The Narrows.

I've been thinking about how I should go about this next post. Should I do one post per Utah park; Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Arches, Bryce Canyon and Zion. Should I instead do one just for Zion because it's so amazing it deserves at least two days to visit and it's own post and then see how I feel from there? I've decided to go with the latter. Ahh, Zion, what an amazing place for hiking. When Zion was first opened as a national park in 1925, there was an average of eight visitors per day; that's just 2,920 people per year. Let's compare: last year there were 4.3 million visitors that explored this amazing national park. Needless to say, almost any hike you do there will be people also hiking with you no matter the time of day. Driving into the park we were in awe of the cliffs in every shade of red and orange imaginable, each one with a new texture and design. Angel’s Landing, a strenuous but doable hike with an exceptionally beautiful result, is not without its mental challenges. Five deaths have occurred on this steep, narrow climb since 2004 as the last half mile of the trail climbs up melting red and white rocks with chains bolted into the cliff for handholds. I kept seeing warnings for those with a fear of heights on my way to the final stretch. I took it into account, I just didn't let it stop me. Hands a little sweatier than usual even considering the high ninety degree weather, I slowly and steadily climbed my way to the top to a panoramic view I won't soon forget. The steep climb behind me, switchbacks and Scout's Lookout off in the distance, the red roads winding along the bottom of the park, it was worth every unsure step. I can solidly tell you all that on the way up I definitely did not think that. Let's go back for a moment so I can tell you about our morning because we got to Zion a little later than we had hoped. In Kanab, where we stayed, is the visitor center for Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. There, you can try your luck at a lottery to see "the wave", a unique four mile hike through a canyon that looks like multi colored ribbons twisted around like soft serve ice cream poured onto a cone. Reservations ahead of time have to be made close to a year in advance but never fear, that's why they have the daily lottery. It's definitely a bragging point among travelers if you get a spot in the lottery to experience one of Utah's most coveted attractions. Naturally, we tried two days in a row and both days we did not win. Most don't win, actually. There are only ten permits per day allowed into the canyon. Here's how it works - one person per group puts there name in during the time slot of 8:30-9am and the ranger assigns your party a number. He then turns the small cage of numbered balls and spits out enough to equal the ten permits. For example, if there was a group of ten people and the one name thrown into the lottery was called, then that's it, there's no more permits issued. Fun fact, the longest someone has continuously come back without winning is seventeen days and the longest they've gone before winning is thirty three. Insanity. Anyway, since we had done that earlier that morning and still had about forty minutes to drive to Zion, we started hiking a little later than originally anticipated. Each minute hotter than the last, we saw the emerald pools and relaxed in their shade while contemplating the previously mentioned Angel's Landing. We originally weren't even going to go since it was right at the hottest part of the day but ended up walking in that direction anyway. When we were standing at the base of the trail we thought, well, we're here so let's just do it now. The steep switchbacks continued to rise more and more drastically as the hike progressed. Just as we thought the worst was over we were rewarded with a nice stretch of rare shade in Refrigerator Canyon and turned the corner to face the second challenge of the hike, Walter's Wiggles. Named for the first superintendent of the park, the twenty one switchbacks, from above, almost looked to be stacked on top of each other like a twenty one tier cake; a cake I would only like to enjoy once, by the way. The heat beaming down on us we finally reached Scout's Lookout, a common turn around point for most and once again thought, we made it this far let's just finish it. We finished the hike up that last half mile I mentioned before, making some new friends along the way and cheering each other on for encouragement. I found cheering on complete strangers to be great motivation for me too. How could I freeze up and be afraid to keep climbing when I was chanting the exact opposite? Carefully scaling the side of the narrow cliff, hanging onto the chains and breathing deeply with each new foot placement, trying not to look down, I tackled the way up and back down like a champ, if I do say so myself. I would suggest for anyone thinking of hiking this to do it earlier or later when there is more shade and less people. Finding comfortable spots to step to the side on Angel's Landing and let traffic go by was not always easy and a constant drag, since most of that last half mile is made for one person at a time. Bring lots of water too, more than you think a person could possibly need. We did and we still ran out for half of the hike back down. After the 1,488 ft. elevation gain in 2.5 miles, I can confidently tell you all I feel like I can conquer anything. That was one of the more challenging and rewarding hikes I have done so far, that's for sure. They say it's so high only Angel's Land there and I'm here to tell you all, the Brusilow's have as well.

The second hike at Zion National Park that I highly recommend is the narrows. By far the coolest hike I have ever done. The majority, I'd say 85% of it, is wading through the Virgin River that runs through Zion. The light blue, clean and clear water slows and speeds up in various places, rushing through stones and boulders in shades of reds, yellows, greens, and dark blues. Wading carefully back and forth through the river, even in the sections only ankle deep since we had our cameras on us, we knew that if we could just make it two miles out there would be significantly less crowds and a 2,000 ft. high narrow slot canyon to swim through. We branched off down a small chute at one point and turned the corner to find cascading green vines clinging to the wet rock, a small bird nest in one of the nooks, and a short but powerful waterfall at the end of the offshoot. Admiring the lighting and the way it reflected against the water, we turned back and headed deeper into what they call Wall Street. Without any high ground, dry bag on my shoulder and cameras in the air, we continued down the canyon. In some parts the water was close to waist high, in others it was so deep I had to actually swim to the other side, barely even close to touching the bottom. I will tell you all that choosing the right clothing to wear is imperative to having a great time at the narrows. If your goal is only to go a mile or two out and maybe swim a bit in the deeper areas, then shorts and a t-shirt, even a bathing suit, is just fine. If you're planning on doing what we did then I highly suggest bringing a long sleeve shirt or other layer for when you're done. That water is a brisk fifty two degrees at best and the temperature in the canyon is significantly cooler than that of the rest of the park. My shoes, made for this situation, were too heavy for swimming and weighed me down as I flailed trying to make it to the other side of Wall Street. I'm a pretty good swimmer so I was surprised and burst into laughter mid stroke at the thought of my struggle all being due to my shoes. The best part about that swim was the rush of warm air from the opening in the canyon further up once I got to higher ground. It kept my shivering at bay at least for a little while. The way back was somehow even more beautiful than the way there, the lighting having faded a bit and bursts of bright orange bouncing off the rock onto the water, pouring in from hidden slots, was too gorgeous not to risk the camera yet again. I am proud to tell you all that while I did twist my ankle a bit, I did not fall in or drop my camera, neither did Thatcher but he was close. I'm sure you could have guessed that last part though since I have included pictures of the amazing hike for your viewing pleasure.

Relaxing and giving our legs a break for the evening, we regrouped and continued on our journey to Bryce Canyon National Park the next morning. You caught me, I lied earlier. I am going to tell you about another one of the Utah parks in this post. Enjoying the scenic drive to Bryce, we decided early on to camp just outside the park since it was free, the weather was perfect, and Dixie National Forest bordered the park entrance. Before we even got into the Park we stopped at a small town with what we thought would be the last grocery store for a while. Not paying attention and eating a carrot and hummus, as I told the nice officer that pulled us over, why I don't know. I know why he pulled us over, I have no idea why I told him I was eating a carrot. I have a feeling he was also confused by my overshare but it worked out in the end, that's all that matters. Officer Joe Neighbor turned out to be really nice and interested in our adventure. Yes, that is actually his name and I chuckled when he told me. He took down my blog address, told us about some hiking in the area, thought my new bumper sticker was pretty funny (thanks, Mom), and let us off with a warning. Thanks for the warning and awesome story, Joe! That was only the beginning of the clusterfuck of events that was about to happen to us. After pitching our tent and claiming our site, Thatcher wasn't paying attention and left his wallet on the roof when we pulled out. Cue eye roll. We double backed the mile it took to get to the park entrance, walked the area, and searched the bushes with sadly no wallet in sight. Defeated, we went into the visitor's center and tried the only thing we could think of, check the lost and found. Bingo! Thanks to the kind stranger who found it, left the cash and credit cards inside, and turned it in, another crisis was averted. A huge sigh of relief and now a little over an hour since we first got to the park, we got ready to hike the rim trail from Bryce Point to Sunset Point. Now is when the fun really began. I accidentally left the keys in my locked car, not just the main keys but the spare keys too. Back to the visitor's center we went. The only thing not locked inside the hot car was beef jerky and water so I sat by Bertha patiently waiting until a ranger came and rescued us. Twenty minutes later, we were ready to roll again. Hysterically laughing, unsure how we had spent two hours at the visitor's center without even seeing the park, I started crying with laughter when the ranger told us he knew Officer Joe Neighbor. What a small and ridiculous world we live in, huh?

We finally got to actually go into Bryce Canyon National Park and it was unlike anything I had ever seen before. Fun fact, Bryce is actually not a canyon at all but a collection of giant, natural amphitheaters punctuating the park. Hoodoos, tall and thin spires of rock protruding upwards from the ground below, were carved by the forces of erosion to create one of the most rapidly changing landscapes in the world. Pink cliffs decorate the background while the foreground is covered in maze like canyons, a rarity in nature, spread across the amphitheater floor. We walked through some of them on the Navajo Trail that loops down into it, bookended by switchbacks and covered in formations like Thor's Hammer and the Queen's Garden. The rim trail rewarded us with endless views of hoodoos repeated across the landscape like they were mass produced and neatly lined up into rows. The small strips of white and red on them created an even bigger stripe in color and an interesting pattern. Between all of this and the amazing sunrise we saw at Fairyland Point the next morning, Bryce Canyon was definitely a park I would have regretted missing. We admired the warm sun dancing across the spires as we sipped our chai tea and enjoyed our oatmeal, all the while excited for what the next Utah Park would bring.

Stay tuned,
- G.

The Photo:
The Narrows.
Zion National Park, Utah.
6/7/17.