Southern Utah - Winter?

[mike f]

I am contemplating a trip into the Southern Utah area in the winter

and I have three questions;

 

Which is best at that time, West or East? (not enough time to do both)

 

What is the best week/month in the winter (2007) to be there?

 

Are the road conditions acceptable for a motorhome?

 

Thanks for any input

[chiranjeeb]

I was in Zion and Kanab area (Paria River-Vermillion cliffs) over Christmas break 2005. Zion was quite pleasant (low 40s, high 50s-60s), but that was an exceptionally warm week and people were hiking in shorts/t-shirts. The day I left Zion, there was a hailstorm in lower elevations and snow in higher elevations; the predictions did not mention this. So it is best to assume that the weather you encounter might not be anything close to predicted. The roads were cleaned quickly though. Both Zion and Arches are quite low in elevation compared to Bryce and hence relatively snow free. Motorhomes should not be a problem except at the Zion-Mt Carmel highway tunnel where you need to get an escort and pay a fee to go through the tunnel. If I were you, I would go to the west side (Zion+Bryce) ----both parks are easily accessible by car and even with snow, there are plenty of subjects right next to the road. Get Laurent Martres's "Photographing the Southwest Vol-1" (there is a 2nd ed out now) ---a very useful reference for Utah. Good luck with the trip!

[michael gordon httpwww]

IMO, the best time to be anywhere in redrock country is immediately following a breaking snowstorm.

[fred_reimherr]

I live in Salt Lake. I would gladly give up summer and have the time re-distributed to

winter, spring , and fall. But if I were restricted to one season to go south from Salt Lake,

it would be winter.

 

Just be flexible. Alot depends on where you are coming from and the weather.

 

Motel are cheap. Restaurants if open are welcome you like a long lost polygomous cousin.

 

I have been watching the weather all week hoping to hike Zion. Unfortunately, clouds are

moving in. As second choices, I was thinking of the Hanksville or Boulder areas. If you

can arrive just after a snow storm, Moab is wonderful. I was hoping for crytsal clear skies

to hike in a slot canyon. With any clouds, the light is not right.

 

Good luck, winter is southern Utah is wonderful. Email if you have a specific question. I

am an aspiring amateur. The local photographers in Utah make me realize that being

modest is fully justified.

[mark_lagrange3]

Go During Mardis Gras '06! :)