Observation Point in Zion National Park is one of those rare places that, no matter how amazing the vista, the journey can be even more exhilarating.  Such was the case this past week when I said farewell to my local National Park (everyone should have one).

Although it was perhaps my 10th time hiking the trail up from Weeping Rock, the winter landscape was unlike any I had experienced.  Two friends and I proceeded up the switch-backed path, past the Hidden Canyon turnoff and up through Echo Canyon, quintessential Zion.  The trail quickly became snow-covered and icy as it wound its way up the cliff-side.  Donning our Yaktrax or micro-spikes to provide additional traction on the treacherous trail, we gingerly proceeded upward.  Despite the leaden skies portending snow, it was a magical place.  I hope some of these photos convey a bit of that magic.

Echo Canyon has always been one of my favorite places in Zion.  So much so that I purchased a watercolor Suze Woolf was exhibiting at the St. George Art Museum last year.  Suze is a previous artist-in-residence in Zion National Park [http://suzewoolf-fineart.com/].  Unlike most plein air artists, she often hikes into the back country for her inspiration.  Although now in storage for my upcoming travels, I reproduce her Echo Canyon below for your enjoyment.

A final apt thought as I pack for my long-term overseas travels is courtesy of Henry Thoreau in his essay “Walking:”

If you are ready to leave father and mother, and brother and sister, and wife and child and friends, and never see them again – if you have paid your debts, and made your will, and settled all your affairs, and are a free man – then you are ready for a walk.

For better or worse, I am ready for a walk.

The Vagabond Hiker

Leaving St George on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, I headed to the Coachella Valley to escape the upcoming cold snap sweeping in from the Pacific.  I had not stayed at Gail’s place in Palm Desert for several years, but it still offers the best value in the area.  Indeed, her private casita (https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/84061) with a full kitchen, small pool and numerous pets (dogs, cats, chickens, ducks) was the first place I had stayed back in 2011 using Airbnb.  I can highly recommend it, though book early for the winter high season.

Hiking in the desert around Palm Springs is a wonderful way to de-stress after the frenzy of condensing all one’s belongings into a 5×15 foot storage unit.  I spent four days exploring some nearby canyons, hiking the Panorama Loop trail in Joshua Tree National Park, one of my favorites with its view of San Jacinto Mountain, and discovering the gem known as the Coachella Valley Preserve (https://coachellavalleypreserve.org/)

Located in the Indio Hills to the east of the busy I-10 artery, the preserve is centered on a seep from the San Andreas fault in southern California.  This seep provides a rare riparian habitat in one of the driest areas of the United States.  Several oases of California fan palms — the only palm tree native to California — provide habitat for desert-dwelling birds, mammals, and the endemic and endangered Coachella Valley fringed-toed lizard. Hiking on boardwalks through two of these oases and then up to the summit of a local hill provided a great overview of what this preserve has to offer, though numerous other trails were left unexplored for a future visit.