Snow Canyon State Park in Utah - People

We think the best thing we've experienced since hitting the road are all the wonderful and interesting people we've met and that includes our time at Snow Canyon State Park.  We've met a retired US Marshal, a retired Federal Air Marshal, Authors (books and magazines), an Ironman 70.3 participant, a Harley riding "Viking" dude, many Europeans, along with the staff and volunteers of SCSP.

When we arrived on April 1st, we were met by Dave, another camp host who would be training us.  Dave was supposed to leave after two weeks with us but he liked us so much he stayed for a whole month!  

Al, Dave, and Nancy

Dave's truck and trailer on his way out of the park.

We also met Maddy who arrived the same day as we did and would be our co-camp host. Maddy is from Southern California and travels with her dog, Peaches.

I love this photo of Maddy & Peaches!

Besides our fellow camp hosts, we got to meet the staff and volunteers at the park.

Here again is Bob, a retired CA Parks employee.  He's a big Freddy Mercury fan and I think he could quote the whole Bohemian Rhapsody movie.  He's also a LA Dodger fan but we still like him anyway.

Al & Bob

Eduardo does some maintenance in the park and is a great photographer and David Bowie fan.  Check out his photos on Instagram @lalo3d.  Eduardo also works for the Red Mountain Resort just outside the park and conducts hiking and kayaking tours for them to amazing places in southern Utah.

He is also the one who almost fed the bunny that greeted me on my birthday to Jake the Snake.

Al & Eduardo

Sarah and Jake were part time trail stewards in the park.  I think getting paid to hike the park would be a nice way to make some money.

Sarah, Nancy, and Jake

 I worked with LuAnn in the visitor center some Fridays and Mike is a Trail Steward with the Friends of Snow Canyon State Park.

LuAnn, Mike, and Nancy in the Office

We were lucky to be at the park for the Staff and Volunteer Appreciation Dinner.  It was held in one of the picnic areas in the park and catered by a local Mexican restaurant. Here are some photos from the picnic. 

Anna, a Park Entrance Agent

Larry, a Park Entrance Agent

Sarah, Nancy, Maddy, and Jenny Dawn

Food!

Jordan, Nancy, Maddy, and Sarah

Jordan, Assistant Park Manager and Darby, Park Entrance Agent

LuAnn and her dog. 
They say Owners and their Dogs start to look alike!

Kristen, Park Manager

Maddy thanking Kristen for installing laundry facilities at the maintenance building!

Jake and his girlfriend.

Erika, Visitor Center Staff

Jenny Dawn, Park Naturalist and Jake the Snake's care taker.

Sarah, Trail Steward

Joel and Quinn

Jenny Dawn, Park Naturalist
Kristen, Park Manager
Jordan, Assistant Park Manager

Nancy preparing the campground for new arrivals

We were lucky to have a celebrity in the visitor center.  Jenny Dawn, the park naturalist, won Utah Park Employee of the Year!

LuAnn, Jenny Dawn, and Nancy

We also met some awesome campers during our time as camp hosts.  Here are some of the more memorable ones.  

One Saturday in early May St. George, Utah hosted an Ironman 70.3 race and the bike portion went right through SCSP.  It was really nice since campers needed to be out of the park before 7:30 am or be trapped in the park since the road was closed and no new arrivals were possible until after 2 PM.  Those remaining in the park were watching and cheering on the race participants as they rode up the 800' elevation gain on the park road.  

Only one participant, Christian, was staying at the campground.  He was sleeping in a company van he borrowed with a lazy-boy type lounge chair he put inside to sleep on.  I found that humorous.  Here is Christian with his finishing medal.  

Our camp Ironman 70.3 Participant, Christian, from CA.

This couple, Arva & Doug from Denver were a nice couple we enjoyed chatting with.  They were in to mountain biking and living full-time in their Airstream. 

One of the sweetest couples we met, Ed & Jane, were from California near Yosemite.  They travel 6 months of the year in a small orange Volkswagen van.  On the day they arrived in the park they had to wait for a camp site.  Once I got them a site, I walked out to their van and the door slid open and inside they were both having tea and invited me to join them.  So cute!

Over the week they stayed with us we had many great conversations and when they left they gifted us their Alaska Milepost book for our future trip to Alaska.

Ed and Nancy

Ed, making a donation to the park!

Ed & Jane from Columbia, CA

We met Dan Leeth who writes travel articles for Utah Life Magazine.  He was doing a story about Snow Canyon which should be out sometime next spring.  He gave me a copy of the issue which featured another one of his articles with beautiful photos.

One night we had a Harley arrive at the park after the office closed.  Glenn Roesener needed a place to stay so Al was able to get him in to the overflow group area where he slept on the ground out in the open.  He was on his way east in order to arrive in Washington, DC for the Memorial Day ride.  I followed him on Facebook @MightyViking and saw he made it.  On his handle bar is a coconut painted with a face that he talk to and keeps him company on his rides.  Quite an interesting guy!

One long weekend about half the park was filled with guys from the Great Outdoors of Palm Springs LGQBT Hiking Club.  All the guys we met were nice and well behaved for such a large group unlike some of the other groups we hosted at the park.

We've completed our commitment as camp hosts at Snow Canyon and enjoyed our time there.  It's a beautiful park maintained by caring people.  If you are in the St. George, Utah area, don't miss this park. 



Next we're taking a vacation from our full-time RV travel and flying to Pennsylvania for about a month.  Lots of family and friends to visit and eating to do!