Its Been Snowing Outside!!!

Question of the day: are snowshoes getting better because their popularity is booming, or is their popularity booming because snowshoes are getting better?

Snowshoe questions and answers Here.

If you like snow, (crazy people) you may be in luck. Right here in Southern Utah you can find plenty of the white stuff,(hopefully for only a short time) to lure you out and give snowshoeing a try!! Remember all you really need to bring are your best waterproof boots and trekking poles! And have fun!!!

Give Pine Valley a try
or Brian Head Resort
and surprisingly even Red Mountain Trail!!

Chaco Hiking Sandals

Chacos sandals' straps are incredibly adjustable for the perfect fit. Toe straps hold your big toe snugly in place. The polyurethane footbed, with its sculpted heel cup and sturdy arch, provides excellent support. In fact, the American Podiatric Medical Association approves Chaco shoes for your feet's health.

Chaco's anatomical pull-through strap system; the single strap is completely connected through the sole, so you'll have maximum adjustability with a fit that will conform to any foot. The biocentric footbed offers premium support for your adventurous feet, while the durable rubber outsole consistently works hard to provide traction on most any surface.

Product Features

• Material: Polyurethane, nylon, rubber

• Sole: Vibram Unaweep rubber

• Adjustability: Adjustable strap (instructions included on box)

• Recommended Use: Hiking, wading, fly fishing, camping, traveling, casual

• Warranty: Lifetime (manufacturer defect)

(amazon description)

Chacos advantages-

*Aggresive arch support which controls pronation

*Sculpted heel cup centers the foot's natural shock absorbing pad.

*Heel risers increase lateral stabillity

*Multiple widths ensure proper fit.

These Hiking Sandals are Really Keen!!

The web sight for Keen Footwear, www.keenfootwear.com asks people to “follow their dreams.”
In my opinion, Keen hiking sandals ARE a dream!!
And the story of their development is a dream come true as well.
Martin Keen, a footwear designer from Rhode Island, was trying to attract attention with his new sandal at a trade show in Las Vegas in 2003.. Keen, 38, a veteran shoe designer as well as an international sailing champion, loved to wear sandals while sailing, but had grown tired of bashing his toes on the cleats and winches and deck fittings. So he designed a hybrid sandal with a closed toe that offered the protection of a shoe and the comfort of a waterproof sandal. Then along came Angel Martiniz a former executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Reebok Ltd. and the former chief executive officer of Rockport Co. shoes, Martinez was a legend in the footwear industry, a 25-year veteran with a stellar track record for building brands. Angel with the business and marketing experience and Martin with the creativity, turned a novel idea into an international success!


"It's an amazing little company," said Mark Sullivan, group editor and publisher of Sporting Goods Business, a publication that tracks the outdoor market from New York City. "It's incredible how quickly they've become a legitimate footwear company. Teva, everyone's funky sandal company, has tried and tried to break out of the sandal business and become a footwear company without success. But Angel has already done in a year what Teva couldn't do in 15 years."

Keen Footwear is now located in Portland Ore, after having its start in Alamdea Ca. It turns out that Portand is home to more than 20 footwear companies and 20 outdoor apparel companies. Genius abounds in Portland!! Smart move for Keen!!
Oh how I love to hike in Keens!!!

Hiking Red Mountain Trail

When I was young in the mountain,
I never wanted to go to the ocean,
I never wanted to go to the desert.
I never wanted to go anywhere else
in the world, for I was in the
mountains. And that was always enough.
from: When I Was Young In the Mountains
by: Cynthia Rylant

While Utah is a dry climate (ha!!!), the weather can change often. Plus there can be dramatic temperature variations with the elevation changes. The elevation in southern Utah can go from 3,000 feet above sea level (St George/Zion area) to over 10,000 feet (Cedar Breaks area).
The climate in St. George is semi-arid with two separate rainfall seasons in the early spring and late summer which average about 3 inches of annual precipitation. Although average maximum temperatures for the summer months are between 95 and 101 degrees Fahrenheit, the low humidity makes these temperatures agreeable. Oh so agreeable!!!!
The Southern Utah climate features bright sunshine, small annual precipitation, clean air and a wide daily temperature range. Another attractive feature is mild winters with infrequent traces of snowfall which rarely stays on the ground more than a day. (says who!!??)

St. George's climate is an attraction in its own right. It has become a green oasis in the desert, (do you see any green!?) and the combination of the warm, dry winter climate and natural beauty is always to be counted upon! (Ha!!)
Generally speaking, winters in southern Utah enjoy low humidity and clear, blue skies. At lower elevations the weather is milder, with occasional light snowfall.....
The record high temperature in Utah was 118 °F (47 °C), recorded south of St. George on July 4, 2007, and the record low was -69 °F (-56 °C), recorded in the Bear River Mountains of northern Utah on February 1, 1985.
Bring on the Heat!!!!

I have lived my life by faith, choosing to
believe that life has to make sense, choosing
to believe there is Spirit behind matter,
choosing to believe consciousness survives
death, choosing to believe there is a God
and that God is Good.
from: Consider the Butterfly
by: Carol Lynn Pearson

Something unexpected rose from the desert washes in Snow Canyon park 5 years ago this month. Something rare and wondrous and humbling. We were receiving rain- lots and lots and lots of rain. Rain fell from the sunless sky for 5 days straight, without letting up. It was a warm, thawing downpour. Snow in the nearby mountains began to melt in vast quantities, and with alarming speed!! There was hardly time to think or speculate. All this surplus water, all this runoff had nowhere go! The sand and stone were as saturated as a sea sponge and so the deluge began its run to the lakes. Rivers, streams, and gully washes formed in places that hadnt seen water in a hundred years. Trails closed or were washed completely away. Roads and paved paths were swept away in the ferocious currents, as well as 21 beautiful homes!!! And the sound...the unprecedented noise of rushing, tumbling , crashing water, making its way to Vegas, was a din of proportions unheard of in these parts. This desert is normally a thing of serene quite, hardly a bird peeps. But, for a few days we were treated to the disturbing, though at the same time mesmerizing sounds of water madly foaming and raging as it pounded its way over paths unaccustomed to such treatment. It was a tumult not soon forgotten. And a show of mother nature awesome power that we hope wont soon be repeated!!

Johnsons Arch

Right at the west entrance of Snow Canyon State Park there is a parking lot! If you park there and cross over the road you'll find a small wood fence with a swinging gate. If you would like a very mild, easy hike, head south on that well trod path and you will find an impressive arch tucked back in a delightful canyon. The "hike" is only 2 miles round trip, and very easy to do. I The locals call this hike Johnsons Arch. Tucked back in this beautiful canyon are glens of cottonwood trees as well as willows which get their water from a natural spring. Johnsons Arch was named after Maude Johnson who was a Mormon pioneer who settled here eons ago! This trail is closed from March 15th-Oct 31st because there is a nesting pair of Peregrine falcons which nest back in there every year.

If you'd like a very talented artists perspective on this amazing natural arch gohere to see Roland Lees rendition of the arch.

sand angels...me on the right!!

Happiness
A state you dare not enter
with hopes of staying,
quicksand in the marshes, and all

the roads leading to a castle
that doesn’t exist.
But there it is, as promised,

with its perfect bridge above
the crocodiles,
and its doors forever open.

Stephen Dunn

MOKE MARBLES

MOQUI MARBLES

SHAMAN STONES

MOKO BALLS

NAVAJO CHERRIES





There seems to be quite a few names for these very unusual geological formations found here in Southern Utah and Arizona. I find myself hiking across 'pools' of these rock about 2-3 times a week. (more on that in a moment)
American Indians that lived in the area are said to have used these strange geological anomalies for games, and in their slings for hunting and to absorb bad spirits and to even reduce pain. (more on this in another moment)
Break one of these stones open and you will find that they are filled with sandstone. The dark outside shell has iron, phosphorus and lime in its make-up. Nobody seems to know for sure how these fascinating rocks were formed...but there sure a a lot of interesting theories. Astroid hits, volcanic actions and mostly mystery are the hypothesizes I have read about. But all agree, they are old, old, old. 120-199 million years old!!!
Some folks in these parts believe that the stones hold mystical powers. Hold one in your hand and it may absorb negativity and replace it with useful energy. (Im all about useful energy!!) Maybe...just maybe I had better appreciate the fact that I can and do hike over beautiful 'puddles' of this stone, and that I do gain more from the experience than I realize. All I know is that these marbles have been in the Navajo Sandstone for millions of years and that its a safe bet that they were in there before the dunes were turned into stone by oceans of water those millions of years ago!!!
How about that!!??

Hiking Red Cliffs Extreme!

My pallid words cant begin to describe a day like today! Or more specifically, a hike like todays!! The delightful ladies from California wanted something a little extra special and a little more challenging today...to cap off their week (they have no idea yet about how special tomorrow will be for them when we take them to Zion!)
So...we drove to Red Cliffs to do the 'extreme' hike out past the ropes! These pictures tell it all!!
It was a superb hike with superb company!! Plus this time there was water!! Rushing streams and waterfalls!!
There was frosty coatings on the plants in the shade.
There were puddles of sunshine!
There was fun!!



And no good hike comes with out challenges!!



It was an amazing, glorious morning, and now I can finally say that I have my feet back under me...after what felt to be a long winters nap. Im hiking with confidence once again! Wish you could join us!!
Click here to see pics of our hike on Thursday to the cinder cone!!

Awesome Chasim Revisited

Earth Your Dancing Place

Beneath heaven's vault
remember always walking
through halls of cloud
down aisles of sunlight
or through high hedges
of the green rain
walk in the world
highheeled with swirl of cape
hand at the swordhilt
of your pride
Keep a tall throat
Remain aghast at life

Enter each day
as upon a stage
lighted and waiting
for your step
Crave upward as flame
have keenness in the nostril
Give your eyes
to agony or rapture

Train your hands
as birds to be
brooding or nimble
Move your body
as the horses
sweeping on slender hooves
over crag and prairie
with fleeing manes
and aloofness of their limbs

Take earth for your own large room
and the floor of earth
carpeted with sunlight
and hung round with silver wind
for your dancing place
by: May Swenson


Would you like a weather report for January in Southern Utah? I dont mean to rub it in...but here it goes anyway. For the last two days our hiking temperatures have been in the 50's!! Which is all the sweeter knowing that just a few hundred miles north it's SNOWING as we hike and slather on the sunscreen!!! SWEET!!!

No wind, only warming sun to stop and bask in while taking a break for lunch!! Desert Cliffs' turkey wraps are to die for!!! Dont you wish you could join us for a bite?
Sand, sand, everywhere sand....taking time to dump it out one last time!! ha, tricked you!!...there is never a last time for accumulating coral dust between the piggies!!!
Jackets are hardly needed, and are quickly stripped off and tucked away in our trusty camelbacks for possible future days of inclimate weather. Shorts and shirt sleeves are certainly justified.
Even the equines and their riders reveled in such a day as this!!! And there monsterous grey dog too!! They sweat, we sweat as we joyfully trod the high desert of paradise!!

"Tish-ah!" said the Grass. "Tish-ah, tish-ah!"
Never had it said anything else-never would it
say anything else. It had bent resiliently under
the trampling feet; it did not break, but it
complained aloud every time- for nothing like
this had ever happened to it before.
from: Giants of the Earth
by: O. E. Rolvaag 1926

Yes!!! Most assuredly the sky is indeed this blue!!
The hiking cairns were even magnificent today!!!

The smiles are that genuine!
The vistas are that perfect!!
The sand truly is that sparkling white!!
The ice is the only reminder that it is winter time.
We spent another glorious day in the desert today-hiking with delightful new guests from So. California- who have never visited this part of the country before!!
It just doesnt get better than this!!!
I love the opportunity to see what I have in my own back yard through the eyes of newcomers!!
Hiking every single day this week is seriously going to challenge me. After my 2 week hiatus in December...Im feeling the repercussions!!! I know Im in for some painful moments. Today was proof positive of this fact. But at the same time, Im confident that I'll get my legs and lungs back pretty quickly. Today was also proof of this. We made good time on our 4 1/2 mile hike to the top of Snow Canyon State Park!! And it was fun!!!
Im the luckiest hik'in grandma on the planet!!!

I believe that men are generally still
a little afraid of the dark, though the
witches are all hung, and Christianity
and candles have been introduced.
from: Solitude
by: Henry David Thoreau

I realize that one of the commandments has something to do with NOT worshiping graven images or idols....
I think I may be called out on the carpet on this one. I think I would be stating the obvious,when I say that I WORSHIP the sun!! (But I will also be found guilty of worshiping the Son as well. I know from whence all my blessing flow!!)
I have missed being in the sun these last few weeks! And am so pleased that I got my widening butt out on a trail today...and that this time I got my Builder to join us!! Yep...thats my second confession for the week...I aint been hik'in enough lately!!
And man does it show!! My legs and my lungs felt the neglect!! It was an interesting day for me.
I experienced several things today that I dont usually experience when hiking.
First: there was the "jelly legs." I honestly cant remember when I last 'lost' my legs, or when I felt that all I had was mush for legs as they protested to what I was asking them to do. I really cant remember!! (but... again....2 weeks without hiking hasnt happened to me in years either!) Thank heavens it didnt last long. It was over it quick, but it was humbling to feel the sensation.
Second: a received a lesson in empathy!! I've "jumped the crack" half a dozen times in my hiking career. I've coaxed, encouraged, and prodded hikers over the yawning chasm. Today...it was me who froze...not with cold...but with out-right fear!! (Where the heck did it come from!!!??) If it hadnt been for my Builder and Leanne, I would have turned around and gone back the way we came. It's very embarrassing to admit this, but its true. I was down on my butt, not daring or wanting to move...frozen...where formally I have just hopped, skipped or jumped across! I MUST go back, and soon and conquer the gap!! Just like getting back up on the horse!!
Nick was kind enough to point out that the only other time he's seen that expression on my face was when I sat on precipice, staring down into of pool of COLD water as we hiked through the Subway in Zion. I perched there wishing I was anywhere else in the world but right there, knowing that I'd have to jump in and swim...with no sign of sunlight warming a rock, for what seemed like miles!!! That was fear!!! Fear of being completely uncomfortable!! Today's fear was unreasonable, but real never-the-less. I am going back to prove whos boss!!!



It was another glorious day in Southern Utah!! We have guests arriving at the resort this week and for several weeks following. I'll be hiking most every day!! I cant wait!! Ive missed it so!! My toes have missed the coral dust between them!!