Slickrock and Shadow

Grapevine Springs, Zion is a wall of seeping water coming out of sandstone. Grapevine Springs is the namesake for the "Grapevine" trail in Zion National Park.  Thinking this must be a big deal because it has it's own trailhead, I wondered why nobody ever writes about it, hikes to it nor are there any pictures of it on record that I can discover via Google Search. So I went on a hike to discover this spring and assess its' merits and beauties myself.  Hiking upstream from the Grapevine trail, one must keep a lookout for water coming from the left.  Follow this water up a nonexistent trail through and over many branches and you will arrive at a wall.  This is a magic wall with water dripping and ferns clinging.  I can't say it's a big deal but the subtle attraction and the sense of discovery and privacy is rewarding. Grapevine Spring:  Shot in the Water -- Camera got plenty wet for this photo. Closeup of Ferns and dripping water.  This has ...

Pinhead Pictograph Portrait! Because of its' near-ness and "secret" status, Shaman's gallery pictographs in Tuckup Canyon are often discussed like they are legendary.  My local contacts have told me about this place for years and I finally decided to make the trip.  If you search a little bit, you'll discover these are on the main Tuckup Trail that descend into Tuckup Canyon. Finding it on Google Maps is easy.  Finding it in reality is a bit more difficult because the roads have no signs and they criss-cross a lot.  Without my GPS and some waypoints I'd entered ahead of time, I would not have found the right road to the trailhead.  If you go, take a GPS and make sure you know what roads you should be taking.  It will not be obvious once you are there. The trail is well-maintained and going down it quick and easy.  The descent is about 2,000 vertical feet over about 3 miles.  The canyon is pretty without being gorgeous. GPS is also very ...