Hop Valley to Lee Pass (Zion to Kolob) in Zion National Park, 15.5

      Life is definitely more exciting when you surround yourself with friends who are just a little bit crazy.  Sean invited me to go on this run with him. He originally wanted to go about 27 miles, which I'm sure he could have handled just fine.  15.5 turned out to be plenty for me.  The last four or five miles were pretty tough.  I woke up at 3:15 AM in Panguitch where I had traveled with my family to attend the Earl and Eva Marshall Family Reunion.  It is their 100th wedding anniversary!  I had to miss the Boy Scout Breakfast and an unbeatable small town parade, but I made it back in time for the big kick-off at 11:30 AM which included lunch, and three hours of ultimate frisbee, rugby, and kickball.  Needless to say, I was ready to crash by the time my head hit my pillow.  Sean was visiting his parents in St. George so Kolob Canyon was a good meeting spot.

We dropped my van at the Lee's Pass Trailhead in Kolob Canyon and drove Sean's truck to the Hop Valley Trailhead (about an hour drive).


Sean took this picture.  It had rained the day before so the smell of sagebrush was in the air and the colors were vibrant at sunrise.













Sean didn't quite make it, despite his long legs. 








1-Mile Detour to Kolob Arch






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hidden Oak Trail - Above Spanish Fork Reservoir

Image
On a 93 degree day, this trail was the perfect choice.  The Hidden Oak Trail (also known as Snell Canyon) starts at the end of the road just east of Spanish Oaks Reservoir. Most of the trail is through thick oak and pine trees, so it is very shaded.  Bring your bug spray as there were a lot of flies and gnats, particularly the first half mile. It's only 1.25 miles to the overlook , but it feels further because of the climb.  From that point the trail gradually starts to disappear in the tall grass and shrubs, though many people will bushwhack much further up Snell Canyon. Highlight: playing with a spotted fawn who kept running up the trail and then waiting for me to catch up.  The trail is a gradual climb until just over one mile, at which point there are two steep switch backs leading to an amazing view of the Spanish Fork City and River Bottoms.   Other fun trails in this area include: Look Out Point, Escalante Cr...
Read more

Look Out Point - Above Spanish Oaks Reservoir

Image
As you can see on the map below, there is a whole network of trails in this area.  I had fun exploring the trails, and ultimately making it to Outlook Point - overlooking all of Spanish Fork.  This is a fun place to run or hike.  You can pick your distance and destination.   Interestingly, this was a third option.  Originally, I met Brian at Maple Canyon at 5:00 AM.  We had planned to run from Kirkman Hollow to Maple Canyon, but a rain storm convinced us to try another trail.  After driving for a few minutes toward Provo Canyon, where the skies looked clear, I realized I had forgotten my work clothes.  So I flipped around and did this short run closer to home instead.
Read more

Tower Mountain (Water Canyon to Dixon Peak)

Image
This was a killer climb, and very rocky. 966 ft. in the first mile alone.  4,082 ft. overall elevation gain. The front of the mountain looks a little dry, especially during the current drought.  But by mile four, we were running through luscious green trees, and bushes with red berries and yellow flowers.  I was joined by Matt Seeley and Garritt Page. Garritt is the brother of Lalena Page, a former college teammate of mine. Matt and Garritt were mountain goats on the uphill. Pics below are out of order, but you can see exactly where they were taken on Strava . Coordinates to the trailhead: 40.039171596858544, -111.63391146714346
Read more