Impressions

As you may see we were using our ski sticks for support in the water as well as gaining more speed on the even path.

Squirrels are spread out all over that path. They are not afraid of people and some are pretty fat. Which leads to a thought that maybe not all visitors sustain from feeding them which is forbidden…

Here is the beginning of the trail in the water. Yes, very crowded even on a regular weekday. I guess main reasons being school holidays and kids like water. But nevertheless there was enough space for everyone. No accidents, peaceful strolling up and down the river, with some kids swimming in deeper places. We tried to find shallow passages so that our butts don’t get wet, though the water wasn’t cold at all.

This is a very popular place for taking pictures - the stream rolling down the slope is very cute and refreshing. Sometimes you can even see the canyoneering people landing down the stream in zigzags while attached to ropes. This is also the place where the barefooted hikers finish their hike into the canyon.

But on that particular day the crowds proceeded further. And it was beautiful, but not as beautiful as getting far more deeper into the narrows of the canyon as you will see.

As seen in the pictures the sun was especially bright, which is usual here, but because it was July, not September, there was practically very little shade, it was beating us or caressing us (depending on perception), and a hot wind was blowing all through the canyon. So at that point I gave up, as never before, my body refused to walk further…way too hot even in the water. Thanks God my husband proceeded and he took those beautiful pictures of the narrows:

Isn’t it like in a fairy tale? And yes, there are no crowds any more, only the strongest can get a glimpse of the best views -fair like in fairy tales…

The view on the way back:

My sole advice for travelers in summer - try to start you day as early as you can. There is some though very little morning coolness, freshness. Try to capture and use it.

The end.

We did this trail on May 6th, 2008. The beginning of May was very slow with guests at our B&B, so we used one of the days off. It took the whole day. To drive to Big Water from us, Zion NP, is more than 3 h. Then we parked the car at the end of a dirt road which lead deeper from Big Water and ended by a very wide and almost dry river. The hard duty cars, I guess, could drive further. But we proceeded to a 9 mile walk. At first it was confusing - the mountain lines were wide apart and two almost dry rivers were meeting somewhere here. We took the road which lead to one of the streams and towards the mountains first, but after meeting very disappointed Austrians, who were confused about the map BLM gave them and after having wondered for a couple of hours in vain -we decided to cross the desert towards the previously seen wide river bed and follow it.

Though it looked attractive and led mysteriously to some hills and rocks, it was the wrong road, one has to turn left from it, cut the desert and follow the wide river bed at wetter places covered with white salts.

We had our lunch sitting in one of those rock holes, listening to the silence and looking into the vastness of nature:

Here are the very few delicate flowers sticking from the desert floor:

even the lupins:

Those are the views we saw walking further and further - it seemed endless…

But the hoodoos we were striving to see were much further…over there in the distance to the left:

At last, here they were. We saw some immediately by the river bank and some behind a corner to the left. A big group of mushroom like rock formations that happen to be sculpted by nature forces in certain rocks:

Due to occasional rains the area gets some of them are gone forever…only their dark brown heads are still sticking from a melted stem:

Some are still standing erect:

but already quite a difference in comparison with pictures we saw in galleries which enticed us to come and check for ourselves. I mean they look very different, very much melted:

That was it. We headed back all the same way in this wide space of the river which apparently has had water once upon a time… The trip took us totally 5 hours.

Yes, we had to drive from highway 59 directly through Hildale and Colorado city - I have no clue where one ends and the other starts. To the very corner of them where the mountains are letting out a small stream. The road has the same name - Whitewater canyon, so there is no way of getting lost. But then it gets bad, really bumpy and in places like a ditch. In spite of that we managed to reach the very end of it - a small parking place with several big trucks there already. Some people from around here don’t believe in driving smaller cars when not carrying big loads…At some point, I guess, the gas prices will change the belief system. And there we started - on a very sandy path by the stream. To tell the truth - it was not an easy walk, not so much up, mostly a little up and down, but the sand made you feel as if you are in a bad dream sliding back with each step. It was the end of April, so there were cacti blooming:

Being careful not to step on some prickly ones little by little we reached the main feature - the narrow part of the canyon with a little waterfall and steep rocks:

This was the view in front of us:

Pretty. But we had to pursue our trip upwards. It was tricky to find which side of the steep canyon to climb, where was a passable route. On the left side. So here we climbed it and continued to walk on slick rock ( and believe me - it is much more comfortable than sand) and then again sand-rock-cacti, bushes, up and up the slope of the canyon towards the pines we could see on its edge.

It was a pretty long climbing, maybe for a couple of hours until we reached the top more or less (I say more or less because even if you think you have reached the top - there are still ways to go up) and had lunch there with the beautiful vistas, slick rock and pine trees:

So we still went further up a little till we reached a real edge of that mountain facing the vistas to the other side. Though the latter ones looked the same - this or that side. Red mountains in far distance, perfectly clear skies, that is what Southern Utah is.

And then we descended the same way we came up, except that the views always look a little different and it is now harder on your knees not as much on your lungs:

And then we lifted our heads and noticed an arch high up on the left side of canyon wall looking towards descend, towards Colorado city:

Some adventurous people we met on the trail hiked there to have fun walking on it…not us. I wish we could see them over there while we were taking pictures, but to no luck.

And here we were again passing the cacti:

crossing Colorado city with its huge homes with multiple wives:

and back to our not so big home though it is also a B&B. We reached our Rockville via a back road which is not so good as driving through Hurricane, but is very picturesque:

Till next trip!

This was on one of the first days of May. The spring here was wonderful, the main factor being the temperature- it was not too hot. Well, except some 4 days in the middle of May which caused some people heat rashes. But the beginning of May was fantastic and a group of locals as well as some visitors collected for a trip on the upper part of Zion NP. We parked the cars on the right hand side of the road approximately half way from the tunnel to the East entrance and proceeded down to the dry wash. And then up and towards a pass in between two red typical Zion peaks. Here is how it all looked:

Lines of Zion…

Towards the pass…

Our group on the pass:

A small stream on the way down to the other side of the pass towards the Big Hole:

Still not the Big Hole, but a small one…

At last - here is she!

On top of the Hole we had our lunch:

The leaders of the group - Adrian and Delores. Adrian’s way of getting his water during the trip…

Brian Head Ski Resort is located in the same mountainous area as Cedar Breaks National Monument, just minutes from it. It is 12 mi from Rt 15 and totally 27 mi North of Cedar City. The resort itself is not very attractive, but the slopes, the trails, the views, the chair lifts are fantastic! It is always smart to check the weather over there before going because even when we have warmth and sunshine in Zion, the winds in Brian Head can be unbearable and the snowstorms blinding. So we waited this year for a long time until we picked the best day, which was April 4th…pretty late in the season :-). This is how it looked:

Empty chairs, well graded slopes…and it was Friday for God’s sake…Where were the people? Is this economic crisis hitting us already or everyone is tuned to spring activities?

This is the smallest and easiest trail, by Navajo Lodge. It used to be dotted with a lot of small skiers, closely held by their instructors, or groups of snowboard beginners…The terrace used to be full with lunch eaters, hard to find an empty table. And here we are all by ourselves (we hardly caught a lonely wandering Englishman to take this picture):

For us, the consumers, it was the best! And a little surrealistic - you go down the slope - and there is no one around, you have the slope just for yourself, as if owning it for those several minutes! The sun is kissing your cheeks and the wind is cooling the well layered body, you fly down like a bird with no obstacles, just the smooth white terrain - tell me about the feeling of “present”, “the power of now”!

This is the view once you get to the top with the longest lift from Navajo Lodge. Is is always so beautiful to see that huge space with colors, especially the red rocks sticking from green forest and white slopes…The only problem - when you go up, you are excited to go down as fast as you can on those empty trails together with the wind… I checked - it takes 7-8 minutes to go up on the chairlift and some 3-4 min down - so in an hour you can make up to 5 rounds.

There are houses on the sides of the skiing slope - but I never saw anyone there. Just an investment, I guess…

And here we are color matched on the top of our beloved mountain:

That day we skied from 1 pm till 4:30 pm, which is considered half day and it was enough ant even too much for our untrained legs. We went 15 times downhill. The next Saturday, which was April 12th, for the closing of the season they declared half price for tickets…it was certainly an incentive to skip Tai-ji and leave all spring work at home and go skiing once more. The weather couldn’t be better. And again - there were extremely few people skiing on all 3 mountains with all the 8 chair lifts operating…Good for us, but not so good for the owners of the lifts who were in my eyes - just waisting electricity and not saving nature… But what can you do - you just enjoy!

Spring in Rockville is very beautiful. Especially this one, because we didn’t get the late frosts as usual which kill the tree blossoms. But i was a little cooler than usual, so everything started blooming later that usual. Anyway - from March to May it is a very good time to come the Zion NP and hike a lot! The temperatures almost never get to hot, they are in a comfortable range for hiking or working outside. And a spring breeze is cooling you constantly. However, there can be some rather windy parts of days. Also - there may even happen to snow once, as it was two years ago: March 15 th morning looked like this:

This year it snowed on March 16th, but it wasn’t as impressive. But have in mind - those are the only one or second times during winter season that we see snow!

So if you are more into blooms and flowers - come no earlier than the end of March. The same pear tree you just saw under snow looks like this:

And we have sunsets like that:

Closer to the summer those sunsets get less red and impressive, because the sun sets in a different location in regards to the canyon direction. But we still have beautiful views around while evenings set down:

WE have a fairy tale in Lithuania by Biliunas about “Cursed monks” who were punished and turned into stone figures because while going up and reaching for the torch of happines on the top of a mountain - they couldn’t sustain from doubts, fear and curiosity and looked back… The author definitely never visited this area, but I have never seen a mountain which would illustrate the tale better:

And here are some blooms:

Those are peach trees blooming:

The irises come out later, only by the end of May:

And please, don’t miss our sign almost all buried in flowers…

Come and see for yourselves…

The end.

Here in Rockville and Springdale we are blessed - we have Yoga ant Tai-Ji classes! It is hard for us to choose where to go or to find time for both. Ann Rutz teaches Anusara Yoga and David Rutz teaches Tai-ji. They are both wonderful teachers, what a family!

This time I will talk about Tai-ji which we usually have on David’s terrace, and that is how we usually see him :-):

And this is us, his most devoted students: Susan, Genevieve and Nida:

It all started several years ago - David got engaged in his Master’s Chungliang Al Huang classes in Oregon and even invited him to our canyon one of the beautiful autumns maybe a couple of years ago.

Here Chungliang is in the middle of the circle teaching us to relax in our movements, to dance in his class and through life.

He also showed us how graceful he is while doing Chinese calligraphy:

At the end of the classes as usual we were taking pictures with him:

But then he left and David decided to continue teaching us the Five Elements and Four Circles of Life. So we are enjoying every minute of it:

Especially when the weather is nice enough (which is almost always we have it on the terrace with the magnificent views of Zion:

That is why when we come to class we at first all exclaim what a wonderful weather we have here, how beautiful the mountains look and how grateful we are for that:

Then we do the Five Elements and Four Circles of Life created or choreographed by Chungliang, trying to be as graceful as possible and also trying to feel the energy floating around and through us:

And at some point we always discuss things like whether there is a bad and good energy or just the energy we need and use and the energy we don’t utilize (Susan’s brilliant thought). We discuss Chinese symbols, some philosophy and then David tells us something in pure Chinese language, which to him sounds musical and to me - not so much :-). He is a very good student of everything Chinese! There are quite a few Chinese paintings in their house, so when the weather is not the best -we do Tai-Ji in the house and admire the art:

There is also another Buddha outside who watches us while we dance and gives us a hint to be as Present as possible:

We usually end the class with the healing movements of Spring Forest Chigong and then usually Ann, our Yoga teacher, comes back from walking their dog Lao-Tzu and we have a nice chat with her:

And then David sees us off, till next Saturday:

Thank you, David!

Here is how our Zion National Park looked this winter. It is usually like that every winter, except that this winter we had a lot of snow. While I am writing this it is already 28th of March and I can still see snow powder on the slopes of Mountain. But the pictures were taken not now, but at different times in December and February. Here is the entrance to the park and the main scenic drive:

We were so happy to catch that beam of sun on the edge of the mountain:

Virgin River by the Temple of Sinawawa:

There were some bright colored ducks swimming in the river:

As every temple the Temple of Sinawawa it has an altar and a pulpit:

There was much more snow in February and those are a couple of views on the top part of the park - the Canyon Overlook trail:

Hello again! After this trip to California spring started bursting in our Rockville, so I had to take care of my garden first. Feeling a little late with my impressions from Monterey…

Here what I saw from the airplane flying from Las Vegas to San Jose. It was the Death Valley underneath us and one could clearly see the white salts of Bad Waters! Boy, I liked it seeing from above just weeks after we visited it on the ground level :

Then the Sierras showed their snowy tops:

California on the other side of Sierra Nevada mountains is very green - quite a difference:

And here is the Silicon Valley with San Jose in the middle. Can you feel the tremendous and concentrated brain energy pulsing in the air?

Luckily the Bowen Workshop was held not in San Jose but in Monterey - it was a beautiful drive to there! I just couldn’t take pictures, the car was too fast…But believe me - there were lots of flowers on the green hill slopes by the road! You will see some of them growing in Monterey where I could walk and enjoy them. But fort of all - the House of 4 Winds (sounds impressive) where the workshop was held:

I mean the smaller one on the right. The bigger one is the Museum of Art. We parked the cars to unload the massage tables and were greeted by Karin Twohig - the workshop coordinator and John Wilks, the teacher for this topic: “Bowen for Back Pain” :

Everything was organized very well for such a sizable class - 34 participants. The House of 4 Winds had a big hall for listening to our teacher a