As you can imagine, I was up bright and early today. Nothing over my head to block the brightening of the sky and sheer anticipation (dread?) of what the rest of my trip will bring. Do these things come in threes? I had told Denise the night before that I wanted to get up as early as possible in order to get to the park in time to do a hike before heading to Bryce. Needless to say, I didn’t have a lot to take down this morning having lost my hammock the night before to a large tear across the middle.
It was still a bit dark when we drove back down the gravel road we had camped off of and made our way towards Zion. Let me say here, in case anyone is wondering, our drive back down to pavement was much less exciting, with the light of day and different direction there was another “right here” at another location on the large rut in the road that offered just enough less of a dip that we did not have to repeat the incident from the night before. I can’t imagine what this road is like when it is not dry and filled with mud instead. If I wasn’t so excited to get to Zion, I would have taken a picture to commemorate our adventure.
As we drove through the town just before the park entrance, it was nice to see a grocery store and Subway. Not that Subway is perfect, but it does offer options with more vegetables than most fast food establishments. The Sol Food grocery store does offer healthy options but we were still good on food and wanted to get into the park so we opted not to stop.
The visitor center was not open so we used the bathroom and packed for a day hike. The day was cold, windy and overcast. Denise decided to wait for the center to be open (possibly in hopes of fortifying with coffee since I had gotten us up earlier than she would have chosen), so I hurried up and took the next bus up the canyon at 7:15am. If you haven’t been to the park before, you can not drive up the canyon to most of the established hikes April to October, you have to take a free shuttle bus that starts at the visitor center at 7am and runs throughout the day.
I knew I wasn’t on the first bus, but since there were only about 15 other people on the bus with me and no one waiting to get on, I figured there weren’t too many ahead of me (I found out later I was on the second bus run that morning). Sitting on the bus and looking out the window, it reminded me of our hike in Sabino Canyon outside Tucson that follows an icy river up a gorgeous desert canyon. Of course, these walls are so much more grand. The walls were contrasting red and white in places, and a warm orange in others, pocked with sage green vegetation clinging to life on precarious ledges.
In trying to decide which hike to do in the park, I had opted for Observation Point and Hidden Canyon at home because I heard it was a little less popular than the iconic Angel’s Landing with it’s narrow, steep scramble up that has been written about in many a book and so common to see on Instagram. I had no desire to hike up with a solid line of people.
However, as we slowly made our way up the canyon and the bus operator began her tour description of what we would be seeing this morning, she made a comment that most of us on the bus must be there for Angel’s Landing and that we were lucky to be getting up so early because we wouldn’t have to hike the trail crowded. She said that with spring break, yesterday they were able to look up from the bus at the trail above and see nothing but a continuous of people hiking along. Hmmm…
I spontaneously decided to hop off at the stop for Angel’s and texted Denise that was what I was planning to do instead. I didn’t hear back and lost reception when I got off the bus, so I hoped she would get my change in itinerary at some point.
There were about 10 of us that got off and started up the trail. All but me and one other person bolted up in front, I’m guessing eager to be first up the trail. I opted to keep a brisk pace but also not run myself out early. My idea was to warm up first, the rising sun had yet to heat the morning air. Spring is warm in the southwest but it takes a few hours to get there each day.
I took my time to admire the Virgin River flowing through the canyon. The sun was slowly ascending and turning the steep cliff walls from monochrome to shades of color. as I covered this short, flat distance. However, it wasn’t long until the trail hit the first set of switchbacks and headed up to a break in the canyon wall overhead. I could barely make out tiny figures on the trail carved into the nearly sheer slope. It was hard to even see where the trail was!
Here is where I began to pass my fellow passengers from the bus as they paused to take a break. I see this with folks who are not regular hikers; they don’t set themselves a steady pace they can maintain and end up slowing down within a short distance in. I did stop once to remove a layer and snap a few pictures but not for long.
The trail here is paved and wide and offers views of those coming up behind you on the zigzagging path with the river as a backdrop. I was going to put a picture of that here but turns out it is blurry. Ooops.
I still had on my long underwear under my shorts (my pajamas) but the air was brisk so I felt comfortable once I took off my puffy jacket and just had a merino wool long sleeve shirt on. I’ve been testing out this merino wool thing as a base layer; I can’t normally stand to wear wool directly. But I picked up a few from Costco this last year and they do well as long as it is cold enough. Too warm and it feels like wearing a scrubber pad.
When I got to the top of the switchbacks, there was a brief pause from the climb as I headed back further in the canyon and towards the second set of switchbacks called Walter’s Wiggles. These were just about as steep as the first set but tightly wedged into the slope. They are clearly man made with more paved tread and terraced walls. It was interesting to see this later on the postcards and magnets in the visitor center from a distant angle; I didn’t imagined them to be so contrived when I was doing them.
When I got to the top of THIS section, it leveled out again on Scout’s Lookout, the first of several saddles on the ridge before you actually get to the top of Angel’s Landing. There looked to be or have been bathrooms here but they were clearly out of commission. It’s obvious this area sees a lot of traffic and thus the need for bathrooms. I hate to think where folks go in their absence…
This would be a good spot for those with a fear of heights to call it good because the trail comes out to basically the same views as I would later see on top, with much less bravery needed. Or bragging rights, I guess. I would later find out that Denise had come up on a later bus and hiked up to this spot, but continued over the saddle on the West Rim Trail that goes along in the opposite direction from Angel’s Landing. I can see how a sign like this one…
…might make someone who was on the fence choose a less risky route. I think that when the bus operator said the trail was only 28″ wide in some spots, that’s a pretty good deterrent, too. It’s good to have options!
I turned and looked up to the trail stretching up in front of me. Although I can’t say I have heard A LOT about this trail, I did have an idea in my head about how it would look from at least one fiction book I have read that talked about the trail. My first impression was that it wasn’t THAT bad. But of course from this viewpoint, I had no idea what I was really getting into.
So I continued on. I decided at this point that I was going to try and use the chains as little as possible to practice my scramble skills. The sandstone actually gives pretty good traction and I felt pretty comfortable. I do have to admit, however, I did keep my eyes on the trail and very little time spent looking down the sides of the cliffs around me. It helped keep me grounded, I guess. I think if I had been looking down to the canyon floor, it would have been a much different story.
And then I got to this point…
…and saw the trail laid out before me. What?!?
I love how life always finds a way…
So this is my last picture until I made it to the summit, using my hands became essential. There were a few people ahead of me that I could tell were digging deep within themselves to conquer fear and complete the hike. If there is any benefit to hiking a trail like this with other people, it is that there was a sense of community and shared goal with those around you. People were friendly and encouraged one another as they maneuvered up and around the rocks and narrow spaces. The community that happens when strangers share a challenging experience…
And then there was the crown, the glorious crown of the fin. It flattens, widens and stretches out for a few hundred yards and you can celebrate that the climb is over. Now I could look out and down to the expansive views around me and not worry (as much) about falling to my death.
Wow.
Okay, it was worth it. The Zion Canyon stretched out before me in all it’s splendor.
I don’t know what it’s like later in the day, but there were only about 20 other people up on top with me. I was able to find a spot off to the side and slightly down from the top to eat breakfast (I have to admit I didn’t eat before leaving camp).
No, I didn’t climb down there, but you can sure see that other folks have (darn cairns).
I had a friend who wanted to join me for breakfast, I told him he had find his own food. I’m sure he gets a lot of handouts from folks but this gal follows Leave No Trace when it comes to wildlife.
A couple asked me to take their picture and then returned the favor for me. I hate my selfies…
I didn’t stay too long (20 minutes?) because I wasn’t sure if Denise was trying to contact me and I wanted to make sure we left the park in time to get to Bryce National Park today. I was on a mission…
Now it was back down the way I came. As with all good climbs, the descent is often harder than the ascent because you are looking DOWN instead of UP.
Did I really come up THAT?!?
Wahooooooooo for chains!
What I loved about going down was seeing the trail from a different angle, especially having been up on top and looking down into the canyon. Here going back down the Wiggles, I know I was looking more at my feet, head down, when I was slugging up the trail. Now I could have eyes for the canyon walls and the pinyon pines and juniper that have found shelter in its shade.
With the uphill climb over, I took time to notice the details in bricks of the switchbacks terraces and marvel at how much work that must have taken.
I could also gaze up and appreciate the heights I had come down from. You don’t see people because the top is actually above what you see from below. Yes, higher.
I was soon back down to the trailhead and the number of people had increased with the temperature of the day. After using the bathroom, I still had not heard from Denise. Had she received my text? I stood at the bus stop and had to decide what to do. She wasn’t here, had she gone up to where I had originally said I would be? I felt bad, normally when it comes to hiking I am a stickler for sticking with the hike you say you are going to do.
I decided to continue up to where I said I would be at the next stop and then finish the canyon ride to the end and back down. I got off at Weeping Rock, mostly just to see if she was there waiting for me to come down from Observation Point. Still no reception. We had agreed on arriving back at the car by noon and it was 11 o’clock. Hmmm. I calculated the time it would take to do the rest of the shuttle ride and guessed I had time to walk up the trail a bit to Weeping Rock, only .4 mile long round trip. Maybe I would run into Denise?
This feature reminded me of our time in the Cliff Dwelling of Mesa Verde, where we learned all about how the water from the mesa above permeates the rock and seeps out below providing water for inhabitants and vegetation.
It also felt good to stand under its spray! A little like being at home…
After taking in the views of the canyon from here, I headed back down and got on the bus again for the end of the line. I snagged a spot in front and peered out at the random climbers on the vertical cliff walls through the windows.. See that part that stands out, it’s called the Chimney. And you can’t see them because I take pictures with my phone but there are tiny little people on ropes ascending.
And even more crazy? I saw people walking along the edge at the top of the mesa as we continued back down the canyon road and wondered what trail that was.
The next thing I know, the shuttle driver says that is the Angel’s Landing Trail. What?!? I’m not sure I would have done the hike if I had seen THIS view first! I did, however, have fun telling the Japanese tourists sitting next to me who were staring up in awe that I had just been up there. Their faces were priceless.
The closer I got to the visitor’s center, more and more people lined the sidewalks and were waiting at the bus stops. Buses headed up were packed like sardines and when we pulled up to the last stop just about noon, the line of people waiting to get on the bus stretched out all the way behind the visitor center. The driver said it actually went all the way OUT OF THE PARK.
My estimate? Those people were waiting at least 2 hours just to get on a bus. Did I mention I rode the bus up with 15 people and no one was left behind? Get up early people!
Once back, a text came in from Denise that she had headed up to Scout’s Lookout and was on a bus coming down behind me. I had no idea at the time where that trail was, but we later figured out that she must have come up the West Rim like I did but walked on past Scout’s Lookout before I came down from Angel’s Landing. Passing ships… She told me that when she had gotten on the bus about 8:45 am, the hordes has already started arriving. I was SO glad we got here early because if I had arrived and seen all this congestion, there is a high possibility (99.9% chance) we would have just driven on through and found something else to visit.
Our last task before leaving the park (other than using the bathroom) was to get my passport stamp and buy a magnet for the fridge. Do you collect those? I used to buy t-shirts and other things that just create more clutter and now I do the stamps and magnets for the fridge. I’ve decided that someday my tiny house will have a magnet wall for all my travels.
Our drive out towards Bryce was just as breathtaking as my hikes and I wouldn’t have wanted to do it any other way. The Zion- Mount Carmel tunnel had to have been quite a feat to burrow out and the landscape that we snaked through must be what has endured this national park to so many people over our nation’s history.
We even got to see some wildlife out posing for the tourists.
Yeah, I was that person quickly pulling over to the side of the road to hop out and snap a shot. You would think I had never seen bighorn sheep before. At least I didn’t attempt a selfie, right?
From here we traveled the 60 miles up Bryce National Park, but that is a story for my next post. I’m up to 3169 words and it’s time for bed.
For more information about our time in Zion, you can check out the following pages:
My story starts with Spring Break Road Trip: Where Do I Start? and Spring Break Road Trip Day 1: A Wave Alternative, 4 Wheeling In A Subcompact And My First Night Ever Cowboy Camping
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