Day 217: April 30, 2005 - Beautiful Zion

by Christian Williams
On days like this I'm reminded Zion is among the most beautiful places on earth. There is a special place in my heart for red and white cliffs with a partially cloudy blue sky. I love the curved lines in the rock, layer upon layer, crisscrossing in different directions marking some change in geology thousands of years ago.

Day 216: April 29, 2005 - View Across Hwy 9

by Christian Williams
Conceptually, I divide Zion into 4-5 main parts. Parunaweap Canyon; which is off limits to most visitors (special permit), East Zion, Main Canyon, Kolob, and the North Creek/Coalpits Wash area. I spent most of my time in East Zion, because it's very rugged with few hikers or tourists due to the lack of publicized trails. With Highway 9 running right through the middle of East Zion it's also very easy to be completely away from civilization, even though the car is only a short walk away.

Day 215: April 28, 2005 - Beauty in the Jungle

by Christian Williams
The more I look at this photo, the more I like it, because it seems so unchariteristically like Zion. But Zion is filled with an abundance of diversity.

Day 214: April 27, 2005 - Clear Creek

by Christian Williams
As I hiked along the river in a secluded canyon, I enjoyed the complete solitude that can be found in remote areas of Zion. There were no people, and no sound I could hear except the rushing water that surrounded me.

Day 213: April 26, 2005 - Super Size Me

by Christian Williams
Zion is filled with super-sized versions of everything you expect to find in nature - towering trees, looming tall mountains, and wide open skies of blue.

Day 212: April 25, 2005 - Cockeye Falls

by Karen Williams
On this beautiful sunny day, I stopped to view Cockeye Falls, a waterfall only present occasionally on rainy days or when there is sufficient snow melting in the upper areas of Zion.

Day 211: April 24, 2005 - Fragrant Sand Verbena

by Karen Williams
As the sun was setting, I decided to go walk near the river, hoping to take some interesting photographs with the reflections on the water. However, as I walked toward the river, I found this small patch of flowers. Their scent was surprisingly strong and sweet. I was surprised. I had not seen these before in Zion, and spent the next hour taking pictures of them.

It wasn't until later that I came across an entire field of Fragrant Sand Verbena in Zion's backcountry. Then I realized Sand Verbena is commonly facing up. It is only in the evening, as the light from the sun is fading, that the flowers turn over like shown in this photograph.

An interesting note on this photograph. After setting up the tripod and exploring the best angles, I took several photos of the flowers with the surrounding background visible. The sudden thought occured to me that I'd like to isolate the flowers, with nothing else visible, so I took off my jacket and placed it in the background to block out all the ambient light. The resulting photograph ended up being one of my favorites.

Day 210: April 23, 2005 - Cheeky Little Lizard

by Karen Williams
I love lizards, and cannot resist any opportunity I get to photograph them up close. This little guy was obviously not in the mood to run around. He just lay on his log and watched me walk around him taking pictures. I think he looks a little tired out, or maybe annoyed, but Chris says he thinks it looks like a pouty glamour shot. I don't know how much emotion lizards really put into their photo shoots, but I enjoyed taking pictures anyway.

I have been informed by my uncle that this lizard is a sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus graciosus). I think I should start consulting him before posting reptile pictures, since he is always sure to know what species I have found!

Day 209: April 22, 2005 - Spring Flowers

by Karen Williams
I wish I knew what this flower is called, but I cannot seem to find that information anywhere. I only recall seeing it bloom in the early spring, and the beautiful delicate flowers grow in bunches. The petals are soft and thin, and seem as though the slightest wind would blow them away. I love exploring Zion in the spring, when multitudes of new flowers are blooming. They each seem to have their favorite spots in Zion, so hiking in a new area means discovering new plantlife. When I stumbled across this patch of flowers, I stayed and took a variety of pictures, trying to capture their soft, delicate beauty in the early hours of the day.

Day 208: April 21, 2005 - Rushing River

by Karen Williams
There is usually a dry wash that meanders through East Zion, but this year, that dry wash was almost always a river. With the large amounts of snow and rainfall in 2004-2005, this usually dry desert became an oasis alive with the sound of flowing water.

Day 207: April 20, 2005 - Beautiful Day on the East Rim Trail

by Karen Williams
On this beautiful spring afternoon I hiked along the popular East Rim Trail. I was struck by just how many hikers had gone before me, as can be seen by all the footprints along the sandy trail. Despite the appearance of popularity, however, I met no one on the trail. Instead I was able to enjoy a solitary afternoon in this beautiful area of Zion National Park. I spent a lot more time enjoying the hike than taking pictures, but this particular photo showcases some of the rugged beauty found on the East Rim Trail.

Day 206: April 19, 2005 - Flowers in the Snow

by Karen Williams
While out hiking I found some last remnants of snow. It hasn't snowed for awhile, but in some of the shady canyons, small icy areas still remain. These little flowers have pushed through the ice to bloom as a reminder that spring has come, even as the last reminders of winter melt away.

Day 205: April 18, 2005 - Tiny Spiny Desert Flowers

by Karen Williams
Life in the desert is plentyful, but often on a smaller scale and found in the places you least expect. The scale of this tiny flower can be seen by grains of sand within the spiny flower buds.

Day 204: April 17, 2005 - Layers of Beauty

by Christian Williams
One of the beautiful things about Zion is the incredible amount of depth in every scene. Layer upon layer of bright red sandstone and white slick rock stretching as far as the eye can see. The rock formation in the forground of this photo reminds me of the many layers, each one adding to the next and contributing to the beauty of Zion National Park.



by Christian Williams
Indian Paint brush is one of the most beautiful desert flowers in Zion National Park. These bright red, eye catching bushes are impossible to miss when they are in full bloom. This day, I hiked up the side of this rock wall, and into the canyons beyond.

Day 203: April 16, 2005 - Hungry Lizard

by Karen Williams
I followed this beautiful lizard around for awhile. He was quite large, and therefore not as fast as the speedy little guys, so I was able to get closer to him.


by Karen Williams
As I was watching him, along came a caterpillar, which the lizard gobbled right up in front of me!

Day 202: April 15, 2005 - Shadow Mountain

by Christian Williams
I love the contrast of light and dark that sunrise brings to Zion. As the sun rises in the east, shadows appear to stretch out across the backsides of all the rocky peaks and from the canyons below.

Day 201: April 14, 2005 - Sunburst Tower

by Christian Williams
This tower is actually several times my height. It's amazing how it's just sitting out in the open after thousands of years of erosion with a little hat-like rock layer on top.

Day 200: April 13, 2005 - Endless Rock and Sky

by Christian Williams
It's impossible for me to ever tire of hiking through and looking at endless scenes of red and white rock and bright blue skies.

Day 199: April 12, 2005 - The Wall

by Christian Williams
I hiked out of the shadows below and looked back toward the east across Zion. This great towering wall of sheer rock, reaching straight up toward the sky left an impression on me of how small we are and how large Zion is.

Day 198: April 11, 2005 - Pine Creek Bridge

by Christian Williams
It was a beautiful sunny day, and I was drawn to the light reflecting off the surface of the Pine Creek and unto the bridge above.

Day 197: April 10, 2005 - Butterflies (or Moth) and Lizards

by Karen Williams
At first glance, I thought this Moth, positioned perfectly in the sunlight against the shadows was posing as a Monarch Butterfly. But on closer inspection, it's antenae were not like those on a typical moth. After a bit of research, but no answer, I decided I was happy with the ambiguity. It looks like a Butterfly, similar to a Monarch Butterfly, but since it's not, I'll assume it's a Moth.


by Karen WilliamsI just love the sly grin on every lizard's face as he stares at you, wondering if he should stay perfectly still or run for his life.

Day 196: April 9, 2005 - Lines in the Cove

by Christian Williams
This small cove is sandstone bowl in East Zion which transforms into a waterfall everytime it rains. As I walked around inside the bowl, I was immediately drawn to the hourglass lines of stone and light.

Day 195: April 8, 2005 - High in Kolob

by Karen Williams
Kolob is a part of Zion National Park, and we felt it was a bit neglected from our project, being almost a 2 hour drive from our house. This day we drove out to admire the sweeping landscape of Kolob. The Kolob mountains on the left, tower above the La Verkin Creek Trail down below. The valley floor continues to grow deeper and deeper as the Virgin River, unseen in the distance, carves it's way through Zion National park.

Day 194: April 7, 2005 - Running Water

by Christian Williams
The snow continued to melt on top of the East Rim, flooding all the side canyons down below with icy cold water.

Day 193: April 6, 2005 - Slot Canyon Light

by Christian Williams
I'd been to this section of the canyon before, but tonight I was walking around with a spot light making long exposures on rocks or fallen trees while I briefly shined the stop light on the scene to brighten the image.

Day 192: April 5, 2005 - High on Deer Trap Mountain

by Christian Williams

This was a day I was more interested in hiking than photography. I took this picture after hiking up a side canyon from East Zion. I hiked this same canyon the previous day, and turned back after I realized the canyon wouldn't end any time soon. On this day, I returned and hiked all the way to the top, and had to climb hand over hand up loose, dislodged slate rock. This photo looks back towards the road, which is at the bottom of the canyon and out of sight.


by Christian Williams
Once I made it to the top, I realized I was on Deer Trap Mountain, which is a large plateau linking East Zion to the Main Canyon. I walked across the top, which was still covered in snow in most places. Here you can see what remains from the Park Service-induced controlled burn, forest fire which took place on the first day we started our 365 Days in Zion project.

Day 191: April 4, 2005 - Reflections in the Shade

by Christian Williams
Highway 9, which stretches across East Zion is one of my favorite roads in the world. It's beautiful to drive across, but even more fun to stop at even bend in the road, and hike up the side canyon. During the course of this year we hiked up ever side canyon off of Hwy 9. Sometimes the canyon would end within a few hundred yards, but often it would stretch on for a couple miles or more.

Day 190: April 3, 2005 - Creeping Crawlers

by Karen Williams

Today I encountered this beautiful spider web, complete with spider. Luckily I saw it before I hiked right on through it...

by Karen Williams
Today was a good day for creepy crawlers. This monstrous caterpillar was creeping all over this wall climbing plant. It was fascinating to watch the way it moved over the leaves.

Day 189: April 2, 2005 - Flowers and Sheep

by Karen Williams

This macro shot compiles a variety of textures, from soft flowers, to spiny plants, to gritty sand.

by Karen Williams
I was surprised to find the domestic sheep still running around Zion today. Apparently they have gotten really good at evading predators as well as shepherds.

Day 188: April 1, 2005 - Through the Rock

by Christian Williams

I noticed this tree growing straight out of the rock, and marvelled at the roots which suck up moisture through cracks the rock from the river below.

by Christian Williams
This little moth stayed perfectly still as if posing for the picture.