by Christian Williams
This Christmas day dawned bright, clear blue skies, and beautiful mild temperatures. It was a nice day to spend at the park, so we walked down a trail near Pine Creek and found this spectacular display of icicles, still hanging despite the mild weather.
by Karen Williams
I first learned the name of Manzanita while hiking with Chris, his cousin Amy, and his Uncle Bill. Bill taught us the name of many plants and animals on that first backpacking trip, but we always remembered manzanita because of its prevalence in Zion National Park. Until this project, I had never seen it in bloom. Usually manzanita, which is an evergreen shrub, is covered in only leaves, but this winter I saw for the first time these small flowers on the plant. Although it is not a spectacular flower, I love the way this plant looks, covering the desert landscape with its unique red bark, glossy green leaves, and small red buds.