Dave and Jan are enjoying the cooler weather which comes with the fall and winter season in Cedar City. With temperatures ranging between the mid thirties during the days and the teens or twenties during the nights (with some cooler nights getting below ten degrees), Dave doesn’t get much outdoor bike riding in because it is hard to keep fingers from frost bite when it gets below forty degrees. But Dave rides his “trainer” bike (his 58-year-old Bianchi “ten speed” – serving as a stationary bike) for six miles in the garage most mornings and many evenings. There are still some cool walks and even hikes to be enjoyed, there is snow to shovel (which Dave enjoys), and there is cross-country skiing to enjoy either up on the Markagunt Plateau (10,000 foot elevation) or, when there is a good snow accumulation in town (as there has already been several times this season), right across the street on the Rocky Ridge Golf Course.

One of the things which Dave and Jan found very appealing about Cedar City during their early visits to town before moving from California is the system of paved walking and biking trails in the city. The Coal Creek Trail passes through the east side of town just three or four blocks from the house they live in, tying together several of the city’s nice parks. And at Cedar Canyon Park the Coal Creek Trail turns up beautiful Cedar Canyon, or forks south to become the East Bench Trail which skirts the eastern part of the city. Trail crews are out with their snow removal equipment early on snowy days to make the trails accessible for people who enjoy taking a brisk walk in scenic beauty without leaving town. So Dave enjoyed a five-mile walk from home recently on the bike trail he enjoys riding in warmer weather.

Cedar Mountain rises up in the background from Cedar Canyon Park – through which Coal Creek flows down from the mountains on the east of town – though the creek is largely frozen during much of the fall and winter season.

The trail passes through scenic terrain, characteristic of “color country,” between snowy canyon walls with their north exposure and canyon walls whose south exposure tends to clear of snow more quickly.

Two fairly robust water falls flow through the canyon year round – though the cool weather sometimes slows their flow considerably.

Snowy scenes probably mean more to people who know the Lord as their Savior and recognize the Bible as God’s inspired word because of the Lord’s challenge to His ancient servant Job in Job 38:22: “Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, Or have you seen the storehouses of the hail?” For a fascinating description of the storehouses of the snow go on the internet to John1010Project.com and watch the video “The Jewels of Winter.” Snowy scenes are beautiful, but the Lord’s creativity in the details is (as always) amazing!