Zion Nat'l Park, Day 1/4 - Ice Box Canyon, Nevada

Monday, April 26, 2021 - Wendy and I visited Zion National Park back on Sept. 16, 2018 (read that blog here), and I really wanted to come back and do some hiking. So I did come back 3 months later, in December 2018 (read that blog here).

The "back-story" this time around is that a couple of months ago I received a letter from JetBlue saying that my JetBlue MasterCard was being closed due to inactivity; and that all my bonus points/miles will expire 60 days from this notice. Wendy said YES, I could go out to Zion again. So I booked my round-trip flights, using points, and actually paid $11.20 in taxes and fees:

Ellie took me to Logan, and I was at the gate in plenty of time (they didn't even blink at my "burst hiking poles"!):

and I was on-board at 2:42 (for my 3 PM flight):

Easy flight to JFK:

but I will NEVER PURCHASE FOOD in an airport:

Pretty nice day for flying:

and I had THE WHOLE ROW to myself out to Las Vegas:

If you do not mind wearing a mask (the whole time) - and I don't - flying is pretty easy these days.

That's what it is like to fly across the country:



Of course the LIGHTs ARE ON in Las Vegas:


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Monday, I was up-and-at-em. No breakfast at the hotel (I was not surprised - I had hit the grocery store last night), so I headed west-of-Las-Vegas for a quick morning hike in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area:

I had done some research, and AllTrails and Backpacker Magazine had identified Ice Box Canyon Trail, a "2.3 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Las Vegas, Nevada that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking, nature trips, and bird watching and is best used from September until May." SOUNDS GREAT! I have my Senior-Lifetime National Parks Pass, so I didn't have to pay any entrance fee, and drove 7.7 miles on "Scenic Loop Drive":




I started right about 8 AM:

Pretty cool being out on a "desert hiking trail":


Scrambling over rocks, past pretty flowering trees in the canyon:

No waterfall, though, at the head of the canyon:

Real Pretty going back down:


I finished about 9:20, and it was time to say Goodbye to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area:


Time to head 200 miles northeast (and lose an hour/Time Zone) to Kolob Canyons Visitor Center in the western part of Zion National Park:



There was a "rainstorm" that had come through Las Vegas overnight (like, a couple of drops), but it was heading northeast. I caught up with it in Utah, and it had turned into really raining - no hiking for the rest of today, but let's get some cool "mountains-in-the-mist" pictures:





IT WILL BE SOOOO COOL to come back here on Thursday and hike these canyons!!

I then made my way down-and-around to the Zion Park Motel, where I stayed when I was out here in Dec 2018. The only room they had available for all 3 nights is a "Family Suite" [2 bedrooms, living room, kitchen/dining room], which I certainly don't need, but you take what you can get.

Pizza from across the street, some Wolverine movie, bedtime. Thank You God for these WONDERFUL Adventures!

Sunday Flying Music:

Al Stewart - Between The Wars, 1995

Afro Celt Sound System - Seed, 2003

Bill Evans - The Complete Live at the Village Vanguard, 1961 (3 cds)

Monday Driving Music:

Aretha Franklin - Aretha's Best, 2001
EXCELLENT 20-song cd.

Counting Crows - August and Everything After (deluxe) live cd, 1994
This second disc is taken from the band's penultimate performance during the August tour, recorded at the Élysée Montmartre in Paris, France, on December 9, 1994.

Bob Marley & The Wailers - Live Forever: The Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA, September 23, 1980, 1980

Brazilian Girls - Brazilian Girls, 2005
Actually, this is not a "girl band", but rather very good trance/house music. I like it, and it took me through the evening.