Zion National Park

I survived my second night in temperatures in the 30s in Bryce Canyon without much difficulty. The plastic bags on my feet made a huge difference! One of them came loose during the night and it didn’t take long for my foot to become so cold it woke me up, but I re-secured it and was back to sleep in no time. Once I awoke for the morning, I packed up camp as quickly as possible so I could find refuge from the cold in my car with the heat cranked up.

The drive from Bryce Canyon to Zion was only around an hour and a half. Once I got close I started looking for campground options. I had tried to reserve a campsite in the park online but it said they were all already booked, so my hopes were not high for finding anything inside of the park. My route was going to take me through the East Entrance; where as most of the “attractions” were closer to the South Entrance, which would also be my route of departure. There was a campground right outside of the East Entrance that I considered staying at, but I pulled into and got a bad vibe, so I decided to take my chances on the other side of the park. The drive through the park was very windy as I descended into the canyon. I also had to go through a mile long tunnel, which was kind of neat. Prior to reaching the South Entrance, I came across one of the campgrounds and surprisingly it did not have a “Campground Full” sign up. I promptly drove in and secured a spot. As I was setting up camp, I heard a rustling in the tall grasses nearby. I apparently had chosen a campsite that also served as the home of an unusual little critter. He looked like a gerbil, but I didn’t think they were wild animals. According to this website they are but not in the US, so who knows. I tried to get a picture of him, but by the time I got back with my camera he was gone and not to be seen again.

Zion National Park doesn’t allow private vehicles into the main section of the park during the peak season, so you have to take a shuttle instead. I really liked this because I didn’t have to move my car or find parking the entire time I was at the park. After setting up camp and eating lunch, I jumped on the shuttle at the visitor’s center and headed to the back of the park – a place called The Temple of Sinawava. You’ve got me. The shuttle drivers did all sorts of talking about the Biblically named places in the park and about the Mormon pioneers who named them, but this one, nada. I’m guessing something Native American. Anyways, the Riverside Walk trail is back there and at the end you start wading through the river towards a place called The Narrows. I took my time getting to the back and did a couple of river crossings but soon became nervous about falling over because of the current and ruining my good camera. I decided that perhaps I would come back later with my cheap camera in a plastic bag and go further.

A cheeky squirrel along the Riverside Walk trail. The squirrels and chipmunks were even bolder here than at Bryce Canyon.

The trail to The Narrows

After that hike, I headed to another area called Weeping Rock where I hiked both the Weeping Rock trail and the Hidden Canyon Trail. The former was short but steep, but the latter was longer, although still only a mile one way, as well as steep. It also came with a warning against people with a fear of heights attempting it. I do have a fear of heights but I can generally get past it in most situations. I figured I could always turn back if needed. I did make it to theHidden Canyon although there were a few scary moments for me. I ate a snack there before heading back out.

Hidden Canyon

It was still relatively early in the day at this point, so I decided to hike yet another trail. This time I created a 3 mile loop by combining the Middle Emerald Pool Trail, Upper Emerald Pool Trail, Kayenta Trail, and an unnamed trail along the river. It was another nice hike, but the “Emerald” pools weren’t anything too spectacular. I would hesitate to call them emerald. Since this hike began and ended at the Zion Lodge where there is a café, I treated myself to frozen yogurt. It was quite tasty, especially after being outside in the sun and heat all day.

Zion Canyon and the Virgin River from the Middle Emerald Pool Trail

The Lower Emerald Pool

It was full of tadpoles

Upper Emerald Pool

A butterfly I encountered along the Kayenta Trail

After my break, I got back onto the shuttle to head back to my campsite. On the spur of the moment I decided to jump back off at the Canyon Junction stop and walk the rest of the way back on Pa’rus Trail. I was so tired by the time I reached my campsite. I had hiked about 10 miles that day. I quickly ate dinner and got ready for bed. I read until it was dark enough to sleep and then zonked out.

Views from the Pa'rus Trail

My plan for my second day was to hike the Angel’s Landing and Watchman Trails before heading back to the Riverside Walk trail again. The Angel’s Landing Trail was to be my longest individual hike of my stay at Zion (5 miles round trip with an elevation gain of 1488 ft). It also came with a warning against people with a fear of heights doing it but since the Hidden Canyon Trail had gone as well as it did, I figured I’d give it a go. This was despite the fact that I had heard that there was a section with some odd hundred feet drop on one side and an even larger some odd hundred feet drop on the other. Things started off well. The first two miles went by fairly easily given the elevation I was gaining. I made it through the section called Walter’s Wiggles and soon came upon the final half mile. It looked daunting, but I was determined to at least give it a try. I started up but eventually reached a point that I just couldn’t go any further. I knew that physically I could easily reach the top but my mind was saying no way. I was to the point that my fear was making more unbalanced so I turned back. At the time I turned back I thought that I was really close to making it to the top and was so disappointed in myself for giving up, but after I got a further back and gained that perspective I realized that I had barely made a dent in the final half mile by the point I turned around. That made feel a little better, plus I saw what was waiting for me further down the trail and knew I never would have made it. I spent a bit of time hiking another trail that was up there before heading down, so I did get to enjoy the scenery from the top of the canyon.

Walter's Wiggles looking up

Walter's Wiggles looking down

A sign I encountered right before beginning the last half mile of the trail. I did not encounter one of these at the Hidden Canyon Trail...

Looking down from where I decided I could not go any further

Looking up from where I decided I could not go any further. To me it looked like it ended just around that bend and I still couldn't make myself go any further.

There is someone in this photo in jeans and a pink shirt just below my turn around point.

All of Angel's Landing - I still had such a long way to go.

Views from the Angel's Landing Trail

View of the Court of the Patriarchs - the three white peaks are called Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

Compared to the Angel’s Landing Trail, the Watchman Trail was a piece of cake and I flew through it in nearly half the time the trail guide had estimated it taking.

View from the Watchman Trail

After completing the Watchman Trail, I did swap out my camera and head back to the Riverside Walk Trail. I quickly made my way through the first mile back to the water section of the trail and headed up the river. I was quickly past my turn around point from the previous day, but my progress slowed once I rounded a bend and saw people in water up over their waste. I hadn’t been prepared that. The depth of the water in and of itself didn’t bother me, I just hadn’t dress appropriately to get my clothes wet since everything I had encountered on my first trip was at most knee deep. I was wearing quick dry items, but they weren’t going to dry fast enough for me to get back on the shuttle to my campsite. Had I known, I would have brought something to change into. I also learned that trekking poles would also have been handy because the number of times I came close to getting wet from losing my balance on the rocks in the river. Ultimately, I turned back again but with the resolve to return again someday completely prepared to make my way up river.

By the time I did make it back to the shuttle, I was starving. I had once again hiked at least 10 miles. I didn’t feel like the peanut butter and honey sandwich waiting to be made back at my campsite was going to make a dent in my appetite, so I decided to treat myself by getting a burger and French fries at the café at the Zion Lodge. It was so good, although I think anything that wasn’t peanut butter and honey at that point would have tasted fabulous. Even though I had devoured a large quantity of food, I was still hungry and capped off my meal with a vanilla ice cream cone. Yummy! Then it was back to my campsite. It was still fairly early, but I got ready for bed and passed my time reading until it was dark enough to go to sleep. I was so tired.