Got up early. Was going to take the shuttles in, but daylight was a-wasting, so I drove my car the mile or so to the park. No one was in the booth yet, so I drove right in. Then I felt qualms about not paying and tuned around, but no one was at the Visitor's Center either (not surprising). Justified it by resolving to buy the National Park pass later in the day.
Took the shuttle to the Grotto stop. Let's just say I was so excited that I wet myself. Or, rather, that I accidentally sat on the tip of my camelback tubing, and lost some water on the seat, and disn't realize it until I was ready to get off the shuttle. Apologized to the shuttle driver, explained that it really was water and beat a hasty goodbye.
The Angel's Landing hike is about 5 miles long, with about a 1500 ft gain. The top right of the photo is the end of the hike (it's also the highest point on the spiny ridge of the long photo below that I got on-line). If you look carefully at the middle near the bottom, the hikers there will give you a little perspective. The beginning was switchback after switchback. I hate switchbacks, but how else is one supposed to get up the mountain. Had a brief respite in Refridgerator Canyon, where shade was a relief, allowing one time to marvel at the pines which grow out of the rocky sandstone.
Walter's Wiggles. Switchbacks on acid. Built in the 1920's, they just keep hikers climbing for longer than I care to remember. Let's just say that I took my time going up. One thing I will say is that people are friendly. One of my favorite things to do is find people who are taking pictures of friends, and offer to take the picture so that they can all be in it. Got to do this a couple times, and it made me feel good.
The view from Scout's Lookout was fantastic. Wide vistas of the canyon floor. This is the place to stop for anyone with vertigo issues. The last bit of the trail was my favorite. I don't have much brute strength to do high elevation gain trails in a single bound, but I do really enjoy tricky trails that require a bit of problem solving, which allows time for breathing. For most of the way, there is no set trail. One just has to follow the metal chains and stakes that gleam brightly in the incessant sun. Besides, using my arms to haul up the chains was a good way to give my legs a bit of a respite.
View from the top was breathtaking ... literally. Contemplated the beauty, and my accomplishment at getting there for about half an hour before heading back. All in all, I returned to the Grotto about 6 hours after I'd left the puddle in the shuttle.
Had a few hours to kill, so I went back to the park entrance and bought my parks pass. Since there are no actual parking passes, one could conceivably always enter early and avoid the fee, but please don't do this. Our National Parks need all the monetary resources they can get, without skimping on what we should be paying to start with.
Headed over to the Zion Lodge to eat an overpriced grilled chicken salad and rest in the shade. At temperatures of 105 degrees Farenheit, direct mid-day sunlight can be brutal.
After 1500, I made my way over to the Weeping Rock shuttle stop to try the Observation Point Trail. And at 8 miles, with a 2150 ft gain, it was a bit ambitious of me. More and more switchbacks, and no shade in sight. I made it a ways past the Hidden Canyon side trail ... I going to claim about 1000 of those 2150 feet ... before I decided I'd had enough. I didn't want to run out of steam before I did what I came to do, hike in the Narrows. So, I turned around and made my way back.
Once I was comfortably enscounced in my air-conditioned room, I ran a bath and relaxed my tired muscles. My knee brace and trekking poles were great supports, but so are my friends Advil and Icy-Hot patches. Hiking makes me feel old; both figuratively, as I see kids running up ahead of me, and literally, as I feel how my body is aging. Well, getting old's not so bad. And even if it was, there's not a whole lot anyone can do about it!
Ended the night by watching SYTYCD. Weird to be watching tv without tivo. Well, actually it's weird to be watching tv at all near Zion's, but a little R&R was essential at this point.
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