Marching On to Zion

We spent only 19 hours here but it was some of the most exhilarating 19 hours of my life. As we drove into the park from the East on Zion-Mount Carmel Highway, my eyes teared at the shear largeness of the awesome 2,000-feet cliffs of solid stone and I tried my hardest to refrain from telling my husband who was driving to, “Look, look, LOOK!” at every turn.

Below is Checkerboard Mesa where the wind created unique vertical joint cracks:

We had to stop and buy a $15 permit for our RV to pass through the 1.1-mile Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel since we were wider than 7’10” and longer than 11’4″ and had to drive down the center line. It took a couple minutes to go through which was too long to hold my breath.

Fortunately we snagged a reservation for a camping spot a couple weeks prior to spend one night in the South Campground which is a short walk to the visitor center. There you catch the shuttle to the 6.6-mile scenic route (with 9 shuttle stops) that is inaccessible to unauthorized cars. We were very grateful for a place to camp (even though it was crazy hot without any hookups) since in high season you have to park in the town of Springdale outside the park if you want to get in.

One of our trailer tires wore out and sprung a leak somewhere between Wind Cave and Arches and needed to be replaced so my husband went into the town of Hurricane to get a replacement and I decided to conquer the epic hike to summit Angel’s Landing. I had never heard of the hike before except in my brief reading of things to do in the park the day before. Apparently the hike is revered as one of the more dangerous hikes in America and 7 people have died on the trail since the opening of the park.

Armed with my 3-Liter Camelback, 2 Clif Bars and some trail mix I set off for the shuttle with determination, but a little nervous as the temperature outside was a cool 109 degrees Fahrenheit. At least the humidity was low and I knew part of the trail would be shaded.

I got off at the Grotto stop which drops you off at Refrigerator Canyon which sadly didn’t live up to its name. The start of the trail was easy and paved and followed the Virgin River which cuts 16 miles through the canyon. Then the trail is called “Walter’s Wiggles” and begins to switchback 21 times before reaching Scout Lookout which was a rewarding view with a slight breeze. I took my time knowing the last 0.5 mile rock scramble up the very narrow sandstone ridge was going to be rigorous in the direct sunlight.

The trail cut through a nice cool narrow canyon with a wall that was a brilliant orange in the late afternoon sun before turning into more switchbacks. The smell of the pines was a nice respite as my heart rate came down.

After the more leisurely stroll the trail began to switchback again until I reached the beginning of the Angel’s Landing Trail. I put my mind to it and knew I didn’t have to race up. It was quite the precarious trail with steep 1,500-feet drop-offs on both sides at times with the trail often no wider than 4-feet. Safety chains were available to grasp on some of the more hazardous parts. I suppose I added an extra element of danger by snapping pics but I had to have proof that I did this!

I got over the first hump which didn’t seem so bad but then I came to this view which was a little more daunting:

1/2 way up this second hump, I stopped to take a breather as I was feeling light-headed and shaky. It was the first time I thought that maybe I should turn back and the dizzying view down the cliffside didn’t help. I hunched down to get precious shade from a large secure rock while I drank a ton of water and ate my Clif Bars. After about 15 minutes I began to feel better.

As it was late in the heat of the day, the trail was not busy which was good because I didn’t have to side-step many people coming down the trail (when there wasn’t a whole lot of room to side-step) but was bad because I was more susceptible to heat exhaustion and no one would find me out there if I was dying. I encountered about 3 hikers who decided to turn back but I was determined to press on.

This was the longest 0.5 miles I’ve ever hiked and 1 hour later I reached the extremely rewarding view and felt so very accomplished. A nice couple at the top offered to take my picture.

Holy buckets did I feel good and so glad I didn’t give up. As it was still sweltering hot and I was low on water, I didn’t spend as much time as I wanted up there to soak up the view. The trip down was surprisingly a little harder than I thought it would be as I was even more aware of my footing and the steep drop that would greet me if I were to misplace a step. I’m glad the chains were there.

After a 5-mile round trip I reached the river again and soaked my swollen hands and washed my face in its refreshing water.

I hopped back on the shuttle 3.5 hours later and even though I was tired, I wasn’t sure I would sleep well given the adrenaline that was still surging. Back at the campsite I was greeted by a husband who was thankful for my safety and who successfully replaced both trailer tires. We agreed to get up early the next morning to catch the first shuttle that leaves the visitor center at 6 am so he could enjoy the scenic ride and a couple of strolls in the park as well.

We’re glad we got up when we did as there was already a significant line forming at 6 a.m. but the line was monstrously long when we returned at 9 a.m. (I estimated it was about a 2-hr wait for the shuttle).

We boarded the shuttle and took it to the last stop which was the Temple of Sinawava so we could do the 2-mile Riverside Walk which led to the beginning of The Narrows which is an iconic hike through the Virgin River that has you wading in calf-deep water for 2.5 miles until you reach Big Spring or 16 miles to Chamberlain Ranch. Hoards of people with their rented water sticks and water shoes entered here and I was excited at the thought of returning to give it a try at another date. I only dipped my feet in the water and looked around the bend to see what faced the hikers.

The Riverside Walk was delightful enough though as it showed a wondrous display of hanging gardens that grew on bare rock. So amazing that there is this green oasis in the midst of a desert as the life-giving water percolates through the porous sandstone until it hits the Kayenta siltstone and forced to emerge in seep springs along the canyon wall. Hospitals spend thousands of dollars to try and recreate such a tranquil scene in their lobbies but don’t even come close. I was so in awe of this rare beauty and the incredible aqua blue babbling river that accompanied us the whole way.

We took the shuttle a few stops back down the canyon to get off at the Grotto to hike to the Lower Emerald Pool (the middle and upper pools were closed due to rockfall). More hanging gardens graced the way and after a short uphill climb we reached the algae-green pool with a shower-like waterfall that sprinkled into it.

Great White Throne monolith seen during the shuttle ride back to the campsite:

Our campsite had to be abandoned by 11 a.m. which we did sadly with a vow to return to this wonderland – perhaps in the fall when it may not be as busy. The crowds by late morning were a little overwhelming. Regardless, I left a little piece of my heart here and will need to return to retrieve it at some point.