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New Year's Eve Snow Will Bring Beauty And Hazards To High Desert Parks

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Published Date

December 31, 2014

The views this week at Grand Canyon (top) and Arches National Park (bottom) can be lovely , but park officials ask you to consider safety in your plans for a visit. NPS photos.

A layer of snow can add a special dimension to the scenery in parks anywhere, but the contrast with colorful rock formations can be especially striking in places like Arches, Bryce Canyon and Grand Canyon National Parks.

That's expected to be the case for the start of the New Year in several parks in the high desert, but park officials are asking visitors to use caution'”and common sense'”on icy roads and trails. Based on the photo below, that's good advice, but it's not always heeded.

Arches National Park has already had some snow, and temperatures aren't expected to rise above freezing any time for the rest of the week. As the photo below illustrates, that can create some very dangerous conditions on trails.

The caption for the above photo on the park's Facebook page notes: "Roads and trails are VERY ICY throughout the park. The end of the Delicate Arch trail is 200 yards of solid ice; some folks (pictured) are crawling to avoid sliding off the trail. Do not attempt this hike without traction devices and/or trekking poles. Better bet = see Delicate Arch safely from the Viewpoint at the end of the road."

If you're looking for ideas for resolutions for the New Year, here's one possibility for your list: "If a trail is so icy that travel is only possible by crawling, I'll know it's time to turn back!"

Elsewhere in the southwest, a winter storm warning is in effect for the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, with the possibility of 8 to 16 inches of snow through Thursday. An entry on the park's Facebook page notes, "Traveling to Grand Canyon to ring in the New Year on Wednesday? Be prepared for winter weather and driving conditions. Snow forecast New Year's Eve & Day: stunning, but dress warm & expect dangerous driving conditions."

Similar conditions are expected at areas like Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, all located in Utah. Those areas are also under a winter storm warning, with the current forecast calling for the possibility of 6 to 12 inches of snow in the valleys, and 1 to 2 feet in higher elevations.

If your plans this week include a trip to these or other areas with snow and ice, best wishes for a happy-and safe-New Year! 

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Comments

Submitted by J.Thomas on December 31, 2014 - 8:13pm.

The photo and caption in the middle of this story are very interesting, as they show a visitor - and apparently not the only one to do so- crawling on hands and knees to negotiate a stretch of trail that's "200 yards of solid ice." The compelling reason for this effort?  A closer look at Delicate Arch in Arches National Park.

Sure hope the view was worth it - and I really hope people with similar fixations don't try the hike to Angels Landing in Zion under similar conditions :-)


Submitted by Acadia Park Guy on January 5, 2015 - 12:56am.

Beautiful scenery! Looks cold, but I'm sure the hike is worth it. As steep as that trail looks, invest in some ice creepers if you visit! 200 yards is a looong fall down :(

AcadiaNationalParks.com 


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