Before getting to this weeks desktop, I want to fill you in on why the last weekly update is around 20 months late, I do think any one checking here deserves it.  First, the afternoon I sat down to do the July something 2006 update, a freak storm blew through here, 100 mph straight line winds, lots of damage, and for me, four days without power.  Three weeks of doing necessary repairs, then three weeks on a vacation out west, followed by two months with a medical issue along with completing repairs I left, and finally 16 months of procrastinating pretty much puts us right here, March 2008.  I think the break has cleared my perspective on displaying my photography, I know the site started to be a real grind back in 2006.  I am confident the regular weekly, Wednesday update will be appearing as it should, every week, and I hope you come back here weekly to experience the new Semi-Charmed Life.  Enjoy!

Above is this weeks free desktop.  Returning to a real gem of a park this time, welcome to the wonderful Zion National Park.  Zion NP is located in southwestern Utah and offers visitors magnificent scenery found nowhere else on earth.  The sandstone cliffs found here are among the highest in the world, but to just talk about their height does them a great injustice as their beauty is where the focus truly needs to be.  To me, this park feels almost like three parks, divided by the need to access each from a different path plus you simply get a different "vibe" from them.  The main section is Zion Canyon, a mainly "shuttle service only" access area which is reached via Hwy 9 though the East or South entrance.  Offering a beautiful canyon, the Virgin River, high cliffs, shimmering pools, waterfalls, and hikes to staggering overlooks, when most people talk of going to Zion, this is where they went.  The center section is comprised of the lower & upper Kolob Plateau with Lava Point.  This is the least developed portion of the park, but offers an entertaining 30 plus mile round trip drive (over 40 miles if you go all the way to the Kolob Reservoir) off of Hwy 9 rewarding you with some truly entertaining views and access to some backcountry trails.  The northern section is Kolob Canyons and is only accessible from Interstate 15 (well, you can hike in on a backcountry trail too), and is over 40 miles from the main section of the park.  The photo this week was taken in September 2005 looking north near the beginning of the West Rim Trail in Zion Canyon.  This trail whines out of the canyon and in to Zion's backcountry, but it is also has a spur to one of the exciting trek found here, Angel's Landing.  In the foreground, you see the rather low Virgin River while just to the left of center and bathed in the morning light is the aforementioned Angel's Landing.  Angel's rises close to 1500ft above the canyon floor where I am standing and the view from the top is unbelievable.  The 5 mile round trip is classed as strenuous, not just because of the elevation change you experience, but also because the last 1/2 mile is a scramble on a trail which at times narrows to 4-5 feet wide with sheer 1000 ft drops on both sides.  This was probably one of the most mentally demanding hikes I have ever been on as it can test your nerves if you have any issues with heights (like I do), but at least for me, it was completely worth the trouble.  With the layout of Zion the way it is and volume of things to see, really makes this a multiple day park, one day just isn't enough to fit it all in. (;