was into Kolob Canyon. It was added as part of Zion National Park in 1937 and was a very short drive from St. George. We used our Annual Park Pass to get into the 5 mile long scenic drive through the park.
The red cliffs and rock structures were really striking! We drove the scenic road stopping at several of the pull-offs to take photos. At the end of the road was a
parking area with hiking paths. We took the .5 mile walk to the Timber Creek Overlook. This magnificent view stretches for miles and you can actually see the plateau that is the north rim of the Grand Canyon! The sun was warm but the wind was quite cool as 
evidenced by the patches of snow on the red mountain peaks nearby. I figured, since we were going to do some hiking, I would outfit myself properly! I had my walking stick, binoculars, coat, and even had my ankles wrapped for the climb. Just call me Mr. Outdoorsman!
Believe it or not, just after this picture was taken my cell phone rang and it was our friends Jim and Shirley asking us what we were up to. It was kind of weird being out on a trail in this canyon and getting a telephone call. Modern technology!
At one of the pull-overs, we saw a Western Bluebird and I took a photo of it as he nicely posed at the top of a pine tree (enlarge photo to see it). We were standing at an elevation of approximately 7000 ft. Pretty wild! The red rocks jutting out from the earth coupled with the white snow and the green trees made a terrific contrast of color. Peg liked to read the information on the plaques as we sojourned along the red asphalt road through the canyon.
The views were just a prelude to what we would see
as we ventured to Zion and Bryce National Parks in the coming days. We were glad we took the time to see this often overlooked place in the national park system!
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