Snow Capped

It has been quite awhile since posting anything, but today’s trip came just as we decided to start posting again. My sincere apologies for the long lapse in blogs.

Today wasn’t planned and wouldn’t have happened if Tom hadn’t jumped in to save it. He is always thoughtful and overcame obstacles to make it happen, like he has done so many times. He came up with the plan and got us going this morning (not always an easy task with me), fought the strong winds and traffic on the roads, maneuvered safely through icy and snowdrifted roads and parking areas, and got us safely back to the motorhome. I am extremely grateful for all he went through to make the day wonderful. Thank you!

I’ve been in a dreary doldrum for quite a while, but I’m seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Just writing this to share with all of you feels good. We will share more about this down time later, but for now, look at what we saw today!

We have been to Cedar Breaks National Monument before, noting at that time that it would be awesome see it again when covered in snow. Lucky for us, the weather cooperated and it snowed up there recently as we were camped just down the road in Hurricane, Utah. It turned what was a stunning place before into something glorious! All of that snowiness flocked atop the spires and ledges of crimson rock, the patterns of stripes and swirls glazed with wintry delight. Do I see gothic cathedrals, the root system of trees, chevrons, or modern architecture? The whiteness of the snow, brightened by the sunlight, accentuated the lines and layers of rock below.

Each of the first three overlooks treated us to fantastic views across the immensely eroded rocks of this monument. Changing the angle of the viewpoint at each location opened up different crevices, spires, or hoodoos for our visual delight. As we went farther up the road, the wind became stronger and more bitter against our faces. We had one last viewpoint to see, the North View Overlook, but the winds made it unbearable. The pathway was drifted chest-deep, and the wind-whipped snow pellets made it feel like we were being ice-blasted. We barely got on the trail, feeling much colder than the 17°F the Liberty's thermometer reported, before saying we aren’t doing this one. The wind felt like it might have blown us over the edge if we actually made it out there. If we had made it out there and back, we surely would have icicles hanging from our noses, like the sign at the start of the trail.

Those same winds plastered the boughs of evergreens with snow and frost, fittingly as the holiday season is approaching, albeit a wee early. The cerulean skies behind them provided the perfect backdrop. It would have felt like an old fashioned Christmas scene if we only had lights to string along the branches.

Around one of the corners, we came upon a vehicle that had slid off the road. His buddy was there with a pickup truck, but had no way to tow him out. We had our trusty old tow strap with us, which we offered up. They dug the snow out from underneath and hooked the strap up to each vehicle. It took a little grunt to get moving, but they soon had the stranded minivan back up on the road. They were so thankful and we were glad we could help.

We are thankful that we were able to see Cedar Breaks in the snow like we had wanted. We are even more thankful that we were not here for the worst part of the winter. A sign at the visitor center notes how much snow is there each year, and they are all over my head. 166-inches was the most noted on the sign, with 2023 reporting at 141-inches.

Again, thank you for sticking with us and asking where we have been!

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