5/14/14 -- A full day in Zion

Dear Grandma,

I can see why Zion National Park was your favorite!  This place is so beautiful!  Yesterday we drove into the park and the rocks are just stunning.  I am so thankful that we planned to stay two days here.  This morning we woke up relatively early to get a head start on the day.  We made an omelet with peppers and onions and cheese for breakfast, since we knew we would need extra energy for all the adventures we had planned.  We left our cute little campsite by the bubbling brook and drove into the park.

Aidan making breakfast

Flowers by the campsite

Our first stop was Angel’s Landing.  This hike climbed 2.7 miles up the cliffs to a lookout point that a Methodist minister (I don’t remember his name) named because he thought that angels would land there.  The hike was not as scary as the park made it out to be, though we were careful and took our time.  The first half of the hike went up a paved path and provided some beautiful views of the valley beneath us.  There was one section where the trail was literally cut into the cliff, but wide enough and secure enough to be safe.  The upper portion of the trail also provided stunning views, and was a little more challenging to hike.  Aidan and I were well prepared with extra water and food, and we didn’t have too much trouble.  Here are some pictures of our hike!

The trail literally chiseled into the rock

Pro hiker silhouette

Practicing his rock climbing holds

Up the easy part!

You literally just follow this spine all the way to the top!

A terrifying jumping picture...

...because this is what is below!

Switchbacks and retaining walls built into the rock

Flowering cacti!

Back down safe and sound!

A view of Angel's Landing from the ground;
we stood on top of that shear rock cliff

On the way down we were surprised to see to many people coming up with less than adequate footwear and not nearly enough water.  Hopefully they all made it safely back down!  At the bottom we ate lunch in the shade, and then boarded the shuttle to take us to our next adventure: The Narrows.

Sound advice

The Narrows formed as a slot canyon as the river cut directly down into the rock, forming a slot canyon with tall walls and (you guessed it) narrow width.  In most places the river took up the entire portion of the ground available.  Aidan and I hiked up as far as we had time for before turning around.  One day I hope to do a through-hike of the narrows, camping in the middle.  That would take some careful planning and preparations, but would be an amazing trip!  The pictures of other slot canyons in Utah are just beautiful.  The unique way the light trickles through makes for some pretty spectacular pictures.

Many people in the Narrows had special boots and chest waders for walking through the water.  I just had my boots and a good stick that a nice older gentleman had handed me as I entered the water as he was leaving.  I am glad that I had the stick or otherwise I would have surely taken some falls in the river.  Aidan and I had planned to bring the trekking poles for this hike, but I forgot them in the car this morning.  Aidan was not so lucky to get a stick, but he did a great job hiking through the river on his own.

Surprisingly the water was not too cold, although my toes may have gone numb at some point.  This hike was my favorite so far on this trip!  Hiking in the stream was difficult because we couldn’t see our feet and there was lots of rocks, but the water stayed below waist level for the most part, and was generally around my knees.  So many people were out enjoying the water and the day!

Starting out!

Hanging gardens that develop n the cliffs with
steady(ish) streams of water

The adventure begins!

A narrow part of the canyon

My favorite part of the trip so far!

Our third and final (thank goodness) adventure of the day was our hike through the Southwest Desert into our camp spot we had obtained a permit for.  Had I known how exhausted I was going to be I think I would have voted for another night at the bubbling brook location, but as you know how we like to pack it in, redundancy was not an option.  This hike did prove to be unique and beautiful in it’s own way, but it took a few hours of trudging through the desert and then a warm dinner until I was able to recognize that. 

We opted for campsite #2 because we were told that it had the best view, and it sure did!  We estimated that it would take us 2 hours to hike in, and planned to arrive just before sundown.  Thankfully we were successful, even if super tired.  The hike followed a wash (dry creek bed) up to a point then cut off and climbed a bluff over looking the valley and facing some prominent red cliffs across.  The setting sun radiating light made the rocks to look as if they were glowing.  We made dinner using the jet boil, but had to eat inside the tent because the no-see-ums were out and hungry.  Even after the sun had completely set, the glow of the moon kept the landscape alight. 

The Southwest Desert

Slap-happy tired

Setting sun on the rocks

Aidan making dinner

Campsite #2

Aidan and I decided that very few of Zion’s visitors ever make it to the area we are camping in, but we also decided that if we ever come back to Zion, another tour of the Southwest Desert would not be necessary.

I can’t wait to talk with you and hear of your adventures in Zion!  This place really lets you experience the park and be a part of the canyon life, if only for a short time.  Tomorrow we are heading to the Grand Canyon.  I am excited to see that park, though uncertain if it can top today’s experiences!

Love you and miss you!  Talk with you soon.

Love,

Emily