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Southwest 2014
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Transition Day
Grand Canyon North Rim to Zion National Park
Tuesday, September 23
Everyone enjoyed the scenic ride north up highway 67 over the Kaibab Plateau. The open meadows and gently rolling hills of this high-altitude tableland stood in complete contrast to the big verticals and desert environment of the Grand Canyon. It felt like an entirely different part of the continent here, even though we were only a half-hour drive away from the North Rim.
courtesy RHanel
courtesy JInnes
North Rim Parkway
Brilliant Quaking Aspens
Leaving the Grand Canyon
We stopped several times along the way to take pictures of the autumn foliage, which often rimmed the edges of the roadside's meadows with blazes of yellow (and sometimes orange). Unlike yesterday's shuttle ride, there was no appearance of the plateau's bison herd.
courtesy JInnes
Kaibab NF
High-altitude meadowlands
Fiery Meadowside Splash of Color
courtesy PChen
courtesy JInnes
Highway 67
Turning east onto US89A at Jacob Lake, we soon began a slow descent off of the north end of the Kaibab Plateau. A huge vista of the Grand-Staircase region unfolded to the north, all the way to the pink cliffs of faraway Bryce Canyon National Park.

Mid-afternoon, we arrived in the town of Kanab, Utah, where we met up with the Hatko van clan at a local Mexican restaurant. Then, after splitting up again, we set out on our final bit of driving towards Springdale, Utah (where the south entrance to Zion NP is located). The Hatko van went north, and we went south. I wanted to try out a less-travelled route that none of us had used before.
courtesy JInnes
courtesy BConnell
Grand Staircase
Kanab, UT
Backway to Zion
Instead of using one of the two main approaches into Springdale along Utah 9 (either from the St. George/Hurricane direction to the west, or the Mt Carmel direction from the east), I chose to approach via an unpaved byway from the south. While heading west on UT 59 southeast of Hurricane, I took an off-pavement road. This road (designated as the Smithsonian Butte scenic backway) cuts north across a finger of the Vermillion cliffs (of which Smithsonian Butte is a part) then descends steeply into the valley of the Virgin River, just a few kilometres downstream of Springdale.
courtesy RHanel
 Smithsonian Butte backway
The road was indeed scenic, and for the most part quite smooth (a short bit of steep descent was rough enough to be in need of a grade). It offered some nice unique-vantage-point views across the Virgin River valley to the towering sandstone monoliths of Zion. For those who have never been to Zion, the regular entrance routes are just as scenic. But, for those who have been to Zion many times (like many in our van had been), this alternate route was refreshing.
courtesy RHanel
Smithsonian Butte NSB
Descent to Rockville
Settled in at Zion
The byway dumped us onto the backstreets of Rockville, which in turn led to Utah route 9. We turned right, and in minutes we were driving through the upscale little canyon community of Springdale. Just beyond, we arrived at the south entrance to Zion NP, then soon after, arrived at the Watchman campground - our home for the next several days. Chris and the others from the Hatko van were already set up at their campsite (the northern route from Kanab to Zion NP was shorter than the route we took).
courtesy CDoucet
 Early Alana Birthday
After setting up our camp, we drove into Springdale on a grocery-replenishing run. At the same time, we purchased a grab-bag of goodies that we later presented to Alana on what we had heard was her birthday. Although she was very grateful, it turned out we had been off by one day (too early).
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[ Return to "The Checklist Edition" Home page | Introduction | Day 1 : South Kaibab to Clear Creek Trail | Day 2 : Clear Creek Tr to Cottonwood Camp | Day 3 : Cottonwood Camp to North Rim | The North Rim | Drive to Zion | Lady Mountain Redux | The Subway | Angel's Landing | Zion in Flood | Valley of Fire | Wind-up and Return | The "Short Report" | GPS Data ]


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