In Search of Warmth in California, Utah, and Arizona in February (page 6 of 13)

Hello Guillaume,

Just back from Arizona this past weekend, I’m savoring your travel journal. I got chills reading the white domes episode. That hike is one of our top picks (I once stepped into quicksand!!), and even though we had great conditions back then (June 2017), extreme conditions or the context can turn a hike into something exceptional and unforgettable—that’s exactly what happened here. Next time, given your kids’ level, you could even take the Water Canyon route. Your kids are awesome, kudos to them. I totally connect with your way of traveling, storytelling, organizing, hiking, etc. ... Simply a beautiful travel journal.

See you, Julien

Hey Pascal! 😏😏 LOL! Your little story is hilarious, I love it 😏!! Diamina’s gonna choke on her breakfast laughing again 😉...

Guillaume still thinks he’s 20, so it’s reassuring when the kids are there to keep an eye on him.

The worst part is she says this to me all the time, then drags the kids into it as witnesses!

Hey Julien! Thanks for your comment 🙂!

Just back from Arizona

I’ve been waiting for your new travel journal! It shouldn’t be long now... 🙂

This hike is one of our top picks (I got stuck in quicksand!!) even though we had amazing conditions (June 2017)

I remember that well—that’s the main reason I took them there! Good thing Chérie was there to get you out of that mess 😉!!

For the hike itself, I checked your times again. Via Water Canyon, even with your fitness level, you took 2h50 to reach the Wave. Via Squirrel, with no snow and no early hesitation, we’d have taken a reasonable 3 hours without pushing it. That’s the time Wavemaster recently logged. Not only is the Squirrel route not longer time-wise, but the climb is safer and more consistent, especially when loaded down with water (in summer...). Next time, we’ll go up via Squirrel and descend via Water, but it’ll be a *very* long day starting no later than 6 AM—so we can climb in the cool morning and enjoy the plateau. See you, Guillaume

Diamina is gonna choke on her breakfast laughing again 😉...

No joke, she still has tons of cool spots to show us before she dies laughing! 😉

The worst part is she says this to me regularly, then drags the kids into it!

Yeah, I know... Oh, didn’t I tell you? At work, they call me Tony. 😏

Hello Mr. Swimmer, (what a truly bizarre name!!)

Since Diamina isn’t available right now, I’m writing to let you know that after being alerted by the firefighters, I had to rush home urgently. I’ll now tell you about the sad scene I found when I walked in this morning!

The computer was on with your message still up, and Diamina was on the floor screaming hysterically, taking breaks now and then before starting again, which worried the neighbors enough to call the firefighters. She had to be given sedatives, which is why she’s unavailable...

I don’t understand how someone as dangerous as you can be left free to roam, and I strongly urge you to stop posting on this forum.

Just so you know, I haven’t even read the message on the screen yet—I only replied to let you know about the consequences...

Ahhhhhhh, this is too funny..... I’m crying from laughing so hard... I—I..... I.... ca—can’t..... stop..... laughing... ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

J6 Thursday 02/14 – Zion NP

Rain is forecast for late morning, but we’re still gonna try to enjoy it a bit. After breakfast, I give the car a quick wipe-down—it really needed it! Yeah, wipes aren’t just for cleaning babies’ butts . But since I’m feeling lazy, we’re keeping it to the bare minimum!



Then, we head toward Zion Canyon. We haven’t even arrived at Zion yet when the rain starts coming down.



In winter, there’s no shuttle, so we can drive around as we please, and we’ll barely see any other cars.



Angels Landing, which I would’ve loved to climb in peace if it hadn’t been raining. But in these conditions, we’re definitely skipping it.



As suggested by Trois14, we stop at Weeping Rock. A warning sign alerts us to the risk of falling ice. So, we turn back... Nah, just kidding! Ice falls to see? Nothing better to spark our curiosity. 😛

The first obstacle to reach Weeping Rock is the completely icy access path. We’re struggling to make progress—it’s like a skating rink!



Luckily, after 100 meters, the ice disappears.



A second warning sign, just in case we missed the first one!



After a few hundred meters, we keep moving, staying alert and regularly looking up in case a chunk of ice falls on our heads 😉!!

All’s well, and we reach Weeping Rock. I’m a little disappointed at first because I was expecting to see a waterfall cascading down the cliff. 😕



Looking at the panorama, the result isn’t much better. 😕



But the real show wasn’t where we expected it. Where the water drips from the rocky cliff, two massive ice formations have built up!







By climbing over the railing (despite another warning sign...), we can get up close to this unique scenery in the land of the Red Rocks.





The only thing falling on my head is raindrops... Another tourist joins us but doesn’t stick around long, as the rain picks up.

We head back to the car, not without a few slips and slides on the way down.

We get back in the car to exit the canyon and pick up UT9 toward Kanab. I have 5-6 hikes in mind for Zion East, but what’s the point of hiking in the rain ??

After passing through the tunnel, we drive by the trailheads for East Temple Loop, Shelf Canyon, Progeny Peak, Many Pools, etc.

Wait, Many Pools—isn’t that a hike where the goal is to find pools? I suddenly really want to see what it looks like in the rain!



After a quick solo scouting trip to figure out where we could descend, I go back to get the kids, who were playing on the phone, and we start our walk.



When we spot the mini-river, several meters wide, just a few dozen meters from the road, we can tell the show’s about to start. 😉



Umbrellas and parkas come out.



Very quickly, we see the first pools, which even turn into mini-waterfalls in some spots!!







While in summer, you have to imagine the water’s path, in winter, you get the full spectacle of this temporary torrent!









Some pools are still icy despite the strong flow.





The water carves its path through some crevices...



Even though we really want to go all the way, we have to be reasonable—we’re all soaked, and my non-weather-sealed camera is starting to suffer from the humidity...



So we head back the way we came.

On UT9, the different mesas look pretty gloomy. Checkboard Mesa in winter



And in summer



Around noon, we reach the Rodeway Inn in Kanab, still in the rain. Thankfully, we’re only sleeping at the hotel in this area! The manager’s nice—he lets us check into our room early.

In the early afternoon, we try to visit the Kanab Heritage Museum, but it’s closed. We won’t have any better luck with the Little Hollywood Museum. Since there’s nothing else to do in this stormy weather, we spend the afternoon in the room.

Everyone keeps busy: Maxime finishes his 3rd book on his e-reader since the start of the trip, while the two youngest do their homework. As for me, after getting a bunch of ideas from VF members, I have a packed afternoon organizing all of it and planning 4-5 days of travel in the South.

The weather channel’s on loop, and the news isn’t great. A massive storm system hit the entire West, with alternating rain and snow.



Seeing the satellite images, Maxime asks where we’ll be spending the next few days. At the sight of the flooding in Palm Springs 🏴‍☠️



« We’re going to that area?!? - Yeah, we’re supposed to go to Palm Springs and Joshua Tree NP, and we can only hope the weather calms down a bit... Darn, and it was Valentine’s Day today too ! »

Tomorrow’s another day, but it’ll mostly be the day of the famous Wave lottery. Let’s hope our luck turns...

I love your snowy landscapes!!! They remind me of some places we visited this year. Luckily, we didn’t have to hike in the snow. But when you mention ice skating, it reminds me of a memorable fall I took on the completely snow-covered trails of Bryce Canyon, when I slipped on a patch of black ice hidden under the snow.

Hi Guillaume,

We arrive at Weeping Rock. I’m a bit disappointed at first glance because I was expecting to see a waterfall cascading down the cliff. 😕

In winter, it’s really variable, but it can also be stunning. Check out, for example, the latest photos I posted in a thread two years ago. HERE JP

Your kids are amazing—they not only hike without complaining but also do their homework. How do you do it...?

We’re all keeping busy: Maxime is finishing his 3rd book on his e-reader since the start of the trip, while the two youngest are doing their homework.

Kids walking for hours in the cold, with soaked feet, knee-deep snow, and complaining when we ask them to turn back after they’ve barely slept more than 5 hours total over the last 4 days. ??? Hmm, maybe—if they’ve had some kind of marine commando or Foreign Legion training. - . . But okay, I’ll admit it, even if I was starting to wonder.

But now all doubts are gone: kids who read or tackle their homework whenever they have a free moment…😐

You’re aliens, aren’t you? Which planet? Is it open for visitors? We *are* on a travel forum, after all.

The idea of interns or exchange students—does that ring a bell? No? Because I’m thinking of starting a little association to organize exchanges. I’m sure I’d have no trouble finding parents willing to send their kids for a few weeks. 😏

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Hello?? Is anyone there?? Can you hear me??? Damn, it’s always the best ones who leave first…

And the worst part is they’ll never know the true identity of the E.T. family!

Your kids are amazing—they not only walk without complaining but also do their homework. How do you do it.....

Oh, I see I’m not the only one wondering!

I’ve got a theory, but if you’ve got another idea, I’m all ears! 😉

I had a theory, but if you've got another idea, I'm all ears! 😉

Drugs? Honestly, I don’t see it. Your explanation’s probably the right one.

They walk among us 😉 Though you’ve gotta be a certain age to get that one!

Hi Jp,

Good evening Guillaume

We’re arriving at Weeping Rock. I’m a bit disappointed at first glance because I was expecting to see a waterfall cascading down the cliff. 😕

In winter, it’s really variable, but it can also be very beautiful. Check out, for example, the latest photos I posted in a message two years ago. HERE JP

I saw you wrote, "And especially, Weepping Rock, wonderful in winter during very cold periods (and rubbish the rest of the time)." I revisited it recently in mid-September, and even if it wasn’t "extraordinary," I didn’t find it "rubbish." The curtain of rain was pleasant and, most of all, refreshing given the heat.

Drugs? Honestly, I don’t see it. Your explanation must be the right one.

Straight to the vein, then!

They’re among us

But yeah, you’re right! Let’s ask them to fold their pinkies and send a photo as proof!

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Hello?? Is anyone there?? Can you hear me??? And damn, it’s always the best ones who leave first…

And the worst part is they’ll never know the true identity of the E.T. family!

So far, I haven’t said anything, but now my duty as a good French citizen forces me to call the authorities because here on this forum, we’ve witnessed premeditated murder 😵

Wow, your kids are impressive—they not only hike without complaining but also do their homework. How do you manage that?!

Oh, I see I’m not the only one wondering!

I had a theory, but if you’ve got another idea, I’m all ears! 😉

Yeah, we’ve been following that sketchy family for a while now 😏. Besides, we haven’t heard from the mom in ages—things were fine while she was around to keep the dad in check, but now there are no limits 😮. True, maybe they’re from another planet... who knows?

Hey! Guillaume’s back—I love your travel journals!😊

we witnessed premeditated murder 😨

A contract is a contract. I can’t name the client, but let’s just say some people thought Diamina spent more time traveling the world than in her classroom. Jealousy? Maybe. I don’t judge, I just deliver. 😉

my duty as a good French citizen compels me

Watch out for that kind of statement! Some used it as an excuse in ’45, but it didn’t stop them from getting their heads shaved. 😏