Day 4 - Zion - Angels Landing

Zion is named after the serene and safe sense of spiritual and physical home that the valley and canyons evoke and this feeling dominates all time while you are here. Unless you climb up to Angels Landing and safe and serene is replaced by fear and exileration!

After spending an entire day on Monday finalizing the car purchase, fixing the coolant leak and picking up uncle Page and cousin Roman after their 5 hour flight, we drove to Zion and arrived as the sun was setting. We took a 30 minute night hike and settled in to our beds at the rustic Zion lodge in the heart of the valley.

Start strong was the goal for day one at Zion and we accomplished that goal and more. We awoke at 7am, showered, had a big breakfast and then hit the trail head. We climbed up the canyon side, to a shaded flat reprieve section and then up a series of steep switchbacks (pic) to get to the flat overlook just before the steep and narrow chain section of Angels Landing summit climb begin.

Page conquered his fear of heights in climbing the 1000 plus feet up to this flat point but turned back smartly before the sketchy iron-chains-added-climb-up-cliff-edge section. Pic 2 shows the path Roman and I followed to the top and Pic 3 shows us at the top! Roman described the experience as the "coolest of his life." Pic 4 shows the three lads together after completing the hike up the chains section and you can see people starting in the background.

Pic 5 shows a happy father and son on the way down and the incredible series of ridges melting away into the background of the canyon. We will have 70 degree days and sunny skies all week! Lucky! Instead of taking the half mile shortcut back to the lodge we took the 2 miles hike along the ridge to Emerald Pools and were treated to a secluded mountain pool and a high waterfall view, before heading back to the lodge. 8 miles, 1750 feet gained and lost (175 flights of stairs) and 6 hours-- a fast start to the week.

Not to be slowed, we showered, ate a yummy southwest lunch in town and then took a scenic drive up and down and across a side canyon, through a mile long tunnel and to the farthest east entrance to the park. We took at half mile hike in this remote wilderness area, drove back to the far end of the tunnel and ended our hiking day with a half mile out and back steep hike to a canyon overlook for sunset (pic 6). Exhausted, we returned to the lodge to crash after a nearly 12 mile day one at Zion. Day 2 at Zion will be easy and relaxing.

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