Fall 2024 Back to the Southwest, 10.19.24 - 11.13.24, Part 10 of 15, Zion National Park/Kolob Canyons/Many Pools/Tower of the Virgin, UT
“‘cause I’ve got one egg in my pocket, and the other one is sitting on my pancake”. “Hand In My Pocket (sort of)/Alanis Morissette
On Saturday, November 2nd the forecast called for rain and cloudy skies in the places we wanted to hike. Snow was even in the forecast for the Kolob Canyons area. Mike had left to start heading back to Steamboat and we got up late. It wasn’t raining down in Springdale where we were staying so I broke out the stove and cooked up pancakes and eggs for our breakfast. I’ll save you the horrific details, but I managed to break an egg in the pocket of my down jacket. Bridgit saved the day by taking it up and throwing it in the washer with the pocket inside out. I’ll bet they’re still finding eggshells in that washing machine! By the time we were done with all that we decided to drive up to the Kolob Canyons area despite the weather, just for something to do.
The Kolob Canyons are in the far northern sector of Zion National Park. To get there by car you have to leave the park and drive up I-15 which is about a forty-five minute drive from our camp. It is higher in elevation than the lower canyon, ranging from 5,000’ to 6,300’. We had planned to go on a couple of hikes up there several days before but that was the day it rained all day and we never found the time to get up there after that. Since we expected rain, snow and clouds, we fully expected to just go for a drive and perhaps check out the visitor center up there. I really didn’t have any hope that there would be much to see so we didn’t dress for any hiking and I didn’t even bother to bring my good camera. Later I got scolded by my friend Gary who said, “ALWAYS bring your camera”!
As we drove up I-15, the weather was actually improving with each mile. We turned off onto the Kolob Canyon Road, had our senior pass scanned at the visitor center and drove into the park. Coming around a bend, I was unprepared for the incredible towers of red rock rising before us. Wow! We slowly drove the full length of the five mile road and parked at the end. The road end is also the trailhead for one of the hikes we had planned to do earlier in the week that got washed out. On that day we had targeted hiking the middle fork of Taylor Creek which was supposed to be one of my best chances for fall colors along the length of the trail. After that hike we would then drive to the end of the road and hike out the one mile round trip trail to Timber Creek Overlook, timing it so that we would see the sunset from the overlook.
That was the day that got scrubbed due to rain but now here we were and the weather wasn’t half bad. It wasn’t raining or snowing and the clouds were high enough that we had full views of the walls of Kolob Canyon. Since it was only a half mile to the overlook, with no water and jeans we hiked out to Timber Creek Overlook. It truly had some magnificent views and I will definitely plan to go back there one of these days so I can see the sunset there. When that happens we will also hike Taylor Creek since we missed out on that during this trip.
The fall colors were still surprisingly good up that high. I had expected it to be past prime but there was quite a bit of good color still clinging to the trees. Our timing did turn out to be pretty good as it started to rain pretty hard as soon as we left the Kolob Canyons area.
Kolob Canyons from Timber Creek Overlook trail
A splash of color in the Kolob Canyons
Nice fall colors in Kolob Canyons
Looking into the south fork of Taylor Creek
Lesson learned. Don’t always let the forecast cancel your plans. You just never know. The following morning was our last full day in Zion National Park. It had rained the rest of the previous day and continued to rain in the morning but started clearing up around mid-morning. While waiting for the weather to clear we went out to brunch and watched the first half of the slaughter of the Broncos by the Ravens. After lunch we were ready to do a hike called Many Pools. This is another spot that isn’t officially on any of the park maps. There is no trail but being so close to the highway and only a mile each way, it has become fairly commonly known. Despite that, because it isn’t an advertised official trail it sees far fewer people than many other trails within the park.
We drove up and parked at a large pullout, walked a very short way up the road and then dropped down to the bottom of the wash. By now it had cleared up nicely. Since it was a Sunday and we were starting after noon, the park was much busier than we’d seen it all week but we only saw three people during our hike up to Many Pools.
Very shortly the sandy wash changed to slickrock. As we climbed higher through the layers, true to its name, we hiked past an endless chain of rainwater pools. Some had good reflections and others poured from one pool to another. At around the one mile mark we came to a large alcove which was our turnaround spot. I hiked a bit further over a rock hill for a few more views. From there I had a great view looking across where the highway was to Lost Peak and the Triplets. These were the two peaks Mike and I had hiked between on our epic journey to find Crawford Overlook several days earlier. We enjoyed the Many Pools hike and it was an easy day but I think a neighboring hike up another unofficial wash called Petroglyph Canyon was more scenic when we hiked it on our first visit to Zion.
Many Pools
Many Pools
Many Pools
Many Pools
Many Pools
Many Pools
Many Pools
The alcove at our turnaround point
Peaks beyond Many Pools
Great view of Lost Peak on the right and the Triplets in the middle
On our way back to the Jeep we realized that instead of walking the road there was a tunnel underneath the road and a short walk along the creek that led us back to the parking pullout. Most of the best colors on this trip were in the creeks and washes but I didn’t spend a lot of my time there so the overall plan to shoot fall colors was a little less fruitful than I had hoped for.
The tunnel at the beginning of Many Pools
Color in the creek bed
Color in the creek bed
As it was every night, the sun setting on the peaks above our campsite were just a sight to behold. Our last night was no exception.
Bridge Mountain
The Watchman
On Monday, November 4th we left Zion National Park. It had been a fantastic week. I still had one more thing to do so I got up long before the sun and drove up to the Human History Museum. I took my tripod and lenses and walked behind the museum where there was a stunning view of the Tower of the Virgin. I was the first one there in the dark but before the sun even rose I counted about twenty-five other photographers there. A large amount were with a photography workshop. Luckily, they all respected the field of view and I only had to ask one lady to get the hell out of my shot (I said it much more politely than that!).
The change in light from the blue hour to the golden hour to sunrise was really a treat.
The Tower of the Virgin in the golden hour before sunrise
Sunrise on the Tower of the Virgin
While the sun was still barely above the horizon, I left my spot from behind the museum and once again drove up to Canyon Bridge. It was still so early there was barely any cars so I ran out to the center of the bridge and this time I took my time and got a few shots of the sun rising on the Watchman with the Virgin River in the foreground. It would be my last photo from a fabulous week in Zion National Park.
Beautiful Zion National Park