In late August we posted on our blog that the 2010 Ford Ironman St. George has been nominated for an award as the Best New Sports Event.   Here’s some additional details about how this nomination came about, and how you can still participate in the final voting.

Sports Travel Award - Ford Ironman St. George

Readers of SportsTravel magazine (including you) are able to nominate and then vote for the best sports travel events in several categories.  The criteria for nominations includes; superior organization of and attendance at the event, a superior experience for the competitors and/or spectators at the event, and how the site or venue served to enhance the event.  You may read SportsTravel magazine by clicking on the above link and you may visit this next link to cast your vote. Final voting is open through September 13, 2010.  Winners will be announced at a sports travel conference and expo, held October 18-22, 2010, in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Timothy Schneider, publisher of SportsTravel magazine recently commented, “Since the location of the event is a major part of the criteria for being nominated, the people of St. George should take great pride in knowing that an event held in their city is being recognized for its excellence.”

Contestant crosses finish line in Ford Ironman St. George

“The positive response to the Ironman event was overwhelming,” said Kevin Lewis, Director of Sports Marketing for the St. George Convention and Tourism Office. “Our community embraced the Ironman with the same spirit and enthusiasm they show for the other great events we host here and Ironman participants were thrilled by it.  Ninety-eight percent of participating athletes gave St. George the highest possible rating in our post event survey,” said Lewis. “The event is certainly deserving of recognition, and we are excited about the nomination,”

We invite you to cast your vote here, and pass this opportunity along to your friends and associates.

First Annual Documentary Film Festival in St. George, Utah and Kanab, Utah - September 16-25, 2010

In just two weeks the first annual DOCUTAH international  documentary film festival will open for a  10-day event.  Hosted in the red rocks of scenic southern Utah, DOCUTAH is a documentary only film festival.  The event, set to be hosted in both St. George and Kanab, Utah, will feature documentaries in both indoor and outdoor theater facilities.

Scenic viewpoint in Utah's Zion National Park

This event, envisioned by Phil Tucket who is an Emmy award winning producer/director, is expected to grow to become an event of true international caliber.

Two spectacular gala events will be held in majestic outdoor settings.  The opening gala, to be held on Thursday, September 16th, 2010, at the Tuacahn Amphitheater and Center for the Arts.  A special closing gala (Friday, September 24th) will be held on Friday, September 24th, 2010, in Kanab, Utah.

Outdoor screenings will be held in multiple locations including the St. George Town Square, the Dixie State College O.C. Tanner Amphitheater in Springdale, Utah, and the Frontier Movie Town in Kanab.

DOCUTAH is sponsored by multiple organizations including Dixie State College, The Center for Education, Business and the Arts (CEBA), St. George City, St. George Convention and Tourism Office, Kanab City, and the Kane County Office of Tourism and Film Commission.

For more information on film schedules and locations, tickets and previews, or to sign up as a volunteer, visit www.docutah.com.

Final round of voting for "Best Sporting Event of the Year".

Thanks to you, the Ford IRONMAN St. George has been nominated for the Best New Sporting Event!  The final round of voting to select the winners is now open for the 2010 SportsTravel Awards. To cast your vote for the world’s best sporting events, simply visit this link, and go to the bottom of the page to the heading “New Sporting Events”.  There are several categories of awards on the ballot, so feel free to vote for events in the other categories as well.

At the bottom of the ballot, you may also vote for the “Sports Event of the Year”.   The Ford IRONMAN St. George option is fifth from the bottom.  Voting takes less than two minutes and the deadline is September 13, 2010.   Please cast your vote today.

An RV heads toward the mile long tunnel in Zion National Park

Zion National Park officials are temporarily suspending the fee for oversized vehicles to pass through the mile long tunnel in Zion National Park.  Due to construction on the road on each side of the tunnel, single lane traffic will be required for all vehicles and the large vehicle fee waiver will remain in place for up to five weeks.   The $15 fee is normally charged to all vehicles 7 feet, 10 inches wide and/or 11 feet, 4 inches tall or taller.

Tunnel with rounded ceiling - Zion National Park

The tunnel was constructed in the 1930’s, and the ceiling of the tunnel is rounded on both sides.  This means that larger vehicles cannot safely pass through the tunnel while traffic is coming from the opposite direction.   To accommodate larger vehicles traffic must be stopped at the opposite end of the tunnel while the larger vehicles, and other accompanying vehicles, proceed in single file through the tunnel.   It takes man-power at both ends of the tunnel to manage this process, thus the necessary fee.  However, with night-time construction on the road and the construction of some historic rock walls, the day-time traffic through the tunnel will all be restricted to single lane traffic.   Zion National Park superintendent Jock Whitworth indicates that since all traffic will be single file, it is not justified to charge the additional fee for larger vehicles.

The tunnel travels through the side of a mountain, and there are several windows in the tunnel that allow views into the main canyon of Zion National Park

Expect a few slight delays but road traffic through Zion National Park between Springdale and East Zion (highway 9) is open every day from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The drive through the tunnel is quite an awe-inspiring experience. The construction of this tunnel is considering one of the great engineering marvels of national park history. View this page for more details - Zion Road Construction Schedule

Fairgrounds near St. George, Utah - Located with the Hurricane, Utah city limits

Between St. George and Zion National Park is the Washington County, Utah fairgrounds.   While there are many events that take place at the fairgrounds on an annual basis, none comes close in scope to the county fair.

Participants emerge from a ride at the Washington County Fair.

Events began earlier this week and continue through Saturday with a slew of entertainment and activities.  There are many things on the docket for the rest of the week, so visit this link for details.   The carnival opens Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 4:00 p.m.   An animal education center is open daily at 11:00 a.m.   Boxing competitions take place Friday and Saturday evenings along with other competitions for such activities as root beer chugging and more.   Friday night features a large laser show at 9:30 p.m. and there is a fireworks display on Saturday evening.

Visit the Washington County Fair (Utah) site by clicking on the link.    Here’s a link for a map that shows the location of the fairgrounds.

A couple takes in view from Angels Landing at Zion National Park

This is not just for Zion National park but for all National Parks in the United States.  According to park officials, the purpose of the fee free weekend is to encourage all Americans to visit their National Parks.

It is important to note that the fee waiver applies to entrance fees only and does not include special use fees such as backcountry permits and camping.  The free shuttle system will be operating to transport visitors to the points of interest and trailheads in Zion Canyon.  All Zion National Park facilities will be open.

Other fee free days are scheduled for:
- September 25, 2010 (Saturday)
- November 11, 2010 (Thursday)

These are individual days and not full weekends.

Mountain biking near Zion National Park, Utah

A few years ago it was common knowledge that some of the best mountain biking in the United States was found in the Moab, Utah region.   However, in recent years there is a growing trend toward choosing the St. George and Zion National Park area for offering some of America’s best year-round mountain biking experiences.   Utah is well known for its mountain biking opportunities, but most of Utah has elevations above the 4,000 foot level and this means generally snowy conditions throughout the winter months and even early spring.   The St. George area, on the other hand has many mountain biking trails that are between 2,800 feet and 4,000 feet in elevation.   This means that mountain biking can be enjoyed year-round in the St. George area.   Even the mountain biking trails around Zion National Park are around the 4,000 foot level and still great for most winter days.

Cyclist ride near St. George, Utah

Check out our AtoZion.com web-site for details on trails,  biking guides and outfitters, and more.

Trails:  One of the other factors that has contributed to the growth and awareness of mountain biking in the St. George and Zion National Park area is the number of trails that have been identified, signed and developed.      Mountain bike enthusiasts around the United States are now talking to each other about their favorites mountain bike destinations and St. George is often the top of the list in these conversations.

Riding the slick rock near Zion National Park and St. George, Utah

Weather Conditions:  St. George is known for having at least 325 days of sunshine on an annual basis.   With nearby mountains rising over 10,000 feet in elevation, the sparse clouds often pass over St. George at this higher elevation and the sun simply has a heyday in the St George area.  While summer temperatures are warm, morning rides are still great, and there are also higher elevation trails where temperatures are more cool.   In St. George, Fall, winter, and springtime mountain biking and cycling is absolutely spectacular.

Scenic mountain biking overlook between St. George and Zion National Park

Scenery:  Yes there are a lot of places in the world to ride a mountain bike, but not many with the diversity of scenery that you find in the St. George and Zion National Park region.   This area offers four Utah State Parks, a national park (Zion) and the added diversity of high mountain forests and lower desert terrain.   There’s a multitude of rock formations for slick rock trails and plenty of desert biking trails that follow unique concourses around the geologic strata of this region.

Mountain bikes ready for rental

Services:  Another factor that has increased the popularity of mountain biking in the St. George, Utah and Zion National Park area is the number of bike shops and biking guide services that are found in the region.   Below is a list of just some of the companies that provide mountain bike and road cycling support and services.

Bicycles Unlimited
Bike Zion
Desert Cyclery
Mountain Bike Buddies
Over the Edge Sports
Paragon Adventures
Red Rock Bicycle
Zion Adventure Company
Zion Cycles
Zion Rock and Mountain Guides

Download this free printable file to your computer. Complete Vacation Planning Guide.

Planning your vacation to St. George and Zion National Park has never been easier.    Recently we updated our AtoZion.com web-site.   Not only does it load faster, but it includes many new pages of  information.   One of the best resources on the site is our PDF file download for Vacation Planning.   This full-color printable vacation planner include many important details that you’ll use as your plan your next vacation to this region.   Please note that this St. George and Zion National Park vacation planner has a lot of information and is therefore a larger file, and will take a minute to download to your computer.   Once the file is open on your computer you can print it out and use it as a resource at home, work or on the road.    We also can send you a vacation planner in the mail.    Visit this page to obtain our contact information.

Vacation Planning Guide for Entertainment, Lodging and more.

This vacation planning guide includes; maps, details about Zion National Park, details about St. George, area activities including golf, spa treatment services, museums and galleries, entertainment, historic landmarks, locations for meetings and conventions, local guides and outfitters, events, dining, lodging and many other important details and resource information.     Remember that you can find much of this information on the web-site but the easiest way to get a hard printed copy of this information right away, is to click on this link for our official Vacation Planner and print it off on your computer.    You may also find the new itineraries on our web-site very helpful in planning your experience.   We have already posted itineraries for Zion National Park, Outdoor Adventure, and Golf.  Visit www.AtoZion.com and search the drop-down menus for itineraries under the “What To Do” section.

What’s new on the web-site:   On the AtoZion.com web-site you’ll find new pages on;  State Parks, Scenic Drives, One-week itineraries, maps, nearby attractions, and more.

You’re invited to help Zion National Park earn a $100,000 grant from Coca-Cola, by voting  in the attached “favorite park” contest.

Please see link below and vote as many times as you wish.  Also, please feel free to share this message with others and post on Facebook, Twitter etc.   Visit this link:  http://www.livepositively.com/#/americasparks

Hikers in a slot canyon gaze skyward at the towering formations

]]> http://www.atozion.com/blog/?feed=rss2&p=1145 http://www.atozion.com/blog/?p=1130 http://www.atozion.com/blog/?p=1130#comments Mon, 26 Jul 2010 22:44:09 +0000 mark http://www.atozion.com/blog/?p=1130

A person rappels into a slot canyon in anticipation of the next set of pools

There are many ways to beat the summer heat but there may not be a more exotic or exciting way to do it, than to hike in a slot canyon at Zion National Park.   Zion is the king of slot canyons hikes.   With names like The Narrows, The Subway, Keyhole, Pine Creek, Orderville and others, you can expect dramatic scenery at every bend in the canyon.

Looking out of a narrow slot to a more open area in the canyon

Slot canyons have been primarily carved by water flowing through the soft sandstone formations of Zion.   At times the gathering rain water or snow melt congregates so quickly that these narrows slits fill too quickly with water and a flash flood is the result.   For this reason it is best to be aware of weather conditions.

A hiker slashes into a pool after sliding down the moss covered rocks

In summer months the hot sun does not easily penetrate the dark recesses of these slot canyons, and the flowing water stays cool as it cascades over rock ledges and across sloping formations.    Water may enter some of these slot canyons via a natural spring, from a side canyon or from water seeping through the sandstone.   Whatever the source, the water feeds rich hanging gardens and often creates lush pockets of foliage.

Water drips from one water pool to another in stair-stepping fashion

In early summer tadpoles are plentiful in the pools of water within these canyons.   By late summer they have fully matured and the sound of frogs echo up and down the convoluted concourse.    Waterfalls make playgrounds for hikers who can handle the distance and negotiate the obstacles.   Some slot canyons require rappelling while others can be traversed with a little skill in down-climbing.

A person catches tadpoles in the pools of this slot canyon in Zion.

There are many canyons inside Zion National Park where you can guide yourself on an adventure.   Some require permits so check with the park web-site for details.   Outside of Zion National Park there are many other slot canyon opportunities where you can be led by an experienced guide.

This person uses a rope to control his descent over a short waterfall

All of these types of canyons are most comfortable in summer months but local outfitters also provide gear such as wet-suits or dry-suits for staying warm in cooler times of year.   As always, use caution and prepare properly for any outdoor experience.