Transformers (not a movie review)

Wednesday, July 31st

When I drove into the RV park at 10:30 this morning, dark gray smoke was billowing from the transformer atop a telephone pole on the southeastern corner of the property.  911 promised to send the electric company right away.  Before they arrived, a loud noise rocked the RV.  A peek outside revealed our 78-year old neighbor aiming a too-short hose at ten-foot high flames leaping from sagebrush bushes at the base of the pole.  His wife called 911 as I filled a bucket from our site's spigot.  Just then, four electric company trucks pulled up and the men tackled the fire.  They speculated that lightning accompanying the violent weekend storms had damaged the transformer but didn't know what triggered it to blow up today. 

All in all, we're fortunate that the incident occurred while some of us were home because most of the time, all five residents are gone.  And we're lucky that the electric company responded quickly cause the fire department never showed up.

Burned area

(elderly neighbor's RV on left, ours on the right)

 

New transformer



This Ain't Disney World, People!

It has been a deadly week in this area:

-two people were killed and a third injured by a lightning strike at LeFevre overlook on Route 89A about halfway between Kanab and Jacob Lake.

-a hiker died at The Wave, the third fatality there in July.

-a passenger in a Model T was killed and three others were hurt when the vehicle overturned on Route 9 east of Zion National Park.

-a Colorado River guide was evacuated by emergency personnel from a campsite at the bottom of the Grand Canyon after being struck by lightning.  No information is available on his condition.

Model T At Kanab Show

 

After Accident

Above Kanab

Thursday, July 25
Day #3

One nearby trail that we hadn't hiked this summer was the Squaw Trail, winding up the cliff behind Kanab.  It's a 4-mile up-and-back but the ambitious can connect to
Tom's Canyon trail for a longer excursion requiring a shuttle.  From a brief attempt six years ago we surmised an early start would make the ascent more pleasant than that mid-day outing in 2007. The summit gave views of the town and south toward  Arizona, west toward Zion and north to the next step on the Grand Staircase, the White Cliffs.

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 



Peek a Boo Re-do

Day Off #2
Wednesday, July 23

One of our first outings after arriving was an unsuccessful attempt to reach a nearby slot canyon the locals call 'Peek A Boo' although it is labeled 'Red Canyon' on maps.  Today we started off in four-wheel drive, with better directions, more accurate expectations, deflated tires and more experience driving in deep sand.  All that paid off because we reached the wash with no trouble.  From there, we decided to walk the final mile rather than to drive.  After the sun and heat of the wash, we appreciated the  cooler temps and shade of the slot.

Peek A Boo is a lovely little slot canyon, a fitting pay-off for the challenge of getting to it.  There's a wide portion halfway down its length, making you think you're at the end, but continuing brings you to the upper section which is as twisty and colorful as the first part.  The end of the hike comes suddenly.  Right before the canyon narrows to a mere crack are two large chockstones fifteen feet overhead which don't look securely lodged between the walls.

End of the canyon

(The point of contact between the chockstones and the wall is very small, especially on the left.)

 



 

 

Johnson Canyon Again

Day Off #1
Tuesday, July 22

We enjoyed last month's bike ride in Johnson Canyon so much that we returned for another ride yesterday.  We spotted a second advertisement, painted on the canyon's wall in the days when Skutumpah /Johnson Canyon Road was the primary artery between Tropic/Cannonville/Henrieville and Kanab/Fredonia, some petroglyphs and two arches.



Eagle Arch

 



As we unloaded the bikes, a few raindrops fell from thick clouds overhead but soon stopped.   The sky remained overcast, keeping the temperature down and limiting our sun exposure, but light rain resumed when we got within 1/4 mile of the Jeep.

(Model) T for 2(00)

Sunday, July 21

About 200 Model Ts invaded Kanab over the weekend.  Owners from all parts of the US as well as from Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom brought vehicles here for an international gathering.  The highlight of their stay, for Kanabans, was the parade on Sunday evening.  Being able to walk among four long lines of Models Ts parked in front of the city park and to talk with the owners was interesting and fun.  Except for when one guy started the engine to show us how it sounds--and found out it was in gear.  And nearly in to the car in front of him!

 

 

 

 

Petroglyphs, Plants and a Play

Friday, July 12

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.