Lately, I’ve been wanting to branch out a bit.  I’ve been wanting to check out new places and get some new landscape photos.  Where I currently live, there’s lots of different options, even in the dead of winter, for landscape photography.  I just have to choose and go.  Well, I did and came back with something different as a souvenir: a hidden valley.

I learned about another access point for Zion National Park called Kolob Canyon and I added it to my list of places to visit.  As I took some time to learn more about the place, I learned that it’s only accessed from a freeway exit off of I-15.  There’s no other access point to the area.  Still, I also learned that this makes this park quite unique as it’s one of three national parks with direct access from the freeway.  How cool is that?

Since I was there during the cold of winter, it was only natural to have snow on the ground.  I anticipated this and the cold along with it.  What I didn’t anticipate was the wind.  It was terribly windy that day in that canyon.  It sucked the heat right out of you and made me reconsider using a tripod for my landscape photography that day.  I wasn’t sure my camera would be safe with some of those gusts.  Because of that, I didn’t attempt any of my behind-the-scenes photos or videos for social media.

Still, the day was far from a total loss.  I learned about some interesting geological formations from the posted signs.  I got a great shot at what is called a “hidden valley.”  Basically, it’s a small valley-like formation in the rock which catches snow and rainwater.  This water collection then seeks out any and all cracks in the rock to escape.  When the water finds such a weakness, then it seeps out and eventually creates a temporary waterfall.  Over time, the rock breaks away to reveal such a hidden valley to all.

The sign there detailing this geologic information tells us to seek out those dark vertical lines on the rock faces.  Those are often tell-tale signs of a nearby (meaning overhead) hidden valley which might, at some future time, expose itself to our view the way that the valley depicted above has already.

Kolob Canyon, while far from the grandeur of the park proper, still exhibits the same wonder and beauty which has made Zion’s National Park famous.  If you get a chance to go check it out for your self, I recommend doing so.  I know that I’m going to be making a few return trips myself.