Beeplants and Whiptails: Stories From Nature, The Plants and Animals of Zion National Park

By Larry Hyslop

The author takes us along as he hikes through scenes of life uniquely adapted to this desert setting. Written in a conversational style, these short narratives go beyond a simple natural history of Zion National Park. They convey the author’s passion for this canyon country, offering rich details of these communities and their inhabitants. Using his powers of observation and extensive research, he paints with words, developing scenes of deep canyons, fir forests, and desert scrubland. The resulting book is an excellent companion during any visit to Zion National Park.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Larry Hyslop
• Release date: Feb 17, 2012
• ISBN: 9781466089747

Larry Hyslop

Larry Hyslop lives in Elko, Nevada, where he contributes the “Nature Notes” weekly column to the Elko Daily Free Press. He travels extensively around the West, visiting national Parks.Larry has written nature descriptions covering the landscapes of national parks, along with guides to the Ruby Mountains and Elko area. He worked with Charles Greenhaw to develop guides to the California Trail through Northeastern Nevada.Grayjaypress.com

Book preview

Beeplants and Whiptails

Stories From Nature

The Plants and Animals of Zion National Park

Larry Hyslop

Gray Jay Press

Elko, NV

Copyright 2003, Gray Jay Press

All Rights Reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part by any means without the written permission of the publisher, with the exception of brief passages embodied in critical articles and reviews.

All photos are by Larry Hyslop.

For ordering information, contact:

Gray Jay Press

2033 High Noon Dr.

Elko, NV  89801

[e-mail]

Cover photos: Main photo is a wall of sandstone in Zion Canyon. Cactus flower near Watchman Campground. Canyon treefrog at Upper Emerald Pool.

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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Dedicated to Dorothy and Neal, who first introduced us to the red rock country.

Acknowledgements

Zion National Park personnel reviewed these articles and returned many helpful comments. Special thanks to Ron Terry for coordinating the park's help. Charles Greenhaw edited these stories. Several faculty and staff members of Great Basin College helped in reviewing stories and designing this book. Special thanks to Mike McFarlane for attempting to teach me Geology concepts.

Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction

A Working River

Virgin River and Canyon Formation

Return of the Peregrines

Peregrine Falcons

Plants of Coalpits Wash

Desert Plant Adaptations

A Walk into Emerald Pools

Water Striders and Canyon Treefrogs

Spines and Flowers

Cactus Adaptations

Cottonwoods and Floods

Fremont Cottonwood

Springs and Ground Water

Weeping Rock Shrine

Black Rock and White Aspen

Lava Point

Zion’s Variety of Birds

Phainopepla, Black-headed Grosbeak, Black-throated Sparrow and Hermit Thrush

Slickrock and Sand Dunes

Navajo Sandstone

A Dance of Flowers and Moths

Utah Yucca and Yucca Moth

Hidden Predators

Antlions

Plant Invaders

Tamarisk and Cheatgrass

Wading the Narrows

American Dippers and Slot Canyon formation

Plants of the Anasazi

Sacred Datura, Buffalo Gourd, Utah Yucca, Yellow Beeplant

Zion as Refuge

Mexican Spotted Owls and Desert Bighorn Sheep

Pines and Jays

Pinyon Pines and Pinyon Jays

Bibliography

About the Author

Preface

Zion National Park is best known for its geology, for shady canyons bordered by towering red cliffs. Many people explore its Scenic Drive and pass through the long tunnel necessary to climb out of Zion Canyon.

But the park also offers opportunities to revel in the sound of dripping water inside narrow slot canyons, or hike to high vantage points and enjoy the same view as that of soaring peregrine falcons. Trails offer the chance to savor wet, cool alcoves favored by red monkeyflowers and canyon treefrogs.

Zion is a Hebrew word meaning refuge. Zion National Park is refuge to a rich collection of plants and animals finely adapted to this red rock desert. Its luxuriant diversity of habitats runs from open desert scrub, to boulder-lined ponds, to fir forests. Each habitat offers its own unique collection of lizards, mammals, birds, and flowering plants.

This book was written in celebration of Zion’s assembly of wonderful nature. These stories offer much more than simply my experiences while walking the trails of Zion. It is meant to share my love of its small, hidden details so easily missed as we stare up at towering rock walls.

It offers me the chance to provide more information than is available in guides to birds, plants, and animals. As such, it is also a celebration of my second love, reading. First comes the joy of watching a phainopepla flying up from a single leaf ash tree to snatch a passing insect. Second is the joy of discovering from books the unique relationship between these jet-black birds and the desert mistletoe.

This book was written with the hope these stories will enrich the reader’s park experience. It is beyond the scope of this book (or any book), to completely describe Zion’s natural ecosystems. So, I have picked a plant here, an animal there, a few elements of ecosystems and geological details. Subjects were chosen because they intrigued me. Stories developed from a plant or bird that caused me to pause along a hiking trail. I hope this book, with its accompanying bibliography, sparks the reader’s interest to find other written sources, and learn more about the natural world of Zion, the refuge.

My wife, Cindy, and I visited Zion during March, May, and September of 2002. We hiked many of the trails, although I use the term we loosely. I am not a good hiking partner, since I make too many stops along the way. Cindy happily leaves me behind as I bend down to examine a small cactus or stop to gaze upward at birds flitting between trees. Cindy can be forgiven, I suppose, for her mistaken idea that trails are meant to get you somewhere. Zion’s trails are corridors passing displays of natural art pieces, no different that the corridors in a museum.

*****

Introduction

The worst part about climbing switchbacks is looking up. During each rest stop, which is at least once per switchback, I can’t help but see my wife, Cindy, high above me. Knowing she will soon be past these switchbacks makes my climb seem endless.

During my rest stops, I study the sandstone cliff rising beside the trail. Its black color contrasts strongly with the nearby pink cliffs. This cliff faces north and remains shaded during much of each day. It holds more moisture than other cliffs and is covered with black lichen and moss.

A least chipmunk streaks across the trail with its long tail held perfectly erect. It climbs a wall bordering the trail and disappears into a space between the piled rocks. Just as quickly, the chipmunk emerges from a different opening to race up, down, and across these rocks at terrific speed.

When it finally stops on a rock, I fumble through pockets for my camera. The chipmunk calmly waits, standing on its back legs and gazing up at me. Trying to work quickly, I crouch and adjust the camera. When I look through the viewfinder, the rock is minus a chipmunk. It is now coolly watching me from a different rock. Over and over, we repeat this dance, with the chipmunk staying in one place only long enough to tempt me but never quite long enough for a photo.

In an attempt to cheat, I toss a twig onto the trail. Thinking I have offered food, the chipmunk runs to the twig but pauses only a second. Later, when I look through the eight photographs hastily snapped, only one contains any hint of a chipmunk and then only the blurred image of a tail.

A carpet of greenery clings to a boulder’s vertical face. Rockmat is an appropriate name for this plant. It forms a mat composed of small umbrella-like leaves. Tiny flower spikes hold out even tinier white flowers. It grows on this vertical surface because its strong taproot is crammed into a rock crevice.

Another set of switchbacks climbs onto a knob on the canyon wall. From its top is a splendid view of the main canyon. Far