The Newport Family: Zion National Park

Wow - so many hikes ... so much to see and do.

Zion is located in Utah's high plateau country. The Virgin River runs through the gorge making a very deep and narrow canyon. The cliffs drop 3,000 feet with massive buttresses and deep alcoves.

Unlike the Grand Canyon where you are on the rim of the canyon, Zion is located on the canyon floor - a really cool perspective. However ... that means that almost all the hikes to UP. We decided to jump right in with a hike ... to Hidden Canyon - so named because the early surveyors didn't even know it existed. There are many remote terraces and narrow gorges.

The trail climbed quite rapidly. See the tiny bus ... the white spot above the rock next to Jen ... it was a tandem bus. We were just a small part of the way up at this point - notice the nice stone wall along the edge ... that did not continue much longer.

This should have been my first warning.

When I saw the chains (that move) I said good-bye to the rest of fam and waited patiently for their safe return.

This is where they left me... with no water.

What is she ... NUTS!!!!

The pictures were cool ... do I regret not going??????? .... DEFINITELY NOT!!!!

The pictures are just fine for me!!!!

After that hike we decided to do the Observation Point because it came off the trail we were on and we were already that far.

We seemed to be hiking forever ... then we can to this really cool slot canyon and the trail leveled off for a while.

This shows the trail before the slot canyon. Once we reach a certain elevation without any protective handrails, little stone walls, and any type vegetation between me and certain death from incredibly high drop-offs and panic attacks ... I stop taking pictures and focus on the ground directly in front of me ... don't look to the left or right .... ignore any comments like "wow, that's incredible, look at that" and repeat over and over "just keep swimming, just keep swimming"

So at this point I have to rely on the pictures from Jen and Tom.

I use a hiking pole "for my knee" ... its really to beat off anyone who comes near me.

The views really were incredible and the flowers in bloom all along the trail were really cool too.

And then we had to hike back down. As the sun set and we climbed back on the bus, we figured we had hiked about 11 miles ... all slept soundly that night.

The next day we decided to try something a little less strenuous. A 3 hour horseback riding tour. That was really fun. Our two wranglers were lots of fun.

Me on Doc. He was a great horse.

Jenny and Buttercup

(Yes, that is a mule)

... and of course ... John Wayne ...

It was nice to see the beauty of the park without wheezing ... they did a great job going up and down ... actually climbed to 600 feet.

But when we got off the horses, we realized that we now had a whole different set of muscles that hurt.

The next day would be our last day at the park ... so of course you have to pack it all in ... 3 hikes ... one from each category: strenuous, moderate and easy ... in that order.

Have you ever heard of Angel's Landing?????

I have done some research. One boy scout and one tourist died in the last year. One woman comitted suicide this year. There's a video on the internet. ITS CRAZY ... INSANE ... its needs its own special category ... because that ain't strenuous. The first 5 miles (up to Watchman's Lookout) are strenuous. The last half mile with the chains that takes 45 minutes is CERTIFIABLE!

It should be a ranger-led hike with clip on rope harnesses!

I saw a woman go up with Tevas on her feet?????? OK?????

A guy with two young boys ... he had rope tied around their waists ...

Granted they were from Germany and have probably climbed the Alps.

There were many people who started up the chains and then came back down (Tom and Jen among them)

Some others made to the first part - its like a saddle - then there is a norrow part with crazy drop-offs on both sides (that's where the boyscout fell) and they came back. And some make it all the way - JOEY The GOAT!

Anyway ... enough said ... here's the pictures...

Angel's Landing

1500 foot elevation

Walter's Wiggles

A series of 21 switchbacks

This is from the bottom looking up.

You don't realize the drop off because the verticle climb is so steep.

The trail is about a foot and a half from your face.

Walters Wiggles from the top looking down.

It doesn't even look the same.

This is at Watchman's Lookout.

Joe, Tom and Jen are just beginning to climb the chains.

Tom is by the pine tree in the white shirt.

Jen and Joe are next down with peach and grey shirts.

someone had to stay with the back pack and stuff ... no sense in taking any extra gear that would only get in the way ... someone had to make the sacrifice and stay behind.

Tom and Jen turned back ... decided it was out of their comfort zone.

So ... Joe straped on the camera ... kissed Jenny ... and off (or rather up) he went.

And we waited ... and waited ... and worried ... and waited .... and found out from others that it would take at least 45 minutes to go half a mile and back .... and waited without worrying as much .... and Joey returned triumphant with lots of pictures to show!!!!!!!

This is the first part of the trail over the first hump with the chains.

This is the narrowest part - 2 and a half feet wide with the drop off on one side of 800 feet and the other is 1500 feet .... with just a chain to steady yourself as the wind gusts by.

Looking down .......

and then on to the highest part of Angel's Landing ...

This is a beehive ... the highest point

Self-Portrait

another view looking down

and now turn around and make your way back the way you came ...

Joe said that this is the craziest thing he has ever done!!!

After that we did the medium hike to the Emerald Pools. They were very pretty and definitely less strenuous.

Above this waterfall is the middle pool - below is the lower.

This is the upper pool - the waterfall is so long that you cannot fit it all in the camera lens!

It was nice and cool here and it was fun to watch as the wind would blow and the stream of water would move way over to the right.

This is at the lower pool. It was a lot like Thatchers Park on the walk under the waterfall - except here all the rocks are red instead of grey. There aren't any more pictures of it because the wind changed direction and we got soaked. We ran and the wind kept blowing the water right along with us. But that was ok because it was pretty warm out.

They don't look too tired ... only one more walk to go ... and its the easiest one.

The Riverwalk is a nice paved trail along the Virgin River. It ends where the trailhead for the Narrows Hike would begin ... but that was closed because the river was running too fast. That hike is completely in the riverbed ... sometimes you have to swim part of it. It sounded really cool - but you can see that the river is definitely too fast.