Days 11&12- Zion National Park

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I have been so busy enjoying this amazing park that I was delayed in typing up the blog for our days in Zion!

We started the short trip from Bryce Canyon to Zion on Wednesday morning. It was an easy drive to the east end of the park. I did not realize we would be going through the park to get to our campground, but it worked out well. Brad and I made a few stops to admire the mountains and cliffs and got a picture in front of Checkerboard Mesa. To get through this part of the park and to the town where our campsite was located, you have to go through a long tunnel that is cut into one of the mountains. They only allow 1 way traffic through at a time and there is a height and width limit to get through it. Luckily, we made the cut. The road then took us down the gorgeous mountainside and to the south entrance of the park.

We made it to our campsite at Zion Canyon Campsite and were rewarded with a lot that backed up to the Virgin River! We quickly set up then headed towards the park to get a quick bite, then attempt a hike. The weather was beautiful but HOT. We decided we wanted to attempt Angel's Landing right away in case we could not do it because of weather the next day. This trail is a 5.4 mile loop up the mountainside to a lookout that was historically said to be "so high that only angels could land on it." For most of the hike, you are winding up the side of the mountain. For us, it was in the direct sun in the 90+ degree weather. That was fine for Brad and I, as we had plenty of water and endurance. We made it up to what is called Scout's Landing without too much issue. The tricky part came at the final 0.5 mile climb. This section is NERVE WRACKING. You are climbing up a steep, narrow ridge to the summit. There are chains to hold on to, but it gets tricky when someone else is attempting to come back down. And remember, you are approaching 5000+ feet above sea level, and 1488 feet in elevation change from the start of the trail. I made it up past the first set of change, then panicked and could not make it up further. My fear was not so much going up, but coming back down because I had seen people struggle and slip. I tried to get Brad to finish the last 0.4 mile or so, but he did not want to leave me. I feel bad that we did not finish to the summit, but the length we hiked was still an accomplishment.

Following the hike, we were pretty hot so we went back to camp, changed into our suits, and waded in the river behind the site to cool off. It felt amazing. To finish out the night, we cooked dinner, had a few cold beverages, made a fire, then settled in for the night.

On day 2 at Zion Canyon, we were ready for more sight seeing and of course hiking! The great thing about the canyon is that you really can only get to the sites and trailheads via a shuttle service. This limits the traffic and parking struggles in the canyon, which is smart. We took the shuttle to the end of the line to do the Narrows hike. This was SO MUCH FUN. You start on a relatively flat, well paved trail that follows the river for about a mile. At the end of this trail, you hike through the narrow canyon. The only way through the canyon is through the river. At some points there are sandy/rocky banks that you can walk on, but most of it is wading through the water. There were points where you were almost waist deep in the water. I am not sure how far we hiked up this trail, but we definitely did not do the full 8 mile hike. This was one of our favorite parts of the trip so far!

We hopped back on the shuttle and rode it back to about midway in the park to Zion Lodge where we got a quick lunch before heading out on our next hike. The next hike took us to the lower, middle, and upper Emerald pools. The trail to the lower pools is rated as easy and to the upper as moderate. Getting to the lower pool was relatively easy. The middle pool was a little tougher as you went up a bunch of stairs, but it was at least shaded. The trip to the upper pool was HOT. We went up stairs in the blazing sun. The view at the top was rewarding, but I can only imagine how much more beautiful it is when the falls have water flowing! We hung around for a bit, then headed back down the trail and back to camp.

This night was similar to the last. We got back to camp, changed into our suits and took a dip in the refreshing river. We had to dodge the many tubers who were floating down the river and managed to avoid any collisions. Then it was dinner, drinks, fire, and bed.

The family with the camper to the right of us were from Germany. They were finishing up a 3 week trip through some of the parks. They had done a similar US trip about 15 years ago but did different parks like Glacier. Parks that are on our list for a future trip! It is a good time to meet fellow travelers on the road and hearing their unique stories!

Now it is up to Salt Lake City to celebrate my new decade! Cheers to 30 years!

Miles traveled: 83 miles

States Visited: UT

XO, B&E

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