Kolob Canyon & Valley of Fire

Journey map

Approximately:

• from Cedar Breaks NM (A) to Kolob Canyon SP (B): 50 miles and 1h10 on road
• from Kolob Canyon (B) to Valley of Fire SP (C): 130 miles and 2h25 on road

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Tuesday, June 16

Wake up at 6:30 am (43°F); it drizzles and the sky is gray, overcast. In the distance, a quasi-continuous noise that resembles a stone crusher. The camp manager goes to collect the "tickets" and comes back a few moments later (we must be the only ones already raised). Obviously, she feels like to discuss. I learn where she comes from, the profession of her husband (astronomer) and the origin of the noise: it's a large helicopter which is longshoring. Indeed, much of the forest is dead, decimated by a parasite and loggers cut down the trees to limit the spread (it looks like in the book by Philippe Labro, "Un été dans l'ouest"). The helicopter is used to move logs.
We finally discuss over an hour; time passes quickly despite of language difficulties, the lacks of memory (I can't remember the English name of elm for example).

We stop at VC (8:05 am) which was closed last night at our arrival. It falls a sort of melted snow and Isabelle is freezing.
After our usual shopping plus a geological map, we planned to make the Spectra Point hike and Wasatch Ramparts Trail, but the snow is now visible on our fleece jackets and the temperature is 39°F.
Snow, and therefore the lack of brightness, makes us renounce this hike with regrets. After what we saw yesterday, I had imagined something splendid.
We therefore leave for Kolob at 8:40 am and very quickly, the many flowers on the roadside stop us.

As the road goes down the valley, temperature goes back up; it makes 54°F now. We stop to refuel in Cedar City and, at 10am, we arrive at VC of Kolob where we take away our fleece jackets and put the shorts.
These section of the park, distant from Zion as such, we go it through along the 5 mile road with many photo stops. Again, we find here the same style of red cliffs.

We leave the park after this brief visit. It’s now 11:20 am and the outside temperature is 72°F, which contrasts with that of this morning.
We pass by St George (82°F) and speed to Valley Of Fire. We leave the I15 to 169 and at Logandale, the temperature which keeps climbing has now reached 90°F.
We arrive at the park entrance at 12:25 am (Nevada time) and the temperature has dropped slightly (82°F), we fulfill our entrance fee ($6, the Pass is not valid) and have our first stop at Elephant Rock.

We continue towards Arrowhead Trail and Arch that we find fairly quickly, but the trail is not well marked.
About an hour later, we arrive at the VC, set in its red cliffs; clouds recede and let appear the blue sky.

We then head to Petroglyph Canyon (Mouse's Tank) to lunch on the parking lot. Squirrels are with us, trying to pick up crumbs.
We're parked on the left side of the road while all others vehicles put on to the right, at the entrance of the canyon and, therefore, we're alone (except our squirrels), installed in shadow to eat.
At 2:30 pm, we are ready to go hunting petroglyphs and Isabelle remembered having seen any on the left side on arrival, just before the parking lot. Bingo, there are plenty!

After this photo session, we cross the road and enter the canyon and, here also, especially on the left side (facing up the sun), we find others.

We then leave for Atlatl Rock (kind of engine for throwing arrows, prehistoric). Here, a metallic staircase allows us to approach petroglyphs, but structure is a little bit embarrassing for photos.

Small passage by Natural Arch and then we head to Petrified Log; if you have already seen Petrified Forest (Holbrook or Escalante), pass your way, this stopping is completely useless.

Sedonax warned me, the time which I had envisaged was far too much short, but we need to make choices. We set departure towards Las Vegas, in the middle of a splendid landscape. If the opportunity is, we shall dwell more at length.