<p align="left">SUBJECT: St. George and Zion One Week Field Trip<br />Led By Harriet Smith</p><p align="left">Our next field trip is scheduled to begin on Monday April 25 for all or part of one week to St. George, Zion, Kolob Canyons and the Canyonlands. Some of you may want to drive together and share gas so please make any necessary arrangements prior to heading out.</p><p align="left">This is a sampling of one timeshare reserved for a week. The maximum cost per person would be 75.00 for the entire week or part of it. If we have enough people who want to do half the week we can break it down that way as well. Let me know who might be interested ASAP because we already have one 3 bedroom full for the week. We will need the $75.00 paid in full by February 20<sup>th</sup> for those going on this trip.</p><p align="left">35 miles, 50 minutes to park entrance past St George on I-15</p><p align="left">Start day = Monday April 25 <br />Canyon Villas at Coral Ridge (#A716)<br />Washington, UT USA <br /><a href="http://www.vriresorts.com/sales/coralridge/">http://www.vriresorts.com/sales/coralridge/</a> </p><p align="left">3 bed, 2.5 bath<br />lower floor = king suite<br />2 bedrooms upstairs:<br />Queen and twin<br />Full sofa bed in living roomTo save costs we can bring food and cook some of our meals at the condo and take sandwiches, drinks and snacks with us for during the day.</p><p align="left"><br /><strong><u>Parking Fees:</u></strong></p><p align="left">Private Vehicle: $30. Valid for 7 days.<br />Admits private, non-commercial vehicle (15 passenger capacity or less) and all occupants to Zion National Park, including both the Zion Canyon and Kolob Canyon areas.</p><p align="left"><strong><u>Directions:</u></strong></p><p align="left">From Las Vegas, Nevada (163 miles), Mesquite, Nevada (80 miles), and Saint George, Utah (40 miles):</p><p align="left">Interstate 15 North<br />Exit 16 - Right on State Route 9 East (33 miles)<br />Right to stay on State Route 9 East in La Verkin, Utah (20 miles)<br />Stay on State Route 9 East into Zion National Park, the Zion Canyon Visitor Center is ahead on the right</p><p align="left">Bring your camera, lenses, extra batteries and cards, tripod and cable release if you have one. Bring layered clothes as the temperature can drastically during the day and night, so be prepared. Also bring a hat, sun glasses and sunscreen. There is a $20.00 entrance fee, per vehicle, unless you have an annual pass or yearly pass.</p><p align="left">For any of our out-and-about field trips don’t forget about the FRS radios. This may help locate the group and possibly inform other member of better photography locations. The Family Radio Service (FRS) is an improved walkie talkie radio system authorized in the United States since 1996.</p><p align="left">The Nevada Camera Club uses channel 2 on these radios. This is so they may communicate with both kinds of radios. The PL code we use is 8; this is so the display on your radio should read 2.8. A number most photographers should be able to remember (as in f2.8). I have a set but find that my cell phone works off and on so can send text messages but may take a while to receive an answer.</p><p align="left">Please send me an email so I can get an idea of how many people will be attending. If you have any questions please contact Harriet Smith at <a href="mailto:Harriet@fortheloveofafrica.com">Harriet@fortheloveofafrica.com</a> or 401-6566.</p><p align="left"><strong><u>St George</u></strong></p><p align="left"><strong><u>Snow Canyon</u></strong><br />From I-15 southbound: Take exit 10 (Washington). Turn right off the ramp then take an immediate left at the light. That will put you onto Red Hills Parkway. Follow the parkway for about 5 miles while it parallels the interstate and then climbs over the Red Hill. Follow it to its intersection with Bluff Street/ SR-18. Proceed through that light and you will be on Snow Canyon Parkway. Follow it for approximately 3.5 miles and then turn right onto Snow Canyon Drive. Follow this road to the south entrance of the park.</p><p align="left"><strong><u>Zion National Park</u></strong><br />Situated in the southwestern corner of Utah near the Nevada and Arizona borders, Zion National Park is a convenient stop for those visiting Salt Lake City, Las Vegas or Grand Canyon National Park. Accessible from State Route 9 or Interstate 15, Zion offers visitors a variety of activities across several geographic regions. It started out as Mukuntuweap National Monument in 1909, but was granted national park status by the U.S. Congress in 1919.</p><p align="left">The highlight of Zion National Park is an expansive canyon. Averaging 2,000 feet deep, Zion Canyon offers hiking opportunities along its floor in the 20 to 30 foot wide area known as The Narrows and the challenging area known as The Subway. Swimming is also permitted in this area of the Virgin River.</p><p align="left">Other spectacular features of Zion include natural rock arches. Two of the most prominent are the Crawford and Kolob. One thousand feet above the canyon floor, Crawford Arch can be seen from the patio of the park's Human History Museum. Kolob Arch is visible by those hiking within the area of the park's Kolob Canyon. Other stone arches at Zion include Double Pine, Jughandle, Chinle Trail, and Hidden Arch</p><p align="left"><strong><u>Directions</u></strong><br />From Las Vegas: Travel I-15 north. Take exit 16 and travel through Hurricane. Make a right on U-9 at the second traffic light in LaVerkin. Continue on U-9 to the south entrance of the park. U-9 through Zion National Park is always open and is also called the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway.</p><p align="left"><strong><u>Canyonlands </u></strong><br />Canyonlands is a paradise for photographers. Under conditions of constantly changing light, the varicolored landscape provides limitless photographic opportunities. Often, the difference between an average photograph and an exceptional photograph is good lighting. Low sun angles at sunrise and sunset can add brilliant color to the rock. Scattered clouds can also add depth to an image and a passing storm can provide extremely dramatic lighting</p><p align="left"><strong><u>Park Contact Information</u></strong><br />Mailing Address<br />Canyonlands National Park<br />2282 SW Resource Blvd.<br />Moab, UT 84532</p><p align="left">Visitor Center GPS Coordinates<br />38.459798, -109.820675</p><p align="left">Website<br />www.nps.gov/cany/</p><p align="left">Phone<br />General Info (435) 719-2313<br />Distance from Moab 32 miles (51.5 km)</p><p align="left">Directions from Moab Take Highway 191 10 miles (16 km) north to Highway 313, and then drive southwest 22 miles (35 km). Driving time to the visitor center from Moab is roughly 40 minutes.</p><p align="left"><strong><u>Entrance Fee</u></strong> $25/vehicle - Good for 7 days (Subject to change)</p><p align="left">Visitor Center & Hours Canyonlands is open year-round, 24 hours a day. Visitor center operating hours vary depending on the season. The visitor center is closed on December 25th and January 1st. (435) 719-2313</p><p align="left">Canyonlands is the largest national park in Utah, and its diversity staggers the imagination. The easiest way to see the park is with a visit to the Island in the Sky district, only 32 miles (51.5 km) from Moab. The Island in the Sky offers many pullouts with spectacular views along the paved scenic drive. Hiking trails and four-wheel-drive roads access backcountry areas for day or overnight trips.</p><p align="left">The Island in the Sky sits atop a massive 1500 foot mesa, quite literally an Island in the Sky. Twenty miles (32.2 km) of paved roads lead to many of the most spectacular views in Canyon Country. From these lofty viewpoints visitors can often see over 100 miles (161 km) in any given direction, resulting in panoramic views that encompass thousands of square miles of canyon country. Take a short day-hike or spend a relaxing late afternoon enjoying the sunset. Whether you have a few hours to spend or a few days, the Island in the Sky provides an unforgettable Canyon Country experience for the entire family.</p><p align="left"><strong><u>SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES FOR THE WEEK</u></strong><br />A Few Hours - Drive the park’s 20 miles (32.2 km) of paved roads and enjoy the spectacular views. Sunrise and sunset are particularly beautiful times of day to enjoy these lofty panoramic views of canyon country. </p><p align="left">1/2 day Drive the paved scenic drive and hike some of the shorter trails, such as the Mesa Arch or Upheaval Dome Trails. A reent theory suggests that Upheaval Dome was created by a meteor impact.</p><p align="left">Full Day - Drive the paved scenic drive and hike some of the longer trails in the park, such as the 5 mile (8 km) round trip Neck Spring Trail. Those with high clearance/4WD vehicles can drive down the Shafer Trail to the White Rim and explore Musselman Arch, or drive all the way down to the Colorado River via Lathrop Canyon.</p><p align="left"><strong><u>Location</u></strong><br />Take Highway 191 10 miles (16 km) north to Highway 313, and then drive southwest 22 mi (35 km). Driving time to the visitor center from Moab is roughly 40 minutes</p><p align="left">The Colorado and Green rivers wind through the heart of Canyonlands, cutting through layered sandstone to form two deep canyons. Both rivers are calm upstream of the Confluence, ideal for canoes, kayaks and other shallow water craft. Below the Confluence, the combined flow of both rivers spills down Cataract Canyon with remarkable speed and power, creating a world-class stretch of white water</p><p align="left"><strong><u>Monument Valley</u></strong><br />Experience the Old West in Utah's Monument Valley, home to unique sandstone formations, the Navajo Indian Nation, and the Four Corners Monument.</p><p align="left">A 14-mile graded dirt road will show you around most of the major monuments (The Mittens, Three Sisters, John Ford’s Point, Totem Pole, Yei Bi Chai, Ear of the Wind), and Navajo guides can lead you deeper, into Mystery Valley, Hunts Mesa and more. A handful of outfits will show you through the area on horseback, just the way people have been exploring it for hundreds of years</p><p align="left">Elevation: 5,200 feet (1,585 meters)</p><p align="left">The spectacular scenery of Monument Valley is captivating year round. Sandstone formations with fanciful names like Mittens, Elephant Butte, Totem Pole, and North Window reveal their greatest beauty at sunrise and sunset, and can easily be viewed from the native surface road through the Tribal Park.</p><p align="left">Located on the southern border of Utah at an elevation of 5200 feet, Monument Valley and Oljato are surrounded by unique sandstone formations. Monument Valley is twenty-five miles southwest of Mexican Hat on US 163. Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park is located here, as is historic Gouldings Trading Post and Museum. The Valley is world renowned for its photographic possibilities. Since Stagecoach was filmed there in 1938, it has been a popular location for many feature films and television commercials.</p><p align="left">Oljato, located nine miles west of Monument Valley on County Road 2406, is a tiny Navajo community and Tribal Chapter Headquarters with a traditional Navajo trading post at its center. Oljato Trading Post is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Estimated population of the two communities in 2000 was 1600.</p><p align="left">A 17-mile dirt road through Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park is the best way to see the infamous formations. The scenic drive takes two to four hours, and has eleven designated stops: the East and West Mitten Buttes and Merrick Butte, Three Sisters, John Ford’s Point, Camel Butte, the Hub, Totem Pole, Yei B Chai, Sand Spring, Artist's Point, North Window, and the Thumb. Rain God Mesa marks the geological heart of the park and holds special significance for Navajo medicine men. Many of the formations in the park have been named by the Navajo for spiritual references, or by early settlers of the area.</p><p align="left">The Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park has a visitor center, restaurant, and campground. The visitor center offers Navajo-guided tours which include a visit to a Hogan, the traditional Navajo dwelling. Wildcat Trail, an easy three-mile loop around West Mitten Butte is the only trail within the park that doesn't require a Navajo guide. Hiking away from the designated stops is not permitted.</p><p align="left">Trails outside of the Tribal Park are unmarked and considered backcountry, requiring a $5 day-use permit from the visitor center. Monument Pass is accessible from the southeast side of Highway 163 and passes the Saddleback, King on His Throne, Stagecoach, Bear and Rabbit formations. The six-mile hike across mostly flat benches is moderate, although there are some rocky areas and small cliffs.</p><p align="left">Monument Valley can be reached from Bluff, Blanding, and Monticello by taking US Highway 191 to Highway 163, the main road through Monument Valley. This northern approach leads through one of the most familiar scenes: a long stretch of highway running through the deep red desert toward the towering mesas of Monument Pass on the horizon.</p><p align="left"><strong><u>Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park</u></strong><br />The Coral Pink Sand Dunes offers a well maintained 22-unit campground with pull-through parking, toilets, showers, picnic tables and grills. This is ATV Central with abundant off-highway tracks. Location: East Zion. Turn off 3 miles south of Jct. Hwy 9 & 89, then 8 miles.<br />Reservations: Call 1-800-322-3770</p><p align="left"> </p>
Date: Monday, April 25, 2016 - 9:30am
