Sabbath in Zion

Good Sabbath from Zion National Park.  This is some of God's best work!  It is truly majestic here.  We did two hikes....a river hike of two miles...then lunch...and finally a 1.2 mile hike to Emerald Pool.  I will write more later.
Back from dinner at the Spotted Dog....there's a story about the way it got its name. Maybe I'll go into that, maybe not :)
Well what can we say, "We are record breakers!"  We have experienced record high temps almost everywhere we've been on this trip!  Today it was 100 degrees.  O.K., it's the desert and it's dry...but 100!!!!!!!!!!  It was quite cool this morning when we went on the ranger narrated shuttle trip.  And our first hike along the Virgin River was quite cool....needed a sweater.  But by the time we finished that hike it was already getting warm.  Our afternoon hike was O.K. when we were in the shade, but the sun was definitely uncomfortable.  When we arrived at the Emerald Pool, there was a mist coming out of the rocks and it felt good to be in the cool misted air.
The sheer sandstone rock walls here are the right type for sheer wall climbing.  We watched them through the binoculars and at one point I was able to zoom in and get a pretty good picture of a couple people lounging on the rock wall enjoying a bite of lunch.  INSANE!  Our ranger guide said that the climbers have fewer accidents than average folks who walk too near the edge of cliffs, or wear unsafe shoes, etc.  
Ranger Sarah gave us great information on the anthropology of the area.  The water source, Virgin River, was what sustained the people and made it possible to live here.
The rock formations have wonderful names.  The three patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the Angels Landing, the Great White Throne, the Altar of Sacrifice, for example, are perfect for a Canyon named Zion.
Another interesting fact had to do with the small water falls dropping and dripping from the rocks.  Some of the water that we saw seeping down was over a thousand years old.  The sandstone is pourous and the snowmelt from the top makes its way down.  The geologists can carbon date some of the mineral particles in the water and actually determine its age!!!  That was an exciting fun fact.  
There were many small flowers, yellow, purple, white, and occasionally red. The water source makes it possible for this to be quite a lush area...surprising fact.
God blessed us with a wonderfully worshipful experience in one part of His wonderful creation and we are so thankful we can be here.