Confusion in Zion

Our trip to the Kolob Canyons part of Zion yesterday was more of the same... incredible scenery, a sensory festival that's hard to believe is real. Indeed, since we're relatively close to Vegas and California -- two places that thrive on the confusion of the real and the fake, the true and the false, reality and fantasy -- I was initially skeptical that Zion was real. I kept looking for, but never finding, the theme parks, casinos, and the local Cirque du Soleil theater.

No, Zion National Park is real. And, once again, I'm having trouble describing it in words. The brilliant colors of the canyon walls -- the shades of red, crimson, vermilion, browns, tans, whites, pale yellow, black, gray, slate -- all of them mixed or streaked or layered on the vertical, 2000 foot high canyon walls... The realization of the time frame it must have taken to create this... The textures of the various layers and types of rock... The effects of erosion and weathering... It must all be seen in person to be really appreciated.

We joined new friends Jimmy and Julianne for dinner and a campfire last night. Jimmy's pressure cooker pot roast was excellent, and the fireside conversation was stimulating. We're all enjoying the full moon and the resulting sharp long shadows that confuse night with day. The high canyon walls on either side of us are clearly silhouetted on one side, and lit up in moon-glow on the other -- like a negative of a photo

With Halloween and the end of daylight saving time on the same night we were ready for anything. No goblins or ghosts or imitation Hannah Montana's showed up at the bus-house door, so our supply of M&M's is safe for a while longer. The clocks seem to be confused this morning... or is it us? What time is it anyway?

We're thinking we'll take it easy today and try to recover some degree of stability. We may take a short bike ride up the Pa'rus bike trail this afternoon. Dar's working on photos from yesterday, of course, and I'm writing and reading and keeping an eye on the canyon -- to make sure it doesn't vanish and this all becomes a dream.

In Zion NP...
Thom