Kolob Terrace Rd - Mar 2009

My goodness, what a lovely drive the Kolob Terrace Road turned out to be. We had read that this was a scenic excursion, but one that is rarely taken since it begins outside of Zion Park. The road begins in the town of Virgin -- a few miles outside of the park -- and it travels alongside North Creek (a tributary of the Virgin River) all the way up to Kolob Reservoir at 7,900' elevation. Part of the road goes through a section of Zion Park and there are several trails that begin in this section of the park.

The end of the road (near the reservoir) was still closed because of snow, but we were able to go almost to the top of "The Terrace" and enjoyed wonderful views from there.

The road was clear and dry for most of the way, but right near the end, the snow banks began to rise on the sides of the road.

We stopped at a picnic area to stretch our legs and enjoy the scenery.

A nearby puddle of melted snow gave me a great reflection photo.

We let the dogs out to romp in the snow. They had great fun and were frisking about like young pups.

I caught Scotty with all four feet in the air in this picture -- and he is about to land on virgin snow. I loved this photo -- not only because it's Scotty, but also because it captured him (and his shadow) in flight. His aging, arthritic legs don't let him frolick much anymore, so when he does, my heart sings with joy.

I loved the speckled look of the knoll -- I named it Leopard Butte.


Spring is near -- as we returned to the campground, we passed a few trees with pink blossoms -- maybe cherry trees? They were very fragrant.