Day two: heading to southern Utah

Enjoying the geology at the top of the ski lift above
Alta, Utah

One needs more time in Salt Lake City, but this is sometimes a challenge to the mind.  Good breakfast, lots of pre- and post-planning for the trip south to Zion, tension over how to accomplish all, and plotting, packing, leaving, shopping and driving.  Toll taken and we begin the long drive.

Patrick in Zion, with his new cowboy hat

High mountains to the east, still wedged with high snow patches, to the west and more muted, lower still ridges and peaks.  The countryside is rugged and not east coast looking.  Traversing the state is both long and at time tedious, but always changing and relieving much for a geologist to think about. There is much to be gained and imagined when thinking about the shapes and colors of the terrain.  It is invigorating.

After about 5 hours we leave I15 the big stretch between heaven and hell, which depending on your perspective includes just two big cities: Las Vegas and SLC.  On the march, beyond the halfway point we pass by Mount Baldy in the Tarsham Mts.  The starkness and majesty is a bold statement of what we can expect.  Taking the turn eastward towards Virgin, Rockville, and Springvale gets us immediately into the scrubbed sandstones that is Zion. 

Our house of the week just outside of Zion National Park

Soon we have the Virgin River on our right and we pass through the small, comfortable, but struggling towns of Virgin and Rockville to find the old iron bridge over the river.  It is early evening and finally the earth is cooling down; the three degree temperature drop makes 100 a distant memory.  We find our palace and indeed it is.
Leaving the humidity of the east coast was strikingly obvious.  Outside walls hung live lizards defying gravity and time, while knowing that they end up catching their food.  Moving in brings lots of pleasures and unknowns of a new kitchen and surroundings.  We should have brought sharp knives, yup, they have lots of oil, and oh, did we bring a corkscrew and popcorn?

view out the dinning room window of our house, looking at Mount Kinesava

Bedrooms explored, the hammock, the view and more; we are happy here.  Patrick slips away and then returns to strike a super pose with his newly acquired black cowboy hat and long-horn silver belt buckle.  Hands on hip and smiling much more like a cowboy singer than a ranch hand, he is pleased with the SLC purchases for his month-previous birthday gift.

A black chinned hummingbird at the house feeder

Watching sunset out one window, and highly active hummingbirds out another was the best setting to enjoy yellow fin tuna draped in wasibi cream, joined by garlic-grilled asparagus and panned fried potatoes.  Oh yes, there was a nice Marlborough Bay, Sav Blanc to rinse away the dust, too.  Day two provided more rewards.