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.  

 

Zion Day 3: The Narrows

If Zion National Park is famous for one thing, it is the Narrows.  At the top of the main canyon the walls of Zion Canyon close in around the Virgin River for several miles.  This long section of steep canyon is incredibly picturesque and sometimes perilous.  If a sudden thunderstorm pops up somewhere in the headwaters, possibly hundreds of miles away, a wall of water can come crashing through the canyon sweeping everything and everyone in its path away.  Flash floods played an important role in the formation of the canyons and continue to play a key role in the various ecosystems that call Zion home.  That said, they are nothing to mess around with.  A hiker caught in the Narrows during a flash flood would have poor chances of survival.  

Doing the Narrows as a thru-hike requires obtaining a hard-to-get permit, securing a shuttle from a private outfitter to the north entrance, and completing an arduous 16 mile trek through the Virgin River.  The more common, and approachable way to experience the Narrows is hike up hill (or upstream) from the north end of the Riverwalk at the Temple of Sinawava.  Doing the hike in this way allows one to hike as long as he or she wants before turning around.  This was our plan today.  

We caught the shuttle from the visitor center after breakfast, and judging by the capacity crowd riding the bus with us, it was going to be a busy day in the Narrows.  It was easy to spot hikers heading for the Narrows by the water shoes, swimsuits and wading poles used to help negotiate the rocks and varied depths on the bottom of the Virgin River.  

Sure enough, all but a few of the riders on the bus road all the way to the Temple of Sinawava.  It was an unusual experience to be hiking a trail with hundreds of other people and reminded me of the Avalanche Creek hike in Glacier National Park.  The crowd heading up the paved Riverwalk trail included all manner of hikers, from children to intrepid-looking adventurers in their twenties, to senior citizens and folks in wheelchairs.  The riverwalk wound between the increasingly narrow canyon walls, always within sight of the crystal clear waters of the Virgin River.  After an easy, one mile walk, the trail ended at a platform overlooking the river.  A set of steps lead down to the sandy beach, and this was it for man-made trail features.  

The morning air was still cool, and the steep canyon walls blocked the sun this early in the day.  The first few steps into the river were alarming to the skin.  The water, derived from snow melt in distant mountains, and springs throughout the canyon, was about 50 degrees.  The path upstream wound from one side of the river to the other.  Occasional sandbars with scatterings of trees and bushes provided relief from the cold water and awkward footing of the river.  The canyon walls gradually grew in height and closed in around the river on both sides.  

After about an hour of careful walking in and around calf-deep water the walls rapidly closed in around the river.  The sandbars and trees became less frequent, and the water deeper and faster.  It was now necessary to wade through deep holes in the river at times.  The views became increasingly spectacular.  Sandstone walls measuring in the thousands of feet in height closed in around the canyon.  Hanging gardens, growing from seeping springs in the rock walls dangled down over the river.  An American dipper darted down to the surface and landed on a rock.

The Dipper, also called a water ouzel, is a fascinating western bird.  This favorite of naturalist explorer John Muir lands on rocks on the surface of the river and "dips" his head up and down while surveying the river for bugs.  When he spots one, he dives under the surface of the water and flaps his wings in order to swim through the water.  The American Dipper is the only bird known to exhibit this behavior.

Somewhere after the junction with Orderville Canyon the air finally began to grow hot in the midday sun.  What an ideal way to spend a day - wading knee (and sometimes waste) deep through cold, crystal clear water on a hot sunny day, all while gazing up at monoliths carved from sandstone over several million years.  The formations in the sandstone very much reminded me of Michigan's Pictured Rocks, only instead of 200 feet tall, they towered 2,000 feet over our heads.

We stopped for lunch on a rock somewhere past Orderville Canyon.  The canyon walls seem to be opening up finally, letting in more daylight in this portion of the hike, so we decided this would be our turn-around point.  

After lunch we began picking our way downstream in the much warmer air.  Walking with the current was actually harder than against it, as the force of the water threatened to knock us over as we fought for precarious foot placement.  I tried to make use of my knowledge of water from whitewater kayaking classes, but to little avail - it was just hard work.

When we returned to the junction with Orderville Canyon we decided to take a side trip up this narrow canyon.  Mary found a nice rest spot on the banks of the river while I hiked farther up the canyon.  A handful of other hikers headed up the same canyon.  This side canyon climbed much more steeply than the Virgin River.  I had to pull myself up, over and around a variety of obstacles in the river.  The most challenging of these was a 3-4 foot water fall.  On the left side of the river was a large sandstone rock blocking the path.  The middle featured a "notch" with several logs and rocks.  On the right side was a large waterfall.  

My first approach was to scramble up the sandstone.  The sandstone turned out to be very slick, and I ended up sliding backwards into the river.  Next, I tried the middle route, but found it too awkward to get the needed foot and hand holds to pull myself up.  The third route, climbing up the waterfall was dubious.  I got about half way up the cascade, but found the force of the water too strong to overcome.  

Just when I was about to give up, a teenage girl came along.  She wedged her feet into the rocks in the middle of the river and squeezed between the downed trees and pulled herself to the top.  Now I had no choice.  I could do the same thing, or look really lame in front of a crowd of hikers gathering at the base of the falls.  She offered to take my trekking pole for me, which made it a bit easier to get a grip with two hands.  I managed to get my feet wedged into the rock, and grabbed ahold of the top of the obstacle.    This left me in an uncomfortable position, with me feet tucked under me and my arms essentially behind and above me.  I was forced to turn sideways and shimmy up the rest of the way.  My day pack dragged loudly on the downed-tree, but happily did not prevent me from reaching the top.  

Above the obstacle, and with my pride intact, I resumed climbing up the river.  Their were a few more obstacles to get around, but nothing seemed too daunting now.  The canyon rapidly opened up now, allowing the hot sun to stream through.  Many trees and shrubs grew on both sides of the river.  After about thirty minutes I reached the waterfall I was seeking.  A five foot slot waterfall blocked further passage up the river, or at least that's what my guide book said.  Today, there was a large downed tree pinned in the falls.  I think it might have been possible to climb over this obstacle today and venture farther into the side canyon.  I didn't want to keep Mary waiting any longer, so I decided to call this far enough.

When I returned to where I had left her, Mary was asleep on a rock on the banks of the river.  She had no idea how much time had passed.  Looks like I had nothing to worry about!  

We made our way back into the main canyon and continued downstream.  The air was now hot, and the sun shone directly overhead.  The canyon was crowded with hikers headed in both direction.  People swam, waded and just plain floated in every direction.  The afternoon light flooded into the canyon, casting enchanting shadows on the walls and water.

We made our way back out of the canyon the way we had come, stopping to swim periodically, whenever the afternoon heat become too much. 

By the time we climbed back aboard the shuttle bus, we were ready to collapse with exhaustion.  There are only so many things in life that live up to their reputations.  The Narrows of Zion are certainly one of them.  As I look back over my pictures from the day, I am frustrated, because they do not come close to doing justice to the spectacular beauty of this place.  Today was a magnificent day of exploring.

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Zion Day 2: observation point

The alarm sounded at 5:30 am this morning.  The air was still chilly outside the tent and the sun was well hidden behind the east canyon walls.  We made a quick breakfast, loaded up our day packs with water and headed off for the visitor center to catch the park bus.  We had learned our lesson the previous day about getting an early start.  The morning air was cool and refreshing. 

We took the bus up to the Weeping Rock trailhead we had visited yesterday, but today's hike would take us way up into the high canyon walls to observation point for a dramatic overlook of Zion Canyon.

Just passed the trailhead was sign warning that people had fallen to their deaths on this trail in the past.  The trail started innocently enough.  The surface of the trail was a hard rock that almost looked paved, but wasn't.  The trail switchbacked for about 500 feet, climbing the canyon walls.  Even in the early morning cool, we were both huffing and puffing by the time we reached the intersection with the Hidden Canyon Trail.  The parking lot and road below looked like something out of a matchbox set by this point.  The  walls of the West Canyon started to glow orange in the growing sunlight.  

We were treated to an aerial show by two Peregrin Falcons.  They dropped down off a cliff above us and plunged towards the canyon floor in pursuit of a song bird.  Peregrin Falcons can fly over 200 miles per hour when diving from a high point.  Watching them reminded me of fighter jets in a dogfight scene in a movie.  

Following the junction the trail continued to switch back high over the canyon floor.  We could soon see past Big Bend, where the Virgin River snaked around Angel's Landing.  The drop offs on the canyon side of the trail rapidly grew as we hiked. We were certainly close to a thousand feet over the canyon floor.  

I was expecting the trail to continue switchbacking all the way to the top of the wall.  It was a pleasant surprise then, when it turned into a side canyon and began to work its way back away from the main canyon.  A slot canyon appeared to one side.  The floor of this new canyon gradually climbed up to meet the trail.  Trees grew on all sides of the trail during this stretch, evidence that water does find its way down this canyon during floods.  We were glad today wasn't one of those days!

As the trail continued to climb through the canyon the walls turned to sandstone - a brilliant shade of orange that I would expect to find in a contemporary living room.  The air was cold and crisp in these enclosed canyon walls.  Every sound we made echoed into the abyss below us.  

 
 

  The trail eventually broke out onto the other side of the wall.  We were now on the East side of the canyon wall.  The sun shone down relentlessly.  I was glad we started hiking early, as the air was quickly becoming oppressively hot.  The trail resumed switch backing up the East side of the canyon wall.  The views to the East were spectacular - towering domes of rock stretched as far as the eye could see.  The trail was lined with Juniper and Pinyon Pines and the occasional cactus.  It was a surreal environment to hike through. 

After an hour of climbing through the hot desert sun, the trail finally broke through to a ridge.  It climbed gradually along the ridge and made its way back to the west side of the canyon wall.  We were then treated to a soft sandstone and sand trail surface for hiking and occasional shade from Ponderosa Pines and large Pinyon Pines.  The views were now to the West - providing a stunning perspective of Zion Valley.

We broke out onto a large flat area - the top of a messa.  We were surrounded by low brush and cacti through this stretch of the hike.  The trail was delightfully flat as we made out way the rest of the way to observation point. 

The views from observation point were stunning.  The Virgin River looked like someone had drawn a scribbly line in the sand with a pencil.  Angel's Landing was south and below us.  With my binoculars I could make out people standing at the edge.   Vultures, Ravens and White Throated Swifts circled high overhead while we ate our lunch.  

After a lengthy lunch break to enjoy the views, we made the knee-pounding descent back to the trailhead the way we had come up.  The mid-day heat settled in, and the hikers passing us on their way up looked miserable!

We finished our hike in a little under five hours.  We took the shuttle bus up to the Zion Lodge and treated ourselves to ice cream cones.  The afternoon was spent napping in the shade underneath a giant Cottonwood Tree in front of the lodge.  Not bad for a Tuesday!
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Zion Day 1

The drive across Colorado was spectacular.  The highway climbed over several mountain passes as it snaked its way to the southwest.  At one point we climbed above 11,000 feet of elevation.  The land on either side of us had snow still clinging to it, and at one point we witnessed a still frozen lake below.  

As we made our way into southwestern Colorado the terrain rapidly changed.  First, the snow vanished, and the mountains began to take on a reddish brown look to them.  The highway dropped into Glenwood Canyon for a while, offering sheer rock walls on either side.  That anyone was able to construct a highway in such a terrain was fascinating to me.  

Crossing into Utah, the landscape changed dramatically.  Wide open land stretched as far as the eye could see in every direction.  Snow capped peaks loomed on the horizon to the south.  The sparseness of the terrain was only broken occasionally by the towering rock formations the highway would climb between.  It quickly became clear that Utah was going to be a strange environment for our midwestern eyes.  

 

 
 Eventually we reached the intersection with I-15 and the route turned south.  The posted speed limit was 80 mph which made for quick travel.  The mileage signs for Las Vegas served to remind us of how far from home we had really come.  

By the time we made the drive into Springdale, UT to the south of the park it was close to 8 pm and we were thoroughly sick of driving and of being trapped in the Jeep.  The road into the park was stunning.  Towering rock formations blocked out the sun on either side of the canyon.  The thermostat on the dashboard read 105 degrees.  We were nervous that we had arrived to late for a first-come first served campsite for the night as we approached the entry station.  The park ranger said that all of the campgrounds were listed as full, but that if we check the reservation only Watchman Campground we might get lucky if someone cancelled at the last minute.  He also warned us about the heat in the park and advised us to drink lots of water and hike in the early morning hours.

A few minutes later we were at the Watchman Campground.  I held my breath while Mary asked if they had any last minute sites.  We were in luck!  One site was open, and it was a beauty.  It provided a gorgeous view of The Watchman to the East.  As soon as we hopped out of the Jeep to set up camp we were taken aback by the wave of dry heat that enveloped us.  The air just felt heavy.  I found it hard to summon the energy for all of the evening tasks around camp, but it did feel good to be out of the Jeep.  

With camp set up, we sat down for dinner at our picnic table.  We settled on bagels and cream cheese - it was just too hot to cook.  Two hummingbirds flittered by our campsite, and small lizards darted across the nearby rocks.  A large mule deer wandered into camp as well.  The whole scene was enchanting, and more than a little overwhelming.  

We finished dinner in time for the evening program in the campground amphitheater.  The park ranger gave a presentation on the aquatic lifeforms living in the parks various water environments.  The last drops of sunlight faded out of the canyon, and a cooling breeze began to roll over us.  It was the most magical air I think I have ever felt.  The presentation included a number of slides of the park - and it served as the perfect way to get excited about all of the amazing sights we would be seeing soon.

We walked back to our tent in the dark, exhausted from three days of driving.  It seemed doubtful we would be able to sleep in the still hot desert air, but both of us were asleep in minutes.  The air temperature plummeted during the night, and by morning it was a wonderful 70 degrees.  

We woke up early, planning to head down to the first-come first-served campground at South as soon as possible to make sure we got a site for the rest of the week.  The sun was safely blocked behind the canyon walls to the East, and the whole area had "midsummer night's dream" kind of feel to it.  

We found a beautiful site at South Campground with several trees for shade.  We took our time setting up, and the morning cool burned off quickly.  After finishing setting up camp we loaded up our day packs with as much water as we could carry and headed off for the park shuttle at the visitor center.  It made a quick stop at the backcountry desk for some information about our planned backpack, and then we hopped on a bus headed up canyon.

The scenery became even more dramatic as we rode the bus into the canyon.  We decided to get off the bus at the trail for Weeping Rock.  This was the perfect hike for our first trek in Zion.  The path was less than a mile and climbed steeply but briefly to a large overhang.  Water seeps right out of this rock and drizzles like rain onto the trail.  Looking back to the West from under the overhang provided some jaw-dropping views.  

We at an early lunch while relaxing in the cool air under the overhang, and then made the quick return hike to the trailhead.  We decided to grab the bus to the next trailhead - the Grotto.  The Grotto is the trailhead for the famous Angel's Landing hike, but our plan took us in the opposite direction.  We hiked down canyon towards the Emerald Pools.  The trail climbed gradually up the west side of the canyon.  The views of the Virgin River and the East Rim were spectacular.  The trail was mostly sand and was dotted with cacti, complete with pink and yellow flowers.  As we approached the upper Emerald Pool the trail became more strenuous and required some careful foot placement.  The air was thick and the sun bore down without mercy, but a steady breeze kept us cool enough while struggling upward.  

The Upper Emerald Pool was beautiful.  The water, appropriately enough, was an enchanting shade of green.  The pool was like an oasis in the desert.  Life clung to the edges of the water on all sides:  a variety of grasses and shrubs, and even some pine trees grew overhead.  Looking straight up at the 2,000 foot walls of sandstone reminded me of Michigan's Pictured Rocks, but on a vastly grander scale.  We stopped here for a snack and fended off the brave squirrels intent on stealing our trail mix.    

 
 

 The hike down from the Upper Emerald Pool took us by two other pools, the lower one producing a waterfall onto the trail below.  The water was cold and refreshing and most welcome while hiking on such a hot day.  The trail passed through a narrow slot in the rock at one point, making for a neat photo:

The hike soon joined an easier trail coming up from the Zion Lodge, and we made good time descending on the paved walkway.  After finishing our hike we took the bus back to the campground.  It was oppressively hot in the afternoon, so we climbed down the banks from our campground and splashed around in the cold water of the Virgin River.  

Our first day of hiking in Zion National Park was stunning.  We are planning some harder hikes over the next few days, but today was a great way to get our feet wet.  This place is stunning in every way.  
 
 
 
 

 

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The Westward Drive

It really is amazing how much can change over the course of a couple days of driving.  Over about 28 hours of driving we saw the low, rolling hills and vineyards of southwest Michigan, the sprawling, suburban jungle of metro-Chicago, the endless fields of Iowa corn, the even-more-endless fields of hay and cattle of Nebraska and Eastern Colorado, the towering, snow-capped Rockies of central Colorado, the red-rocks and canyons of Western Colorado and the arid scrublands of Utah.  

We hurried home from the last day of school on  Friday, ran a few last-minute errands and crammed some last minute additions into the Jeep before hitting the road.  It was 4 PM by the time we were driving.  It felt like we had been working on getting ready for this trip forever.  I couldn't believe it was finally happening!  

Before leaving, I had researched some possible places to stop for meals along the way in order to avoid the dreaded fast food establishments that are so common along the highway.  The first of these was a Giordano's in Joliet, Il, for Chicago style pizza.  The route off of the toll road took us about 15 miles north.  This seemed like a reasonable detour for great pizza.  Sadly, the Google Maps app lead us to an abandoned store front.  It would seem the pizza place in question had closed after the Yelp review I used was written.    A quick iphone search found us a Lou Mahgnati's Pizza nearby.  We plugged the address into our Google Maps app and headed off.  Soon, my phone was leading us through a subdivison.  There were a number of quips about Google playing a joke on us, and also about the possibility of just knocking on someone's door and asking to join them for dinner.  To Google's credit, the neighborhood street eventually emptied into the back parking lot of a strip mall.  Success!  We headed inside, relieved to be done wasting time driving around suburbia and hungry, only to discover the inside was entirely devoid of tables.  This was a "to-go-only" pizza place.  We asked the very nice young lady behind the counter if there was a sit-down pizza joint nearby.  She replied "I'm not supposed to tell people this, because they're our competitor, but there is Giordano's right down the street."  We both cracked up.  In about five minutes we sat down for deep dish pizza and greek salad, with the Pens Bruins game on a nearby TV.  It was worth the wait!   

                   

After finishing our pizza we hopped back on the highway and settled in for a long night of driving.  The plan was to drive through the night to Denver before crashing.  The daylight faded as we entered the corn fields of Iowa.  Around mid-night I took over driving and Mary tried to get some sleep.  I soon had the roads mostly to myself as the mileage clicked west.  I found myself fighting to keep my eyes open with the hum of the highway threatening to lull me to sleep. By the time we reached Des Moines I decided we should grab a cheap hotel and get some sleep.  It wasn't worth saving a few hours and a few bucks in exchange for being miserable for hours.  

I failed to appreciate how late it was and how hard it would be to find a room.  We spent close to an hour driving around Des Moines looking for a room.  Most were booked, a few didn't have anyone working in the office so late and one had a woman sleeping on a couch in a locked office that wouldn't wake up to wait on us.  I was ready to give up, so I returned to the highway and resumed driving west.  Mary played the role of hero, calling around until she found a Super 8 with a room in Stuart, Iowa.  It wasn't much of a town, and the room was too expensive, but we were overjoyed to get off the road at this point.  We crashed into bed and were asleep in seconds.

We got six solid hours of sleep, hit the continental breakfast and were back on the road quickly. 

Our drive across the plains was spent dodging thunderstorms.  We lucked out, as the impressive lines of storms missed us both to the north and the south.  Considering that we never had to deal with the storms head-on, it was kind of neat to watch them roll by.  Huge, anvil shaped clouds pulsed with lightning while tendrils of rain draped delicately towards the fields on the edges of the storm.  Watching the storms roll across the endless, flat terrain, it was easy to realize how tough life on the plains could be.  

We stopped off in Kearny, Nebraska for lunch at a western franchise, The Egg and I.  I opted for a second breakfast for lunch, and the Huevos Rancheros were terrific.  

As we drove into Colorado the fields of hay stretched as far as the eye could see in every direction.  A traffic sign warned of high winds, and cattle ranches dotted the bleak landscape.  Gusts of wind shook the Jeep and threatened to push us into Semis.  Just as we reached the point where we didn't think we could take another minute of rolling hills of hay we saw them:  pale white ghosts slowly rising on the horizon.  We had driven to Glacier National Park a few years ago, but nothing prepared us for the Colorado Rockies.  

By the time we reached Denver, the mountains towered in front of us.  I could see fields of snow on some of the higher ones.  We decided to push on a bit further before getting a room for the night.  As we drove west of Denver the highway climbed high towards a distant mountain pass.  The Rockies towered over us in every direction.  Eventually we crossed the continental divide.  It was pretty cool to think that if I spilled some water it would now flow to the Pacific Ocean.  

Based on the advice of a friend, we had decided to look for a room in Frisco, Colorado.  We would not regret it.  Frisco, it turns out, is a really cool mountain town.  Its streets are lined with bakeries, coffee shops, restaurants, gear stores and inns, and the Rocky Mountains surround the town in every direction.  We found a room at the Frisco Inn, a bed and breakfast right on Main Street.  

 The Inn had an outdoor hot tub with views of the Rocky Mountains.  We grabbed a couple of cold beers out of the cooler and headed for the hot tub.  Soaking in the hot water with the cool evening, mountain air was the perfect end to a long couple of days of driving.  

We headed across the street to Vinny's for dinner.  The inn-keeper had given us a coupon out of the local newspaper good for 2 for one entrees.  We both ordered the vegetarian dish with grilled portabellas, sweet potato, roasted peppers, broccoli and tofu.  It was obviously prepared by someone who knew what he or she was doing in the kitchen.  We enjoyed our dinners with a couple of local brews while watching the Hawks win in overtime.  It was the perfect end to a long day.  

Our room at the inn was very comfortable, and with a couple of windows open letting in the cold nighttime mountain air we slept like never before.  

After an awesome, and much needed nine hours of sleep we headed downstair for breakfast.  The inn had an impressive spread of fruit, yogurt, pecan rolls, orange juice and coffee laid out in an old-fashioned room.  They prepared eggs benedict (but with avocado instead of meat)  to order for us, with hasbrowns.  It was an amazing meal.  One of the best parts of staying in a bed and breakfast is getting to meet and talk to fellow travelers.  Breakfast was served at a large table in the front room.  We met a couple from Gross Point, Michigan and another man driving his motorcycle out west who provided us with some tips for Zion National Park.  Everyone was very impressed with the length of our planned trip, and perhaps a bit jealous.  Our plans re-affirmed, we were ready to hit the road again.