Zion and Antelope quickly became our most favorite day. I am not one that likes to hike, but on this trip and in these places, I was driven to see the 'other' side. We walked for hours in Zion and we had a blast.
Shuttles take visitors up the main roads of the canyon. There are something like 12 stops. Each of them holds a trail head to a short or more difficult walk. All of them are connected to a trail that allows you to walk the whole thing. Along the last trek are a lot of places to sit and reflect along the river side.
The power within the currents is evident all around. This is not a place to be during heavy rains!
Along our walk, we went off the trail a little to see if we could 'see' some more.. It was rewarding...
These to the left are the 'hanging gardens.' Water seeps through the softer rock out the side of the walls. Vegetation loves the sunlight, and you get stuff growing out the side of a sheer cliff. Very cool spot with light water sprinkles to cool you down after the very short, but very uphill trek.
At the last stop for the buses, we heard about 'the narrows'. This was a hefty hike through water that is at times over your knees. We had a blast once again.
We'd already hiked for 2 hours, but I wanted to see those narrows. Sadly, we could not make it before the last bus would be making a run. We didn't want to hike back for four hours. But we were rewarded with one of the more amzing things I have seen.. A sunset shows the rock to appear as if it is solid gold. Even in freezing water above your knees, this is a time to soak in.
Even the drive inside the park is a beautiful one. We stopped so many times just to be on the side of the main road and look around.
Here's what we learned at Zion:
- Enter late through the eastern side of the park. There was no line like there was at Grand Canyon.
- The line to EXIT the park through the eastern side was the longest one we've seen. Only so many people are allowed through a long (and very cool) tunnel to the east exit.
- Plan to be there longer than you think. It's unbelievable.
- This is where the National park pass will once again show value. We had ours for a year and have visited nearly 10 national parks. At ~30 each, that a huge savings for an $80 annual pass
We traded time in Zion for an early arrival to our ski resort stay a little further north in Utah. The drive up was frustrating with a guy who topped out at 30MPH and would not yield. Once we arrived, though we found a heated pool and outdoor hot tubs to soak our weary legs and back.
From our hottest recorded temperature of 108, we saw the coolest at that mountain top: 38 degrees. Stuff like that makes me laugh and still amazes me. Think of it: A few hours drive from the hottest hot to the most breasy and relaxing cool. We enjoyed the short time on the mountain, but the next day would bring Bryce canyon and another unplanned adventure.