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Show tTimts Newsrer-Outdoor ft Travel Edition Wo- '-v. At!! 30, 1007 . - ... ii ' . A beautiful Fountain Welcomes you as you approach the Tuacahn Theater liQiu'SmMiIl Pmiz By Kevin Young, Orem-Geneva Times Staff angel could land on it," and the approach to Hidden Canyon is, well, hidden. Access to the Can- minerals acted as a bonding agent and cemented the grains and layers together. . The park is home to a wide It had been a long winter, my range of trails suited to the fit- in-basket was filling far faster ness level of most every traveler. than the out-basket, and the lawn The path to Weeping Rock is one perched high abo e the valley needed fertilizer. Even worse, I of the Park's most popular attrac- floor. was in desperate need of a vaca- tions. Rated an "Easy" hike this During the summer months When Orval Hafen acquired an unnamed box canyon in Southern Utah in the 1950s, it was considered worthless by many since it was accessible only by horseback and geologists could find no available water. But Hafen knew he had a treasure on his hands. "I was awestruck," he wrote in his journal regarding the first time he encountered the canyon. 'There lay before me a scene of indescribable beauty: wild, primitive, unspoiled; largely unknown, un-known, waiting to be enjoyed, waiting to inspire folks and bring them nearer to God. (In this place) it is easy to declare the glory of God, to feel the strength of the hills, to rejoice in the goodness of God, and to sense the order and planning of the universe." Within Hafen's "towering red sandstone cliffs", he found serenity and peace like in no other place. The community leader spent many hours hiking and riding his horse beneath the cliffs he eventually came to call his Shangri La. He later built a nnlvi U Al 1.1 1 yon is through an airy notch sng s "Su? wnn otners mat tney may drink of the inspiration that is here." He believed at some time the canyon would be used for a special Durnose. althniifh he. uon. rour nours aner nap- snort, n mne trail ieaas to a rocs, the rarfc-stall recommends you wasn't sure what it would be. He hazardly throwing my camping alcove with dripping springs. In carry drinking water for most all contemplated various ap- gear in the car a Ranger smiles spring the grotto is home to a 0f your travels. At the peak of proaches, and in 1961 wrote the and waves me through the en- garden of wildflowers. The Gate- summer temperatures can soar to canyon might "feature an Indian trance to Zion National Park, way to the Narrows trail is also a over 100F. atmosphere in honor of natives Two right turns and a fee station popular destination. The paved If hiking isn't in the cards you (whom) the first settlers found lateral bask in the sunshine. A trail is handicapped accessible may find wildlife watching more here-" But his dream lacked two light breeze floats over the leaves and meanders-its way-through to vour stv e. The Park is home to c"f""" iuia. lunamg, of the nearby trees carrying with sandstone and cottonwood trees 75 species of mammals, 271 types it the pressures of employment to the mouth of the Zion Canyon of birds, and 32 reptiles. Mule and yardwork. The park in which narrows. Families find the trails deer and lizards are common, I stand was named by early Mor- to the Emerald Pools a worth- Mexican Spotted Owl and Moun- mon settlers. Translated, Zion while journey. The 1.2 mile tain Lions are more elusive. means "pkce of refuge and while (round trip) hike meanders its Photography, one of my favor- - 01 and water for development. In 19b4, Halen suffered a fatal heart attack in his Shangri La, where he had built a cabin as a permanent residence. Six months after his death, I rummage through my pack in way to the base of a waterfall ites, is also a popular activity. SumMndS. ? 1? search of sunscreen I realize pouring over the rock and is a cool photographers find the crimson also shared inHn'sam of thoseearly pioneers couldn't have, destination in the summer sandstone monoliths a striking developing it picked a more appropriate name, months when temperatures sky- contrast to the ocean blue sky. If Whjie Snow and Truman Though dubbed a National rocket. Those in better shape find that weren't enough, wildflowers, owned the property "Butch Cas-Monument Cas-Monument in 1909 and chris-" an additional one mile hike to the mosses, ferns, emerald-colored sidy and the Sundance Ed" was tened a national park in 1919, Upper Emerald Pool less crowded leaves, and an abundance of being filmed in and around . Zion's story really began between and equally spectacular. water provides an unlimited Snow Canyon. Leading actress 150 to 250 million years ago. The Visitors in search of adven-range 0f photographic opportuni- Kathrine Ross needed a great walls that tower above the ture and spectacular scen-ties. Catch the .sunrise in the secluded place to live during the . canyon floor started as mud and ery shouldn't miss Angels Park's east side, work your way filming, so for several weeks she silt in ancient bogs and swamps.; Landing and Hidden Canyon, through the canyon's shadows, rented the cabin Hafen built . As the sediment accumulated the These hikes aren't for the faint of pools, and alcoves during the day water was piped into the I muck sank. The process contin- heart or weak of altitude. Both and finish with a late evening llv& quarters landa small gen-i."ued gen-i."ued for eons of time until the feature steep climbs and long sunset on the Watchman, one of era Provided electricity. " layers dropped below sea level drops but the scenery is as spec- the park's most spectacular land- 1116 Property, called Padre and were covered by an inland tacular as any in the park. Suf- marks. C"8"0" y 1?cas.chaln&ed ocean. Water seeped into fissures fice it to say that Angels Landing One other item of note: it finJT mwiceu5inh e folJ ondrrarlro ramnn. m.'norolc Ko - ...1. if... t.j..,6 J u-. lOWing decades, although each www, gums name wnen ivev. r reancK uuesn t maner u your a pnoiogra- n,nor .cncoj ;i ,. f tween the grains of sand. The v.ninr, v;or -lo; i jwner sensea it was a place ot - t"tit a luiiLi viuiuiu jinj an special purpose. In 1993, that purpose was realized when author, screenwriter, and playwright Doug Stewart discovered it after searching several weeks for a spectacular scenic backdrop for an outdoor musical depicting Southern Utah history. "As I walked up the canyon, it was sheer magic," says Stewart of his first glimpse of Hafen's Shangri La. "In my mind I could see the buildings, the parking lot, and the amphitheater." am-phitheater." Standing at what is now the amphitheater, Stewart noticed the natural bowl-shaped seating area and visualized actors performing per-forming below him on the canyon floor and on surrounding sandstone slopes. Physically, the canyon could not be more perfect for Stewart's purposes. "It has a big spirit about it," Stewart says of the site. It is this grandeur that led him to rename the canyon Tuacahn, meaning "Canyon of the Gods". Doug Stewart's wife, Mary, also had a dream that needed a home. She wanted to create a community school of the arts, where students could come to receive expert training. In 1991, she began to establish the arts school in St George, using temporary tem-porary facilities. The school opened at its permanent site, the 42,000-square-foot Tuacahn Center for the Arts, in January 1995. The Stewarts believe student stu-dent artists benefit from being immersed in the natural beauty of the canyon; natural and artistic artis-tic aesthetics blend and harmonize. "We want Tuacahn to become be-come a mecca for training and nourishing young artists," said Doug Stewart "We want students stu-dents to come and sit at the feet of great teachers. We want this place to be conducive to creativity." The vision continues. In honor of Orval Hafen's remarkable vision, the 320-seat indoor auditorium was named for his and his wife, Ruth. Visitors to UTAH's new season will take advantage of campus features, including a concession stand and gift shop. They can also enjoy a pre-show at the mini amphitheater before "America's Most Spectacular Outdoor Musical". m tun mtheSunaWn estHotelsl n HBOShowtime SuitesKicthenettes Pool Jacuzzi Deluxe Continental Breakfast Buffet FREE Local Phone Calls ) milmm )) flf nmuumu) urn 11' i 'HI I! 1111 : 'I FREE 24 hr. 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