Day 3 -- Cedar City to Kolob Canyons and back.

Headed out early and got on the freeway to drive 19 miles south to the Kolob Canyons section of Zion National Park.  It is right off the freeway and we drove up to the visitor center to present my golden pass.  The ranger gave us some maps and told us we were the first of the day, so to be careful of any rocks that may have fallen on the road.  He recommended a trail at the end of the scenic drive (half mile) and another longer one (5mi) than followed a creek through the canyon.  He said that one would probably be muddy with melting snow.

We did run into some other people, so maybe they didn't check in or were camping.  BEAUTIFUL scenery. We took the first trail and discovered it was very muddy with patches of snow.  That sucking mud that tries to remove your shoes. 

 We continued on and were rewarded with beautiful views Coming back was even more muddy and we wondered how far the folks we ran into going up the trail with flip flops and another family with a stroller were going to get. There was a pile of snow at the parking lot that made for a great shoe cleaning station.

 Hard to describe so I'll just let the pictures do the rest of the blog.  

After a morning at Kolob, we went back to Cedar City for a Mexican lunch.  Then we drove up highway 14 for a while and took in the wonderful rock formations and color.  Since Cedar Breaks National Monument is closed for the winter, we turned back and parked at the Cedar Canyon Park just outside of town and walked along the paved (no mud) Coal Creek Walking Trail for an enjoyable 4 mile walk along the creek.

We are off wine tasting this evening for dinner.  Off to the mail Zion Park tomorrow.