Zion National Park

We squeezed our friends in the back of the van and their backpacks filled the floors. It was past midnight when we finally could pick them up, so by the time we drove into Zion we were all zombies trying to unpack and set up the tent. Although our bodies told us to sleep in, mentally we knew we had a lot to do in only four days of their visit.

At the crack of dawn we made breakfast and prepared ourselves for the summit of Angel’s Landing, where 6 people have died since 2004. The last .5 miles requires you to hold on to bolted chains in order to cross the sometimes only a few feet wide trail. Any slip of any kind could lead to your plummet of just short of 6,000 feet. The vertical walls means if you fall, you’ll go straight to the bottom. Although at times apprehensive, we all seemed confident. At least I tried to be in front of the 3 men. My sweaty hands glided across the metal chains until we reached the top where we could overlook Zion Canyon. It felt like we were in a Avatar movie, the insane vertical red rock shot up from the floor, sometimes covered in healthy green vegetation. The view is surreal. The wind began to pick up as more people made the peak crowded, we decided it was time to head back down. But not before a random guy with a didgeridoo played us a song, and we danced. So many questions, why does this man have a didgeridoo, how did he get up here with it, why is a Canadian playing a didgeridoo? But instead he asked us to dance, on top of Angel’s Landing, where we didn’t have as much space, so we did.

After eating some lunch, we explored the lodge, sipped on some coffee, warmed ourselves back up and headed to the next hike. Hidden Canyon, a hike Zack and I have never done before. Short, but technical, we eventually ended up within a canyon, where water has carved the walls and the intensity of flash floods has left debris like trees and boulders blocking the path. This area became the unmaintained trail. The hike became more of a scramble, as we had to climb up the rocks and trees. The sky was cloudy all day, however with only a percentage of rain at night. Nevertheless we were nervous about flash floods after seeing the pure strength of destruction post flood. Our stomach were rumbling and we quickly made it back down. As soon as we got back to the car, the clouds dispersed and sun started to set behind the desert cliffs; the sky looked like it was on fire.

Although only a few minutes away from the campground, the clouds started to collect again, and by the time we parked in our site, it was down pouring. I turned around to the guys, and said “anyone want to go to a restaurant?” It was decided that Mexican food would fill us up tonight, since cooking in the dark pouring rain after a day filled with hiking just wasn’t going to happen for any of us. The restaurant was warm, the staff was friendly and our stomach were filled up to our throats. It was safe to say we were happy. The rain eased up as we got back to our tents and fell asleep to the wind shaking howling.

It was undecided what we would do the next day, however we talked about doing The Subway, a long secluded hike in the Zion Wilderness. Only a handful of permits are given, and most people have to apply for one in a lottery system. However, it being November, and the water being freezing, we were able to get a permit for Sunday. But now what would we do on Saturday? I looked at the guys, “want to go to Bryce?” Their eyes lit up, and we knew what that would mean.

We raced back to the campsite, quickly pack our things and rushed to Bryce Canyon National Park. In our rush to make the most of our one day in Bryce we forgot to check the weather, so when we arrived, a fresh blanket of snow was a surprise. We hiked the Navajo Loop which lead us into the Bryce Amphitheater, where the colors of the soft orange rock contrasted deeply with the blue of the sky. It felt good to see the amazement of on our friend’s faces and know that we were partly responsible for their journey out west. The short days and freezing temperatures of the fall/winter nights have led us to do and see less. We checked the night temperature, as we knew the elevation of Bryce was much higher than Zion. 8 degrees. Oh my, how are we going to survive 8 degrees, outside. There was certainly not enough room in the van for 4 people to sleep so the only option we had was so bundle up and hope to stay warm.

We all showered before it was dark so our hair wouldn’t freeze and we bought 3 packages of firewood in order to keep us warm. Sausage and peppers was on the menu tonight. As we cooked, we ate, so the food wouldn’t get too cold. We hooked up Kevin and Eric with some of our extreme winter gear that we haven’t used since Yellowstone. We all had gloves, parkas, and hats on. After the last piece of wood burned, we had no other option but to retreat to our tents that already had a solid sheet of ice on them. After breaking through the barrier we slithered into our sleeping bags. I was unable to move in my massive knee length winter parka and felt insanely claustrophobic. We woke up to drops of water hitting our heads. Everything was soaked from the condensation from our breath. The tent, sleeping bags, our clothes, tissues, everything that could be soaked, was.

It was the day of The Subway. The 9 mile trek across freezing rivers and up waterfalls would take an estimated 7 hours. The end of the trail is a rock formation cause by the river carvings of flash floods to make the rock look like a subway terminal. Doing out the math, we had get to the trailhead as soon as possible so we wouldn’t have to hike back in the dark.

Although it felt good to get back into Zion because it was warmer, the rivers still were icy. We had to slosh through the icy water as the sun still had not made it over the surrounding cliffs.

We had to cross the river too many times to count. We hopped on rocks, climbed up boulders, walked in knee deep water, slid our feet on slippery algae waterfalls but we finally made it. We couldn’t contain our excitement. We all couldn’t believe the colors, the structure, the amazing pools filled with the bluest water.

It was magical, and although my feet were so numb, I questioned if they were still attached to my body, it was totally worth it. We knew we were on a time constriction, especially since we didn’t get to the trail as early as we hoped. When it was time to leave we vowed we would come back again. Possibly next time going from the top down meaning we would be required to do some canyoneering and use rope to repel down the waterfalls that were more upstream. Also at this time of year, as well as most of the year, we would have to rent wetsuits since going from the top down requires a different route and some neck deep swimming. It sounds like a fun strenuous adventure.

We meandered our way back, making good time. When we got to the car, we still had another hour of daylight, so we felt accomplished. We all were complaining, Zack and Eric with their sprained ankles and Kevin and I with our bad knees. But we never felt more alive. We were insanely hungry since out peanut butter on an english muffin for lunch did not give us the calories we required.

I had a good dinner in store for us though. All we need was some more fire wood. Quick and easy I made foil packets filled with kielbasa, corn, potatoes, and rice and just threw them in the fire. The cajun seasonings made our mouths water as we open up the tinfoil to see if everything was cooked. It was by far the best meal on the trip. Our wood burned fast but we quickly ate some s’mores as it was the last night we had with our friends. It was another early morning since we had to drive them back to St. George so they could shuttle to the Las Vegas airport. We were tired but we had a day filled with exploration of slot canyons in Grand Staircase Escalante in store for us, so we said our goodbyes, fueled up on coffee, and drove the few hours to the national monument.