Sunday, June 16, 2013

West Rim Backpack

The West Rim Trail in Zion National Park runs south from the Lava Point trailhead in the Northwest corner of the park.  This trail starts out at over 7,000 feet of elevation and, following the Horse Pasture Plateau, winds it way gradually towards Zion Canyon.  Upon reaching the west rim of the canyon it rapidly switchbacks through stunning side canyons all the way to the floor of Zion Canyon at the Grotto Trailhead.  This is arguably the premier backpack in Zion. We were really hoping to have the opportunity to hike the West Rim.

Taking on the West Rim entailed securing one of the limited permits issued for backcountry campgrounds in the park.  About half of the backcountry campsites in Zion are available for reservation far in advance of the intended trip.  The rest of the sites are available on a first-come first -served basis starting at 7 AM the day before the planned hike is to begin.  By visiting the Wilderness Permit Page on the Zion Webpage back home, I had determined that we had no shot of reserving a campsite in advance.  I honestly don't know who the people are that are able to plan their trips so effectively so far in advance as to nail down the exact nights and locations of their backpacking trips months before leaving home.  More power to them, I guess, but I am certainly not one of them.

That stated, our remaining choice was to shoot for a walk-in permit the day before our hike.  I set the alarm for a pre-dawn wake-up on Thursday morning.  I was in line outside the visitor center by 6:15 AM.  I had decided that forty-five minutes was the maximum amount of time I was willing to commit to waiting in the dark.  Five people were in line when I arrived there, and judging by the camp chairs and blankets, they had been there a while.  It would turn out that all of them were seeking permits to thru-hike the narrows, or enter the "subway" a super-hard slot canyon few visitors ever reach.

My gamble paid off, and by 7:30 I was out the door with permits in hand.  I was able to secure my first choice of campsites for both Friday and Saturday nights.  This would allow us to segment the 14.2 mile trail into three very short stretches.  This seemed like a really easy hike in comparison to our other wanderings, but backpacking in the desert was still a very new phenomenon to me.  I was afraid that the mid-day heat would overwhelm us, or that we would run out of water high on the plateau, or that a rattlesnake would bite or us, or - well, suffice it to say that I wanted to be cautious on our first desert backpack.  Besides, nothing wrong with having some time to kick back and relax in the hammock somewhere quiet!

We spent the rest of Thursday relaxing in the shade and preparing for our backpacking trip.  There were some exciting new details to consider with a desert trip.  It would seem that we would not need a number of items, seeing as it doesn't ever rain here.  We decided to leave behind our rain fly to our tent, our tarp, our rain gear, our pack covers, and any clothing that we weren't going to wear while hiking.  All of this was intended to balance out the added weight and space of carrying additional water.  

We usually only leave a trailhead with 6-7 liters of water for the first day of a backpack.  Finding more along the way hasn't been an issue in the East.  The map indicated the presence of a spring near our first night's campsite, but again, being nervous about the reliability of this water source I wanted to carry enough in case it wasn't flowing.  The compromise we settled on was 10 liters.  We also decided to carry the bear-canister for our food, even though bears aren't much of an issue in Zion.  Although it added weight, it would keep the squirrels and chipmunks at bay.

The last issue we needed to resolve before such an undertaking was finding a shuttle to the trailhead.  Lava Point lies about 45 minutes by car north of Springdale.  I had taken the liberty of reserving a ride on a 7 am shuttle with the Zion Adventure Company a few weeks back in the hopes that we would succeed in securing a walk-up permit.  The shuttle service wasn't cheap, but the option of doing this hike as a thru-hike was worth every penny.

My cell-phone alarm went off at 5 am Friday morning.  Neither of us had slept particularly well during the night.  A steady blast of wind came down through the canyon throughout the night, tugging at the tent stakes in all directions.  We were forced to pack up camp and finish preparing the backpacks in the pre-dawn dark while fighting with the gusty winds.  The good news was, at least it wasn't hot.

We made it to the Zion Adventure Company's parking lot with enough time left to apply sunscreen and double check the packs for last-minute additions.  The shuttle left promptly at 7 am.  A large van, either a Sprinter, or like one,  with extraordinary head room, it had room for more than ten hikers.  This particular trip took three couples to their hikes.  One couple was headed the trailhead for the Wildcat Canyon, another trail that could be linked with West Rim for a longer backpack.  The other couple, young, athletic looking folks with European accents, was headed for Lava Point as well.  They were planning to hike the West Rim as a day hike - a very long one.

The shuttle ride was worth the price alone.  John, our driver, gave us a narrative of the area's history and significance of certain locations - including his own personal cabin and the giant boulder that crashed through his fence in the middle of the night.  John said he had laid awake for several nights afterwards imagining that each sound was another rock headed for his home.  Stories like this remind me of how lucky we are in Michigan without natural disasters.  The ride also took us by a road that lead to the filming location of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.  

The road north towards the Kolab Reservoir was a wild one.  It wound through a portion of the Southwest Desert before climbing high into the desert plateau.  Gradually, the vegetation changed over to pine, and the hillsides took on a green hue.  We were all surprised to find the terrain so close to the desert to be so full of growing things. John told us that he often sees elk in this area.  Our ride was briefly interrupted by a llama, as the shaggy, white haired fella wandered into the middle of the road and just stared at us for a time.  I had the impression that we might be the only car to come this way that day.  

As we approached Lava Point, the road became rough and rutted.  John paid this no mind, flying down the sandstone-red path at alarming speeds.  Several of the bumps in the road sent us flying out of our seats.  Mary remarked that this mighty be the reason for the tremendous head room!

Eventually we reached the trailhead, and we were on our way.  The trail was surprisingly mild on our first day.  It climbed very gradually through a lush forest, interrupted occasionally by hills of bushes and cacti.  Many of the cacti had bright colored flowers opened in the direction of the sun.  The hillsides were covered in many places with a variety of other wildflowers.  I am not great at wildflower identification, but I did notice Indian Paintbrush and Honeysuckle in many places.  

The weather high on the plateau was heavenly.  The added 3,000 of elevation had the effect of lowering the temps by at least 10 degrees, and a pleasant breeze drifted through the wilderness.  Occasional views of distant mesas and canyons peaked through the vegetation.  

We arrived at campsite #7, our home for the night, before noon.  So much for a rough day!  The site had a couple of giant  pine trees on either side of it, providing for consistent shade on some part of the site at all times.  The views were somewhat limited from here, but the hill directly below us was covered in cacti - all clad in brightly colored flowers.  It was like we had our own flower garden.  

The search for water took a few minutes. We ended up locating the spring about 3 tenths of a mile from our site, down a side spur trail for campsite #6.  The spring, called Potato Hollow on the map, turned out to be a pleasant place to relax while filtering water.  Literally and oasis in the desert, it was the only source of water for miles.  Birds swarmed around the tall marshy grasses on its edges throughout the day.  The most common bird we sighted was the tree swallow - its bright green back flashing in the sun as it darted through the air and to the surface of the water.  

With plenty of water available, we spent the afternoon and early evening relaxing in our hammock, strung between two young Aspen Trees, in a thick stand of Honeysuckle.  We read books and relaxed in the shade, even tolerating the steady stream of bees that came by to visit the flowers near us.  Occasional hummingbirds zoomed by, and one looked like he was thinking about trying to feed from our hammock.  Maybe the red color confused him!

In the evening the winds picked up and the sun dropped below the hills to the west.  The air rapidly grew cold.  We fixed a boxed meal of couscous for dinner.  The chocolate bar we packed melted - covering everything in the food canister with a thin layer of chocolate.  We ended up scraping the dried-on chocolate off of many of the items as our desert.  So much for my theory that high percentage chocolate doesn't melt.  In the desert - everything melts.  Still, it was hard to complain.  We had a beautiful meadow to ourselves for the night.

We both intended to stay up late to watch the stars, but the cold night air coupled with our poor night of sleep the previous night lulled us to sleep within minutes of darkness.  During the couple of times I awoke during the night to shift sleeping positions I was treated to a blanket of stars that stretched from one horizon to the next.  The air was cold, and the world outside our tent was wonderfully quiet.  

In the morning we woke to the sun's hot rays streaming through the tent, directly onto our faces.  We prepared some grits for breakfast, with plenty of hot coffee.  I went back to the spring to filter more water.  Our campsite for Saturday night would not have any water source.  Mary packed up camp while I fetched water, and in no time we were ready to hit the trail.  Loaded down with 15 liters of water - enough for the rest of our hike, we hoped, our packs were suddenly very heavy.  

The trail threw us a bit of a curveball to start day two.  It left Potato Hollow via a steep and steady switchback up and over a green ridge.  We were both huffing and puffing within minutes.  Eventually, we did break out onto the ridge, earning views in several directions.  Looking behind us gave us a neat perspective on our campsite for the night and the surrounding area.  

The trail followed the edge of the plateau closely the rest of the day, affording remarkable views of the towering temples and deep, dark canyons on both sides of us.  More distant and prominent mountains could be seen to the West.  We passed a group of hikers - the first we had seen in 24 hours, near the junction with the Telephone Canyon Trail.  We both marveled at how none of them seemed winded, or dirty, at all.  We always feel like we are covered in filth, soaked in sweat and exhausted while backpacking.  Many of the hikers we have encountered on the trail out here must run triathlons in their spare time - they never look tired or bothered by the heat!

Passing the junction with the Telephone Canyon Trail, the West Rim Trail passed through an open scrubland that looked to have suffered through some forest fires.  The views to the west were beyond description.  Looking west from the plateau had the feeling of standing on the surface of the moon, or an alien planet perhaps.  

We were delighted when we found the post for campsite #5 near a thick stand of pine trees.  The short spur trail lead to a perfect little site - set in a stand of trees providing shade, and with views into Telephone Canyon, and across the Narrows to The Mountain of Mystery.  We set up our camp and spent the afternoon relaxing in the hammock and reading in the tent.  

In the evening, we were treated to a stunning sunset a short walk from our tent.  The sun melted, like butter, into the alien landscape of rounded gray temples, towering sandstone cliffs and distant mountains.  The whole terrain was awash in a bluish light as the sun vanished for the night.  

The air that night grew cold, and the winds raged across our narrow little spit of land.  We were wishing we had packed more clothing as we crawled into the tent for the night - but once in our down sleeping bag we slept comfortably.  

We awoke in the morning in time to watch the sunrise over the green, gentle slope of the Mountain of Mystery in the East.  After a quick breakfast we were back on the trail.  The last day promised the most spectacular scenery.  

The trail wound its way around the remainder of the Horse Pasture Plateau, providing steady views to the West and eventually South.  The dark chasm of Behunin Canyon dominated the scenery for a while.  At the junction where the Telephone Canyon Trail re-joined the West Rim Trail we began a rapid descent down the face of a sheer cliff.  The trail was only 3-5 feet across in most places, and the drop offs into the canyon were terrifying.  We picked our steps carefully as we descended the steep trail.  

Eventually, the trail arrived at a bridge across the remaining depths of a side, "hanging" canyon.  We stopped for a snack break just beyond the bridge, before beginning the climb up the other side of the canyon.  The trail switchbacked through a red sandstone world back out of the canyon, reaching a gray colored rock surface.  We were treated to a fairly level walk across open, rocky terrain for a while.  Signs installed by the park service aided in locating the trail.  It eventually resumed descending, and in no time we were arriving at Scout Lookout.  Scout Lookout is where the quiet solitude of the West Rim Trail meets to the crowded mayhem of the Angel's Landing Trail.  

Angel's Landing is the most famous day-hike in Zion.  Only a short, but steep climb up from the Grotto, it offers un-equaled views of the canyon floor.  Most of the hike, the part that reaches Scout Lookout is a hard, but safe series of tightly woven switch backs through Refrigerator Canyon.  Called Walter's Wiggles, these switchbacks make this lookout accessible to just about any hiker.  Beyond the lookout, the  half-mile trail climbs out onto a narrow mass of land jutting into the canyon.  The trail had chains bolted into the side of the rock in many places to aid in the climb.  Angel's Landing is quiet famous, partly due to the fact that six hikers have fallen to their deaths since 2004, a fact the park displays prominently on signs at the base of the climb.

I was on the fence about doing the climb, and Mary wanted no part of it.  She agreed to stay with the packs while I explored the trail.  I wasn't sure how far I would get, intimidated by the climb's reputation.  The trail climbed unpredictably, snaking around one side of a mass of rock, before switching to the other side, and then occasionally going straight up and over steep rocks, requiring climbers to hold on tight to the chains and pull themselves up to the next level.  Through all of this, the trail never ventured more than a few feet from the 1,500 foot sheer drop-off to the canyon floor.  

I was happy to find that the "cliff exposure," as the warning signs call it, wasn't as bad as I anticipated.  In most places, it's reasonably safe, as long as you don't go too fast and don't let go of the chains near the edges.  The steady stream of hikers moving in both directions might be the most challenging aspect of the climb.  Most were very responsible,though,  taking turns, and deferring to the down-hill climbers in the narrow spots.  The hike was harder from a cardiovascular perspective than I expected.  In places, the steps were quite far apart, even for my long legs.  

I reached the top in about thirty minutes. My legs were trembling from the workout and my chest heaved with exhaustion.  I stopped long enough to marvel at the view and snap a few pictures before beginning the return trip.  The down-climb was actually easier than I expected.  I elected to sit on my bottom and scoot down some of the steeper sections, while holding on to the cables for support.  In a  few minutes I was back at Scout Lookout .  I only saw one person freak out and turn around on the chains in the time I was up there. 

Reunited with Mary, I was happy to finish our backpack and seek some cold drinks and non-dehydrated food.  We made the descent through refrigerator canyon in short time, and soon were at the Grotto Trailhead waiting for a bus.  My knees are sore after a day that included more than 4,000 feet of descent on mostly hard rock surfaces, but I am delighted with the beautiful experience we were able to have in the backcountry of Zion.  

We decided to check into a motel in Springdale for the night.  We need a chance to shower, wash laundry and buy groceries for the next leg of our trip.  We had an early dinner at Pizza and Noodle - a cool local place with great pizza and air conditioning ( a must).  Tomorrow we leave for Bryce Canyon.  We have thoroughly enjoyed out time in Zion National Park, but we are looking for ward to the cooler temps in the high elevations of Bryce.