Palm trees along Canyon View Road
It’s often amazing how things just work out sometimes. Sue and I needed to go for a run this morning and we wanted to make it simple. So we headed out the door, turned left, ran the three blocks to the end of the street then hung a right toward the Bear Claw, Green Valley and Zen trailheads. When we signed up to rent this condo for the winter we had no idea it was located near such a great collection of trailheads.
One of the fountains at Green Valley Resort.
A sculpture on the Green Valley Resort grounds.
On the way up the hill we passed “The Green Valley Resort”. It’s an attractive more upscale condo than “Sports Village” and is decorated with fountains and sculptures. The street leading to the trailhead is lined with palm trees which to my surprise are not native to the region but have been planted throughout Saint George. After another few blocks the pavement ends abruptly on the crest of a hill 2,700 feet above sea level. Running across the canyons and hills in front of us is a labyrinth of trails. The city has stopped and the desert has begun, it stretches all the way to the horizon.
Multiple trails to choose from.
That speck in the middle of the trail is a biker.
Don’t be fooled by this action shot, I was walking a few minutes earlier.
Are those buds on the cactus?
I don’t know the names of all the trails or even if they all have names. Some of the trails are large enough for off road vehicles but what typically happen is the vehicles are driven only to the trailheads in the canyon below and then the passengers empty out. Most hop on mountain bikes and quickly ride out of sight leaving a small puff of dust in their wake. Others throw on daypacks and start hiking or fanny packs and start running the trails. Another group head off with packs filled with ropes and hardware in search of climbing routes. It’s an incredible place so close to home – a sweet surprise.
Time to turn around.
Thanks for stopping by my blog. Peace and happy travels.
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