Hiking is Great in Sunny Snow Canyon

I escaped to southern Utah for the weekend and enjoyed great hiking in Snow Canyon. With kids in tow, we hiked easy trails and loved the sun-drenched scenery. We were perfectly comfortable wearing short-sleeved shirts - not bad for a winter day in February.

The name "Snow Canyon" is a bit of a misnomer. The area is located near St George and seldom gets any snow. Mid-afternoon temperatures pushed into the high 50s - very nice for hiking the open trails in this state park. It was a very enjoyable reprieve from the ice and snow found around my home in northern Utah.

Spring comes early to the St George area. The latest weather forecast calls for mild days to continue - apricot and almond trees will probably be in full bloom within a week or two.

Snow Canyon State Park offers a number of trails and most can be hiked year-round. The mild days in spring and fall area ideal times to explore this canyon. Warm periods during winter are also nice, as are the early morning hours during summer. Summer afternoons can be unmercifully hot.

The next few months will bring great opportunities for hiking, biking, horseback riding and other outdoor sports in the entire St George area, including the lower reaches of Zion National Park.

Golf, or course, is a big deal in St George year-round. They play during the summer, and during the winter, but spring and fall are the best times to hit the links. If you are looking for perfect conditions, get down there in late March

It was so nice, I thought hard about moving there. Northern Utah is also experiencing a spell of mild weather - the snow is melting from my front lawn - but it will be back, northern Utah will yet get a couple more cold winter storms.

But in St George, the enchanting almond blossom perfume and the red rock hiking trails are hard to resist. I'll be back during the next few weeks, and I may yet decide to stay.

- Dave Webb