Archive for the ‘Wildlife’ Category

Zion National Park – Top Ten Things To Do!

Thursday, March 7th, 2013

This list of the Top Ten things to do in Zion National Park will give you some ideas for what will be best for you and your traveling companions.

1- Scenic Drive: The drive between the east and west gates of Zion National Park on highway 9 is a great drive, but the drive up into the main canyon at Zion, the so-called scenic drive, is quite spectacular.   Access this drive by going down into the park and turning right after you have passed the tunnel and descended to the canyon floor:

2- Overlook & Zion Tunnel: From the east gate, just before you get to the Zion tunnel you will find two areas where you can park your car.   From here you can climb a short set of stairs and walk to the west toward an overlook of part of the main canyon.  This is the easiest hike in the park that allows you to see from the top-down.

3- Narrows Trail: At the top of the main canyon there is a mile-long paved path that is called the Riverside Walk.  This trail leads deeper into what is called The Narrows section of the park.  At the end of the paved trail you have the option of walking in the river as far up The Narrows as you wish.   Check for details on water levels at the park information center.

4- Zion Narrows: The Zion Narrows is a 16 mile long section of the Virgin River that varies in width but is where steep rock faces form the sides of the river.   This area is quite surreal and is one of the most unique hiking experiences in America.   You can start at the bottom on the Narrows Trail and go up, but some intrepid hikers will start at the top and hike down.  The upper trail-head for this hike is most easily accessible from Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort.

Standing under the overhang where water exits the sandstone at Weeping Rock

5- Weeping Rock: During the main season, you can ride the shuttle to various points of interest.  One of the best is Weeping Rock where the water seeps down from the upper plateau, through the sandstone, and exits in a rock alcove.   In the spring or during a rain storm you’ll also see a waterfall here.

6- Emerald Pools: This is one of the most popular hikes in the park and leads from the Virgin River (mid-canyon) to two different pools of water up against the cliff faces.  This is a mildly strenuous ascent that leads to a point where waterfalls may also be visible at certain times of year or after a rain.

Angels Landing

From Angels Landing hikers can see the road for the scenic drive in the valley below.

7- Angels Landing: Perhaps one of the most dramatic and exciting hikes in America.  Visitors ascend mid-canyon along the face of a rock cliff, and then enter a narrow upper canyon before ascending on a back-and-forth section of trail called Walter’s Wiggles.  Beyond this you will traverse a narrow fin with a drop-off on both sides (1,000+ feet) and then ascend the last section of the hike along a spine that leads to the top of Angels Landing.

8- Observation Point: From Zion Ponderosa you can walk across the plateau to Observation Point, or you may begin a much more strenuous four-mile hike from the bottom of the park near Weeping Rock.  This hike takes you to one of the highest views of the main canyon.

Bighorn Sheep Zion

Bighorn Sheep are prevalent in Zion National Park and commonly seen.

9- Wildlife Viewing: Year-round you may be able to view deer, wild turkeys, and large birds such as eagles, condors, hawks, and ravens.  Bighorn sheep also inhabit the park’s upper east side (above the tunnel) and it is quite common to see these large animals near the road.

10- Court of the Patriarchs: One of the more remarkable views is found just after you enter the main canyon (on your right).  Here you’ll find a stopping point with a short walk (100 yards) to a view point for three large formations referred to as the Court of the Patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob).

Read more about Zion National Park – here!

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Posted in Activities, Day Trips, National Parks, Outdoor Adventures, Things To Do, Wildlife, Zion Narrows, Zion National Park, Zion Ponderosa, hiking | No Comments »

Winter at Zion Ponderosa

Friday, January 11th, 2013

Vacations homes at Zion Ponderosa blanket by snow.

It’s mid-January and now is the time to visit  for those who want a serene experience at ZionNational Park.  Zion Ponderosa sits at 6,500 feet and on top of the eastern plateau at Zion National Park.   We get some snow up here around our vacation homes which are open from December through February while the rest of the resort is quiet.

Vacation homes are open year-round and you can bring your own groceries, stay with us, and then venture into the park in a couple of different ways.  Our vacation homes are large and luxurious cabins in a gated community at Zion Ponderosa.

Zion Park Winter

Zion National Park in Winter - Snow on peaks but clear in the canyon.

1- Walk across the plateau to the rim to gaze down.  You can do this any time of year, but in winter you can often snowshoe or cross country ski to the rim, depending on snow levels.

2- Drive to the east gate of the park (seven miles) and spend time on the east part of the park, or descend into the main canyon (through the tunnel) and enjoy the hikes and scenery at the 4,000 foot level.

Wild Turkeys Zion

Wild Turkeys traverse an open meadow on the plateau above Zion National Park

Wildlife viewing, is particularly good during the winter months at Zion National Park.  Eagles, wild turkeys, deer, bighorn sheep, and other large birds and animals are very prevalent at this time of year.   However you experience Zion National Park, you’ll enjoy winter’s quiet serenity among the Ponderosa pines at Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort. Learn more here…

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Oasis on the Plateau

Monday, June 20th, 2011

Here east of Zion, we don’t usually see the lush greens that fill the canyon below. Zion Ponderosa is much more of a desert, with shrubby bushes and short trees filling most of the space. But this doesn’t deter our gardener. Zac has taken the responsibility of creating an organic garden here on site to provide herbs, vegetables, flowers, and more to our kitchen staff for cooking and decorating. By the end of the summer, it will form a small oasis here in the desert.

Situated just north of our mini ATV track on a little plot of land, the garden is beginning to look beautiful. It is part of a sustainability project designed by one of the resort’s intern, Thiago. Along with the garden, this new project will include a recycling initiative, Green Team, and more ways to lower the resort’s carbon footprint.

Our Oasis

Zac at our Organic Garden

The garden is still in its early stages because of the late winter we had here on the plateau. Surrounded by a log fence, the garden is divided into several sections. In the little plots, a wide range of produce has been planted. An herb spiral supports golden sage, lemon thyme, cilantro, Italian parsley, and more. Many of these herbs are almost ready to be clipped daily for our kitchen. Nearby is a row of carrots and onions – planted together to reduce pests. Carrot flies don’t like onions and vice-versa. In the next plot are six kinds of tomatoes. “My favorite is Mr. Stripey. It’s one of the heirlooms and it’s really called that,” Zac told me. Seven kinds of peppers also grow here now. Although it will be three years until they produce, we even have asparagus in our garden. Further back are beans, corn, sunflowers, and a wide range of gourds, including pumpkins. Zac has filled an old trash bin with soil to grow potatoes in.

After giving me the tour, Zac explained several of his organic methods of gardening. He was happily surprised to find that the soil here is quite good quality already and that has made this venture much easier. To further enrich the garden he uses natural fertilizers. Using kitchen scraps and horse manure from our horses he makes compost. It’s been breaking down quickly and will be ready for use in the garden in about two weeks. Until then, he is using a basic, all-purpose organic fertilizer from a local store. Some of the top-growth plants are also given blood meal to encourage more growth. The garden is watered using what Zac calls “Rabbit Poop Soup,” a mixture of rabbit poop from our petting zoo, molasses, and water.

The entire garden has been designed to use supplies already here on site. Old straw from the barn and wood chips from our wood pile are being used to hold moisture in the ground and protect produce from sitting on the ground – which can result in disease. The trellis for beans, sunflowers, and corn was found behind the recreation barn. Each little plot is lined in discarded wood. It makes for a mismatched, relaxed look that is really quite charming. Even the fence was built using old logs that an employee had at his furniture shop and was planning on discarding.

In addition to all it offers by way of produce, the garden will be a beautiful sight up on the dry plateau. Zac wants to put a bench or two up along the edge of the garden for guests to sit at and enjoy. We even have an entry arch with a sign. Be sure to stop by during your stay! Say hi to Zac and see how our garden is coming along.

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Posted in Dining, Family, National Parks, Organic Garden, Resort, Uncategorized, Wildlife, Zion National Park, Zion Ponderosa | No Comments »