Snow day

January 28th was the first snow in Zion Canyon. It was also my first time seeing snow. I was on my way up the canyon to begin my roving shift when we heard thunder and saw lightning. Due to our SOP, we could no longer do so. We continued to drive up the scenic route and saw several sleet clumps. A beautiful sight to see with all the clouds low, hovering amongst the canyon walls. It was amazing to see the peak of the cliffs peek out above the fog. After we circled the Temple of Sinawava, we drove over to the Zion lodge. There, we hoped to find some visitors, but unfortunately it was really slow. As we sat in the lodge to watch the insane view, we saw our first snowflake hit the ground.  I could not believe it; I had not seen snow in my 23 years of life.  We quickly ran outside to see it in full capacity.  It was the most gorgeous view seeing the fog clear slightly as snow covered the canyon. We were immediately covered in snowflakes. I have no words to describe my gratitude for being able to work in such a beautiful park. To add, it was a special day because the main canyon rarely gets snowfall, and when it does, it melts quickly; it was a right place at the right time kind of deal. Once we drove down the scenic drive back to our office, our elevation dropped to 3900 feet (about 1.19 km), resulting in a slushy form of ice rather than the snowflakes we saw at the lodge. These photos do not describe the beauty of the snowfall I witnessed.  I am thankful that Ranger Hali was willing to join me on this small journey up the main canyon.