as long as it doesn’t hurt others. Someone would have a hard time convincing me with the display I witnessed at Zion and what I learned in “Under the Banner of Heaven” that Morman Polygamists fit that description. I’m just not sure what to do about it though…

After hiking in Zion we went past the north rim of The Grand Canyon in a blizzard (isn’t winter over yet?), past Lee’s Ferry (started by Mormons...I know so much more southwest history now) and back to Flagstaff.

Rough travel just north of Grand Canyon.