IRON LION ZION
Today’s trip
report is brought to you by the color Blue.
I
was up early on Tuesday, in time to notice heavy clouds obscuring the sky above
the canyon. Anywhere other than the
deserts of southern Utah, it would mean rain for certain. Not in Zion, although I did find out later
that it had snowed up in Bryce and at Cedar Breaks.
I
had a bagel, and drove out of town on my way to the Kolob Canyons area of Zion
National Park. I stopped for gas and
ice, and took another look at the map.
It was a long drive to the Kolob area.
It would take me an hour or more, each way. The hike to Kolob Arch is 14-miles, so I was staring at a long
day. The more I thought about it, the
less sense this made. I would be
driving right past the Kolob area on Thursday, on my way back to Salt Lake
City. Once again, I changed my mind on
a whim. I’d visit the Kolob region on
Thursday. I drove back to camp, parked
the car, and walked over to the visitor’s center to catch the bus up the
canyon.
The
scenic drive along the river is now closed to private vehicles during the busy
part of the year. Instead, free buses
provide a tour of the area as well as access to the trailheads. The buses probably hold a hundred people,
and every one I was on was packed. They
run approximately every 10 minutes. How
many cars do you suppose they replace on a given day? This is a great idea that more National Parks should embrace. The last thing our parks need is air
pollution from thousands of automobiles.
How do we get Cades Cove in the Smokies signed up for this program? Let’s do it before the name of the park is
changed to the Great Smoggy Mountains.
I
considered two hikes for my first day in Zion Canyon. One, to the top of Angels Landing, is an exceptionally popular
5-mile round-trip to the summit of a pinnacle looking out over the canyon. The other is an 8-mile round-trip to
Observation Point. Observation Point is
a little longer, a little harder, and a little less crowded. I’d also heard that it had better
views. That made my decision pretty
easy. Maybe I’d get up Angels Landing
later in the trip.
I
got off the bus at the Weeping Rock trailhead with a few other hikers. Before beginning the climb, I walked the
short nature trail to Weeping Rock. The
rock itself wasn’t that exciting, though the many dripping springs harbored a
lush plant community. More interesting
were the informative plaques along the way.
I hadn’t realized how many different types of trees grew in Zion, even
in a damp valley. Maples, oaks, and
more shared the valley with the more common cottonwoods.
I
returned to the trailhead, and began the trail to Observation Point. From the trailhead, it’s hard to imagine
where the trail goes. From that point,
the hiker is surrounded by what appear to be insurmountable cliffs. A glance at the map shows that the trail
heads up through Echo Canyon, but Echo is a hanging canyon that terminates
several hundred vertical feet above the Virgin River. How would I get up there?
The
trail snakes its way up the cliff face on countless switchbacks. The path is open and exposed, and catches
the heat from the pounding afternoon sun.
Because of this, Observation Point is best hiked in the morning. It was still pleasantly cool as I made the
climb, though the early morning clouds had departed to reveal an achingly blue
sky. Is any sky bluer than a southern
Utah sky? Carolina blue used to be the
standard, but that, I think, is merely a hazy, whitish blue. A Utah blue sky is one you can get lost in.
I
finally reached the mouth of the hanging canyon, and the grade eased. Soon I was strolling up through the canyon,
but still on a trail built on a ledge above the dry streambed. After a short distance, a side path accessed
the bottom of the canyon itself.
Feeling adventurous, I abandoned the trail and descended to the
streambed. I continued the hike up the
rocky streambed, weaving around boulders deposited during the last
flashflood. Before long, I rejoined the
trail. I tried to continue up the
canyon, but a deep pool of impassable water drained my ambition. Instead, I followed the trail along the
brink of a very narrow section of slot canyon.
After 100 yards, a gentle slope provided access back down into the
canyon.
I
dropped back down into the canyon, and carefully explored back down the way I
had come. The slot canyon was
exceptionally tight – at times I could touch both walls with hands. It was also pretty. The sandstone walls had been carved in a
curving pattern by thousands of years of rushing water. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before I found
some of that water, in the form of the pool that had blocked my progress from
below. I backtracked, and tried to
continue up the canyon. Once again,
pools of stagnant water prevented me from progressing further. I abandoned the canyon and returned to the
trail.
The
path climbs steadily on a ledge above Echo Canyon. I passed a junction with the East Rim Trail, and began more
switchbacks towards the rim of Zion Canyon.
The climb was steady but not steep.
A dozen or more switchbacks later, I was on a plateau. From there, 10 minutes of easy hiking
through scattered shrubs and the occasional pine led out to an overlook. Observation Point provides a stunning view,
as lower Zion Canyon is stretched out below.
I hadn’t seen many people on the trail, but I joined a large group of
folks already there enjoying the view.
Most
of the people there were part of a large group that had hiked there by way of a
different trail high up on the plateau.
Obviously they had had it too easy, because they were talking and
laughing and hooting and hollering and playing with their walkie-talkies. I ate my lunch amid the ruckus, and tried to
enjoy the view. After some time, the
group departed, leaving silence in their wake.
After they left, I turned to one of the handful of people remaining and
said, “It sure is quiet”. He
nodded. Enough said.
I
enjoyed the view and took a few photos, but wanted a look up the canyon. I explored an unofficial path along the rim,
with a sheer 2000’ drop below me. After
only a few minutes, I found what I was looking for - the upper part of the
canyon carving its way through the plateau.
I looked down on the Narrows – the most famous part of the Virgin River
and Zion Canyon. The Narrows is a particularly
tight stretch of canyon, where the river races between towering walls often
only 15 to 20 feet apart. On Wednesday
I’d be hiking up the river, exploring those Narrows. I couldn’t wait.
I
should’ve quit with that view, but the thrill of adventure was fresh in my
blood. I continued on, following a
faint path towards a low summit in the near distance. I was hoping to get on or around that peak, to get more of a
panoramic view. My path gradually
dwindled, until I was following a rough animal path through scrubby pines,
shrubs, and cactus. This wasn’t as bad
as bushwhacking through a rhododendron grove, but it was close. Eventually I crested a shoulder of the
summit, and found myself looking down into a minor sub-canyon. The view beyond was blocked by another
ridge. Sometimes these little off-trail
adventures lead to the greatest places.
This was not one of those times.
I
eventually found my way back to the trail and headed down. Lots of people were coming up as I
descended, battling the afternoon heat.
I was most of the way down when I reached the junction for Hidden
Canyon. It was still fairly early, and
I wasn’t far from the canyon. I decided
to check it out.
I
followed the developed trail for about 15 minutes before it ended at the mouth
of Hidden Canyon. From there, a
scramblers route continues up the narrow, dry canyon. I decided to explore further.
I worked my way up-canyon, frequently scrambling over boulders or other
obstacles. The canyon was interesting,
but it wasn’t pretty like most slot canyons.
It was fairly narrow, but not terribly deep. It was crowded with brushy trees and shrubs, as well as rocks and
other obstructions. After 15 minutes, I
reached a small stone arch on the right side, partially hidden by the branches of
a tree. I was content to stop there,
have a snack, and enjoy the quiet.
After a few minutes, I headed back out, and continued on down to the
road. I caught the bus, and returned to
camp that evening in time to watch the setting set illuminate the red walls of
the canyon. It was pure alpenglow, but
seen from within the confines of a canyon.
It brought a lovely end to my first real day in Zion. The next day, I’d be seeing the park from a
completely different point of view – from within.
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