Summertime

A few photos from this summer's quick escapes:

The smooth ribbon of dirt known as the Virgin River Rim trail is a long-time high altitude romp for both running and biking. In late June I started near Lundell Spring, ran to and around Navajo Lake, and back to Lundell for a memorable 26 miles.

Navajo Lake Loop trail on the Markagunt Plateau.

The eastern side of the Navajo Lake Loop trail extends right over the top of a basaltic lava flow that erupted some 10,000 years ago. The lava flow blocked surface flow out of the Navajo basin, creating Navajo Lake. Drought conditions the last couple of years have greatly reduced the lake's size.

North side of the Navajo Lake Loop.

The 'C' Trail is another challenging workout (2,100-foot climb in 4.2 miles) adjacent to Cedar City that I've spend countless hours on. A tiny reservoir about 2/3 way up attracts all kinds of wildlife that you can view if you approach quietly. This day, a skunk was taking a long drink (about four minutes).

I had a great time hanging out and talking geology with Gus Seashore and Kylie Bearse of  ABC4 news. Here, Gus is getting a great shot of Kylie in the Zion Narrows. Their videos can be seen here Underneath Utah: Opening up The Narrows - Good4Utah.com and here: Underneath Utah: The often forgotten spot in Zion National Park - Good4Utah.com.

The best place to watch the sunset in southwest Utah is not Zion, not Bryce Canyon, and not Cedar Breaks. Strawberry Point gets my vote where there are few visitors and no guard rails to muck up your photos.

Hoodoo details at Strawberry Point at the southern edge of the Markagunt Plateau.

Sunset at Strawberry Point.

For work, I had to walk over nearly every inch of Parowan Valley. There is some surprising beauty to be found in this high desert basin.

Parowan Valley.