Following years of drought conditions in Southwest Utah, the Cedar City area this year has enjoyed numerous weather events which have ended talk, for the time being, of drought. There have been some rains, but there have been some significant snow events as well – so Dave has been getting quite a bit of exercise shoveling snow (which he enjoys). Cedar Mountain has been covered with snow much of the season.

Snowy conditions have focused attention on the city’s paved recreation trails for many of the walks/hikes Dave and Jan enjoy.

But ten miles west of Cedar City is a range of peaks known as Three Peaks Recreation Area which dries up more quickly than the much higher mountains east of Cedar City, so Dave decided one Saturday to check out its trails to see if they were dry enough to hike, and the trail up Rocky Peak was almost completely dry.

The Three Peaks area is dotted with Utah Juniper trees (along with some Pinon Pines). Cedar City would have been more properly named Juniper City if the early settlers had realized that the trees they were seeing were not Cedars. Dave enjoys the Junipers, even after they have lost their foliage, because they continue to be quite scenic when they are bare “skeletons.”

From the top of Rocky Peak the view back to Cedar City in the east is a nice view of the mountains east of town.

After a picnic lunch in the campground below Rocky Peak, Dave discovered another trailhead of which he hadn’t been aware.

The Twilight Zone trail turned out to be primarily a bike path originating 3.2 miles back at the Mountain Bike Trailhead from which Dave (and, at least once, his grandson Ryan) have ridden some of the many trails which originate at that spot. It turned out to be a pleasant walk along a trail which was fairly dry – through there were a few muddy and snowy patches.

It was a nice day for a hike along a trail where mud and snow were not prohibitive – a trail Dave plans to return to for a bike ride in warmer, drier and maybe even sunnier weather. Dave is almost always alert to the creative genius the Lord has exercised in all that He has made for mankind to enjoy in beautiful places – including beautiful places around Cedar City.

Winter weather in southwest Utah creates some challenges when it comes to exercise, but Dave and Jan enjoy the season. One exercise comes from the challenge of snow removal – and living on a corner lot provides more sidewalk space to clear when it snows – as it has done several times during the 2022/2023 winter season.

Jan enjoyed introducing one of our good neighbors to cross-country skiing on the golf course across the street from our houses.

While the ladies were skiing, the grandchildren were having fun sledding down the hill at the golf course with a boy from the neighborhood – joined eventually by the neighbor who had taken off the skis for some sledding fun on her own and with Dave and Jan’s granddaughter Erin.

Ryan took a break from sledding with the neighbor boy to climb to the top of the hill as “king on the mountain.”

On another day Dave and Jan enjoyed a hike along the beautiful mountains east of town along the East Bench trail.

Snow-covered mountains across the valley to the west of town invite further exploration in a warmer season, so there are lots of recreation opportunities in the Cedar City area for the enjoyment of residents all year long.

Dave and Jan are very grateful for the Lord’s gracious provision of a beautiful setting to enjoy during their retirement years!