Hot, sunny day capped by late afternoon rain which concluded with a vivid 180* double rainbow.
Double rainbow over Settlers Cove
(second is on the left and very faint)
Thursday, July 18
Days Off #1-3
We fit a variety of fun and interesting activities into a mini-vacation in and around Cedar City. On Tuesday we hiked to Cascade Falls, the outlet of Navajo Lake and source of the North Fork of the Virgin River. When we saw Cascade Falls two summers ago, it was a substantial jet of water blasting from a cave in the limestone cliff creating a bold stream that tumbled down to Zion. Even though the rain on Monday night was hard and prolonged enough to sweep away portions of the trail, the falls was more trickle than torrent. Several years ago the earthen dam at the southern end of the lake was breached and in the time between our visits, the lake was drained to rebuild the dam. The lake is in the process of refilling but it will take longer than planned because of this winter's snowpack was much lower than normal. Nevertheless, the hike to Cascade Falls was a great start for our trip.
Cascade Falls
Fred has to walk carefully along the edge where the Cascade Falls trail used to be
Zion from Cascade Falls
(highest point is the Temple of Sacrifice)
New dam on Navajo Lake
(grassy area on the right flooded when the dam broke)
We had planned a short hike in Dixie National Forest between Cedar Breaks and Brian Head but ominous clouds and rumbles of thunder convinced us to leave the mountain ahead of the approaching storm. That required descending 5200 feet from Cedar Breaks to Cedar City through steep, narrow, twisting Cedar Canyon, a beautiful route that can be dangerous even in dry weather. In Cedar City, we found the clear skies and warm temps of a southern Utah summer afternoon.
Threatening skies over Cedar Breaks' visitor center
After dinner we drove less than a mile to the campus of Southern Utah University, site of the Utah Shakespeare Festival, for a performance of The Tempest. Their Adams Theater is a replica of the Globe, where Shakespeare's plays were produced in the Elizabethan era. Our seats on the highest level provided a good view of the stage but were so far to the right that it was difficult to hear the actors. (Note to self: spring for pricier tickets next time.) Lovely setting, new experience, fun evening.
Adams Theater on the Southern Utah University Campus
Cedar City, UT
The stage is set for the first act which takes place on a ship
We went to Parowan Gap early Wednesday morning, hoping to photograph the petroglyphs before the sun made that problematic. A BLM brochure mentioned dinosaur footprints 'in fallen boulders' at the site; our search for those was frustrating and fruitless. However, we did encounter a long, laid-back garter snake who seemed as interested in us as we were in him.
The Zipper Glyph--an astral calendar?
More petroglyphs
Snake
From Parowan Gap we went up, up, up to Brian Head, elevation 11,300'. Just west of the resort, we threaded along a dirt road through alpine forest to the Twisted Forest trailhead for the hike we'd postponed the previous day. What a surprise awaited us! From a lush grassy meadow surrounded by tall spruce and quaking aspens, the trail leads into another world: a desert of white and pink-orange sand dunes punctuated by tortuously contorted trunks of ancient bristlecone pines. The trail ends at the rim of a deep canyon, looking across the divide into the Cedar Breaks amphitheater, our next destination.
Fred at the trailhead
Bristlecone forest in the desert
We arrived in time for a quick picnic in front of the visitor center before reporting for the 1 o'clock wildflower event. The volunteer who conducted this year's talk was very informative, showed us many varieties in the hour's walk and was able to answer many of my questions. We had hiked the Ramparts and Alpine Pond trails on our 2011 visit and didn't care to re-do either of them so we returned to Cedar City.
We stocked up on groceries at Walmart, filled the gas tank and reached the RV about 90 minutes later. We spent the afternoon stowing the supplies, doing laundry, washing the Jeep and other necessary chores. Around 3:00, a ferocious gust of wind roared through Settlers Cove, ruining our awning. It ripped half of the material from the attachment channel, bent the support arm, torqued the door hinges and dented the door. The Jeep's heavy rubber floormats, left to dry on the concrete patio, were flung about 30' and the TV satellite dish was blown over, buckling one of its legs. No television was bad enough but we also lost the internet connection. (Thank heaven for Netflix!) That gust was followed by rain, a few claps of thunder, a bit of lightning but no wind.
