East Temple is a photograph by Robert Bales which was uploaded on April 25th, 2013.
East Temple
Zion National Park is a land of enormous stone spectacles seen from many different perspectives throughout the park. The East Temple, named by John... more
by Robert Bales
Title
East Temple
Artist
Robert Bales
Medium
Photograph - Photo
Description
Zion National Park is a land of enormous stone spectacles seen from many different perspectives throughout the park. The East Temple, named by John Wesley Powell, is best seen from the east side of Zion, along the spiraling Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway. The massive East Temple towers 7110' and rises 2000' from the road. Our East Temple Saddle Route will take you to a spectacular vantage point on the eastern slopes of the East Temple where imposing slickrock prevails. The route begins by following the popular Canyon Overlook Trail to its end, and then climbs steeply toward the north into seldom traveled terrain. This steep, but rewarding hike progresses along a stairway of red and white sandstone, skirting the flank of the East Temple, leading to a hidden play land in the upper east canyon, before finally dropping into the depths of Upper Pine Creek.
Zion National Park is located in the Southwestern United States, near Springdale, Utah. A prominent feature of the 229-square-mile (590 km2) park is Zion Canyon, which is 15 miles (24 km) long and up to half a mile (800 m) deep, cut through the reddish and tan-colored Navajo Sandstone by the North Fork of the Virgin River. The lowest elevation is 3,666 ft (1,117 m) at Coalpits Wash and the highest elevation is 8,726 ft (2,660 m) at Horse Ranch Mountain. Located at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert regions, the park's unique geography and variety of life zones allow for unusual plant and animal diversity. Numerous plant species as well as 289 species of birds, 75 mammals (including 19 species of bat), and 32 reptiles inhabit the park's four life zones: desert, riparian, woodland, and coniferous forest. Zion National Park includes mountains, canyons, buttes, mesas, monoliths, rivers, slot canyons, and natural arches.
Human habitation of the area started about 8,000 years ago with small family groups of Native Americans; the semi-nomadic Basketmaker Anasazi (300 CE) stem from one of these groups. In turn, the Virgin Anasazi culture (500 CE) developed as the Basketmakers settled in permanent communities.[4] A different group, the Parowan Fremont, lived in the area as well. Both groups moved away by 1300 and were replaced by the Parrusits and several other Southern Paiute subtribes. Mormons came into the area in 1858 and settled there in the early 1860s. In 1909, U.S. President William Howard Taft named the area a National Monument to protect the canyon, under the name of Mukuntuweap National Monument. In 1918, however, the acting director of the newly created National Park Service changed the park's name to Zion. According to historian Hal Rothman, "The name change played to a prevalent bias of the time. Many believed that Spanish and Indian names would deter visitors who, if they could not pronounce the name of a place, might not bother to visit it. The new name, Zion, had greater appeal to an ethnocentric audience." The United States Congress established the monument as a National Park on November 19, 1919. The Kolob section was proclaimed a separate Zion National Monument in 1937, but was incorporated into the park in 1956.
The geology of the Zion and Kolob canyons area includes 9 formations that together represent 150 million years of mostly Mesozoic-aged sedimentation. At various periods in that time warm, shallow seas, streams, ponds and lakes, vast deserts, and dry near-shore environments covered the area. Uplift associated with the creation of the Colorado Plateaus lifted the region 10,000 feet (3,000 m) starting 13 million years ago.
Uploaded
April 25th, 2013
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Comments (18)
Jerry Bokowski
The Streaked Wall greets visitors to Zion after driving through the mile long tunnel and you have capture its beauty well here, Robert! This area was a subject of one of my Zion paintings!..............FAV / Like
Robert Bales replied:
Thanks so much for the wonderful comments and I bet the painting is beautiful!!
HH Photography
WoW! What magnificent landscape colors and rock formations. Must get to Zion one of these days.....soon. A beautiful capture, Robert. v6/fv
Robert Bales replied:
Thanks for the wonderful review and it sure is worth spending a few days in the park. Thanks for the v/f!!
Janice Drew
Beautiful colors and rock formations. V/F
Robert Bales replied:
Thanks for the great comment about the rock formation. There are sure a lot of them in this park and thanks for the f/v!
Olahs Photography
Spectacular indeed and so wonderfully captured!! I am adding this place to my bucket list!! F/V
Robert Bales replied:
Thanks for the great comment and I am sure you well really enjoy the Park. Thanks for the f/v!