The road from the east into Zion National Park is stunning.   Some drivers rush through this narrow,w inding road and then through the tunnel, but if you go for the scenery, take your time and make a few stops along the way.   There isn’t much parking so just look for pull-outs where they appear.   The one designated trail is the Canyon Overook, already posted onto this site.

One of the most recognizable features is Checkerboard Mesa.   It rises 900 feet vertically, right next to the road.   It gets its name from the cross-hatched lines cut into the surface if the hill.

The horizontal lines are etched by wind and sand.   The vertical cracks results from run-off, freezing and thawing.   We can walk right up to the base at the start of our scramble to the top.

The scramble follows a gully on the east side with a route that works its way around rock bands, up steep slopes, with some bushwacking here and there.   It is only a mile to the top, but it is slow-going work.   Near the top the route goes north along the rim of the cliffs.   The top of the mesa is thick and impenetrable bush, so we stay below the top, but back from the cliffs, looking for the best way.   At the end of the route, views extend west over the slickrock.

The country to the north rises all the way to 9000 feet near Cedar Breaks.  All around are buttes, canyons, and slickrock.   Orange, red, and white are offset by the blue sky of Southern Utah.   We return back down by the same route, going carefully.   At the base, the cliffs of other buttes, mesas, and hills rise above us, inviting more exploration.

Our next flight is booked.   Back to Zion…

 “One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.” (John Muir)