Today in Zion

We are down in Zion N.P. today. The difference between Zion and other canyon parks is that in most places, you enter on the rim and hike down to see things - meaning you end your hike by ascending a trail. At Zion, you come in the bottom of the canyon, so you hike uphill to see things, and downhill to get back. It seems easier that way, somehow...

We intended to climb to Angel's Landing this morning but it was closed; a hiker slipped from the top about two hours before we got there...I don't know if we will go up there tomorrowor not.

We did get to the Emerald Pools:



And we got to hike up the Narrows. At the head of the canyon, the road ends and the rock changes. The Virgin River, which has spent the last 12 million years carving the canyon, fills it from wall to wall. To go farther, you have to get your feet wet. And cold. Very cold. But it's OK - eventually they get numb, and you can't feel the cold any more. Definitely the toughest level hike I've ever done.


Tomorrow, we pack up and drift back downhill to Las Vegas. We'll see how many shirts I lose...