Cedar City Sky Fest

Hot air balloonists will take to the skies over Cedar City Sept 12-14, as the community hosts its annual Sky Fest.

Balloons launch at 7 am. In addition, there will be radio control airplane aerobatics and static displays all three days, along with kite flying and other activities.

On Saturday the Lions Club will host a breakfast beginning at 7 am. At noon Saturday a remote controlled plane will drop candy to kids.

"The Saturday Night Glow" is a popular evening activity, with balloons and candles glowing at about 9:15 pm. There will also be live music by Two Much Fun Band.

See the event website for more information.

Salt Lake City Greek Festival

Salt Lake's annual Greek Festival runs Sept 4-7. It offers authentic food, dance, music and other cultural activities.

The lively event often attracts up to 50,000 attendees and also features art displays and both 5K and 10K runs.

Admission: Adult $3, Child (under 5) Free
Hours: Thu 9/ 4, Fri 9/5, Sat 9/6, Sun 9/7
Phone: 801.328.9681
Venue: Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral
Location: 279 S 300 West, Salt Lake City
Web Address: www.saltlakegreekfestival.com

Parunuweap vs the Zion Narrows

Everyone has heard of the famous Narrows hike in Zion - it is one of the most popular destinations in the national park. But few people have ever heard of its twin, a canyon called Parunuweap, which is just as beautiful and enjoyable,

The North Fork of the Virgin River flows through The Narrows and Zion Canyon. The East Fork of the Virgin flows through Parunuweap.

Few people know about Parunuweap because it is located in some of the most rugged country on earth. You can ride the park shuttle to the bottom of The Narrows, or drive a private car to the top, and then jump into the water and start hiking. But you can't get anywhere close to Parunuweap by automobile. You've got to hike to see this stunning area.

(The section of Parunuweap inside Zion National Park is closed to hiking. However, you can hike several miles of canyon on the east edge of the park, on land controlled by the BLM.)

I chose to explore Parunuweap over Labor Day weekend, looking for a great canyon without crowds of people. While hundreds waded up the Narrows, we had Parunuweap all to ourselves. We never saw another person during our entire trip.

The hike is very much like The Narrows, as you can see from my photos. The river flows through a narrow canyon, sometimes covering the entire canyon floor. The river is your path - you just follow it up or downstream. But Parunuweap is better, in my opinion. When you hike The Narrows you're in the water about 60% of the time. In Parunuweap it is more like 70%. And Parunuweap has more obstacles - including a couple challenging waterfalls.

Parunuweap is deeper, darker, more beautiful and more challenging - and there aren't any other people around. It's my kind of canyon.

I've now been in Parunuweap three times and I can't wait to go back. I'd love to do a week-long trek there.

I know of three ways to get into the BLM part of the canyon:

1 - Hike downstream from the Mt Carmel Junction area, following the river or a tributary. If you want to see the best of Parunuweap, and you come in from this direction, plan on a multi-day backpack trip.

2 - Hike along the ridge above Misery Gulch, into the center of what I consider to be the best of Parunuweap. You can also follow a technical canyoneering route through Misery, if you are up to multiple rappels and strenuous obstacles. You need good route finding skills to come in from this direction - there are no trails.

3 - Come in from Elephant Butte, on the south side of the canyon. From this trailhead it is a steep, rocky one-mile hike into the canyon. However, getting to the trailhead requires a serious four-wheel-drive trip through deep sand. Just finding this trailhead is an adventure requiring good route finding skills.

I'm not going to give more details. If you are interested, you'll have to hunt down the specifics. Just beware! This is the kind of adventure where people die if they are not prepared. If you get into the wrong drainage it may be impossible to get out. If it rains while you are in Parunuweap, or any of its side canyons, you'll be in serious trouble. In many spots you won't be able to escape flash flooding.

In Parunuweap you are on your own. There are no rangers to rescue you. No other people around.

Parunuweap is a spectacular destination, if you are up to serious adventure.
- Dave Webb

Snowbird Kicks Off 36th Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest swings into high gear this weekend at Snowbird Resort, in the mountains above Salt Lake City. This is the 36th season for the popular festivities.

Over the years, Oktoberfest has become Utah's premier celebration of German food, music, dance and fun.Some 70,000 visitors are expected to participate over the 13-day celebration. Popular attractions include Oktoberfest Halle, featuring the tastes of Bavaria with entertainment from local and national German bands and yodelers. Kinderland offers fun for children of all ages; Der Marktplatz will allow shoppers to browse through a variety of crafters.

The celebrations runs weekends through Oct 5.

See the festival web page for details.

Lake Powell's High Water Wows Visitors

The New York Times has this article about Lake Powell, where the water level is at a six-year high as the area recovers from drought. Below are excerpts.

“The red sands, the cliffs,” said Bill Floor as he readied his boat for a jaunt through a channel not open in years because receding waters left it dry. “Lake Powell has its own special spirit.”

Tom Rohn of Carefree, Ariz., and a friend, Wayne Campbell of Bellevue, Wash., found that the higher water allowed them to go deeper into the many inlets and canyons that rim the lake.

“We saw places we probably haven’t seen for many years,” Mr. Campbell said.

People new to the lake probably will not understand the excitement. Even at its low point it was still immense, its aqua-blue water a contrast to the jagged red and beige rocks around it.

“We came because it is in the desert and we do not see this in Italy,” said Federico Ventura of Milan, here with his family. “We did not know about the water. To me it is just a beautiful lake.”

Read the entire article.

The Secret Is Out About Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary has been nominated as one of the best "Secret Spots of the West" by readers of the LA Times. The sanctuary is located near Kanab, in southern Utah.

Times Writer Hugo Martín gives insights in this article. Below are excerpts.

"It's so peaceful there. It's just such a beautiful place to go," says Michele Johnson of Los Angeles, in nominating Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah.

Amid these 33,000 acres of sand, juniper and sagebrush, volunteers and sanctuary workers have built air-conditioned shelters, offices, banquet halls and outdoor enclosures to house and care for up to 2,000 abandoned animals, including horses, goats, pigs, birds, dogs, cats and rabbits. The rescued animals include 22 dogs confiscated from NFL quarterback Michael Vick's kennels in the Virginia dog-fighting case. The sanctuary is a short drive from Zion National Park, the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, an easy side trip for vacationers enjoying some of the Southwest's best national parks.

As I drove across the Utah desert from Las Vegas, I wondered why people would spend their precious few vacation days caring for abandoned animals under the hot summer sun. You'd have to be a bit nutty to trade in a day of hiking through Zion's sweet clover and Indian paintbrushes to scoop up horse manure or refill dog bowls at an animal sanctuary, right?

Zion Park Centennial Events

The Zion Park area was first given national recognition and protection in 1909, when it was designated a national monument.

Several commemorative events are scheduled for the near future. Below are excerpts from articles describing some of them.

Zion National Park to host gala event
"Zion National Park Foundation and Zion Canyon Field Institute will host a social evening celebrating the Centennial of Zion National Park on Sept. 20.

"The event will serve as a fundraiser in the foundation’s efforts to rehabilitate the historic grotto museum which is the oldest standing building in the park. Upon completion of its facelift, the building will house the artist-in-residence program."

Celebrate Zion wonders
"Zion didn't receive national park status until 1919, but it was recognized for its beauty in 1909, when it was designated as Mukuntuweap National Monument. According to "A History of Washington County: From Isolation to Destination," by Doug Alder and Karl Brooks, The monument designation came after a survey report by St. George resident Leo A. Snow shared the secret of what has become a place of sanctuary befitting its name.

"The St. George Art Museum - along with the park, the Zion Natural History Association and the St. George Area Convention and Visitors' Bureau - is sponsoring an exhibit starting Aug. 25 of 76 historic paintings and 68 contemporary works detailing the wonders and history of the park."