Today is supposed to be unseasonably cool as I try and decide where to go hiking today. I want to spend time south, if possible, due to the cool weather, as temperatures return to normal over the next couple days.

Zion National Park is always a favorite of mine, and as COVID-19 restrictions lift, people are starting to move back into the park. The park itself is still under restrictions, i.e., no shuttle service, limited parking, but that doesn't prevent a multitude of people from trying to see if they are the only ones who show up on a Friday. In the past couple of weeks, the number of visitors is visibly increasing.

I decided to climb two of the ranked peaks I had planned for but did not climb last week. UNP 9380 on Cedar Mountain and UNP 6418 outside of Zion National Park, located on the east side near Mount Carmel Junction.

The air is crisp and refreshing as I park my Fj near a small dirt road. As far as I can tell, after checking Dixie National Forest vehicle maps, this section of the way is now off-limits to traffic. It's hard to know as tire tracks are present, but they are old. Certainly, tire tracks couldn't survive the winter, but they imprinted enough for me to believe it's been within the past few weeks.

The air is thinner than I'm used to, and the slight upgrade walking has me taking a rest here and there. It is stunning. The Aspen trees are just now coming into leaves. The ground cover is thin, with small blue flowers dotting the meadows. The air is so fresh; it brings joy to every breath.

The road soon crosses the Virgin River Rim Trail, which I will be joining again near the plateau's rim. This mountain biking trail is popular as it runs the length of the plateau. I continue to follow the old ATV trail until soon enough; the path comes into view once again, and with it, the horizon opens up before me.

UNP 9380 is a volcanic highpoint along the plateau, and as I turn northwest to follow the way, I can see the trail loop around a small ravine and begin a slow climb to near the summit. Ferns are thick as I leave the trail and head for the summit.

Like most wooded mountain summits, the peak of 9380 is less than desirable, and trees limit the views into the massive range before me. I had planned to eat a small snack, but decide to move off the summit and take my break further back along the path. I don't want to waste too much time as the temperatures are already climbing, and my next destination is further south in this high country desert.