I've been hiking in Zion National Park in Utah! It's only a 40-minute drive from our campsite to get to the park, so we went yesterday and today. The part of the park we went to is called Kolob Canyon. It's not desert there, it's a pine-scented forest! I've been treated to some really amazing views!
Hiking has been harder for me here due to the elevation. At just over 6,000 feet there's not quite as much air available as I'm used to, and the rugged, steep terrain compounds the situation. I feel like I'm really getting a workout!
Photo Captions:
1) Kolob Canyon is a scenic 5-mile drive. There are several trailheads along the way with limited parking. We had to hike to get to the hike in some spots because we didn't get a convenient parking spot.
2 & 3) You get some great views without even getting out of the car.
4) Time to go for a hike!
5) Zion rocks!
6) You can really feel the altitude here once you start hiking up the steep mountains.
7) Juniper Hairstreak (Callophrys gryneus) on Ragwort (Senecio integerrimus).
8) The best part of hiking is turning a corner and seeing something like this. Zion doesn't disappoint.
9) Pale Stickseed (Hackelia patens)
10 - 12) More of Zion's vistas.
13) Purple Spring Parsley (Cymopterus Purpureus)
14) Every part of death camas (Toxicoscordion venenosum) is extremely toxic, to people and livestock. It's even poison to all but one insect, a mining bee (Andrena astragali) which is its only pollinator.
15) This guy was rock climbing in the park. It's a sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus graciosus).
