Before getting to this weeks desktop, there's a couple of things I wanted to remind you about.  First, expect the next update to be on time.   Second, the previous weeks wallpaper is always still available by clicking the preview to the left found on this page.  Enjoy!

Above is this weeks free desktop. This week we go back to a truly wonderful park which has been featured here many, many times, welcome to Zion National Park. Located in southwest Utah, Zion NP was established in 1909 and features amazing sandstone cliffs among the highest in the world. For me, this is a three section park, not just by the variations in what you see within each, but also by the fact each of these sections requires access from a different route. The upper section is Kolob Canyon which is accessed off Interstate 15 and is complete with its own visitor center. This is a beautiful area which is lightly developed and offers some very intriguing day hikes along with the trailheads of major backcountry trails. The central section is the Upper and Lower Kolob Plateau which is the least developed of the three and is probably overlooked by most as it requires a bit of searching just to find it. This section is accessed by taking a rural road off of Route 9 in the town of Virgin and offers some great views along with some backcountry trailheads. Lastly, Zion Canyon is the main, highly developed section, is accessed by Route 9 as it runs straight through this section. When most people talk of Zion, this is what they are talking about. Because of the volume of visitors, most of Zion Canyon is accessed only through a shuttle bus, a service I have grown to enjoy. Now to this weeks picture, taken on the Watchman Trail in September 2005 near its beginning this is looking back up Zion Canyon. The Watchman is a fairly easy 3 mile round trip hike which gains just enough elevation (a little over 350 ft.) to provide a nice overlook of Springdale, UT, the campgrounds, the Visitor Center, and an interesting veiw back up Zion Canyon. I'm not goning to point anything out this time, but rather just let you enjoy the view. Zion National Park is a real treasure in America's park system. It provides visitors with an opportunity to explore this amazing landscape sculped by the Virgin River, but unless you can invest more just a single day here, you'll just get a glimpse of what this park has to offer. Check the links section for more info on Zion National Park.