Sharon and Bob on the Road: Beers Across America: Utah, the Last. Zion National Park

We were unprepared for the crowds at Zion. We have been to a lot of national parks, and we haven't seen anything like this. Perhaps because it is only 150 miles from Las Vegas, and therefore more accessible than most of the parks? Also, it is pretty damned spectacular, so why wouldn't people want to come here? It is 10 or even 15 degrees warmer than Bryce, which means the weather is perfect now for hiking. And whereas Bryce has you standing at the rim, and looking down, Zion has you standing at the bottom and looking up. So a lot of the hiking is easier, at least if you want it to be. (At least you do the hiking UP first, and down second, which is easier.) And the elevation is lower. So, yay, Zion! Except that I think we did the hardest hike ever here. So what are we doing wrong?

They make this particular hike sound really fabulous. (Which it is.) And then they tell you that it is not a hike for children, for people with a fear of heights, or for people who are not in good shape. Then they tell you that when you get to the top of the hike, IF you are brave or crazy enough, there is another half mile that you can walk, at your own risk, of course, and if you don't mind that you will have to hang on to a chain as you go up the rocks. Oh, and every year or so, someone falls to their death. Sounds great, right? How could we resist?

Well, the "regular" part of the hike just kicked my butt. Very steep, lots of switchbacks, lots of panting and waiting for my heart to feel vaguely like it intends to stay inside my chest and not go bouncing down the trail. Really hard. But really nice, too, with great views of the canyon floor, the incredible sandstone cliffs, and the beautiful river that somehow, tiny as it is, is supposed to have carved these amazing canyons.

Part way up. I'm stopping to remember what breathing is. Bob is indicating what comes next.

We started to get higher, and looking down started to look cooler

I kept stopping "old people" when they were on their way back, and asking them how it was.....and...."are we there yet?" I kept getting reassured that I could do it, and eventually, we got there! It was really amazing and beautiful.

This is the place at the end of the "regular" trail

These pictures are what I was looking at while I was waiting for Bob to come back down

Zion is amazingly fertile and green. The rocks are just STUNNING.

The red sandstone and the green trees are breathtaking

The dreaded chain

Then I saw the chain on the rock.....I started up...and then I started thinking about what it would feel like to go DOWN. Mostly I saw how many people were on that trail, and I started thinking about what it would be like when there were too many people, and some of them were going up, but others would be going down, and only one person can stand next to the chain. When I thought about either being the person who had to step away from the chain to let someone go by, or being the person who would be causing someone else to step away, I decided....er....no. I felt sure it might make me too anxious. But Bob? He said sure enough, and off he went.

When I was waiting at the overlook, looking out at the view, while Bob was climbing, I had plenty of opportunity to observe others who tried to go up, but found they couldn't. I saw other people who returned from having done it like nothing happened at all. And I saw others who looked like they had just given birth and still felt amazed. It was a bit like watching the Boston Marathon, where you see some people go by like there is nothing to it....and other people who look like they are about to die. Basically, it wasn't for me. But Bob did the whole thing like a champ. Yay, Bob!

The triumphant return

Aside from the intensity of the crowds, Zion has been stunning. And on the second day we managed to snag a spot in the campground inside the park, so now we don't have to go in and out of the park, which can be pretty tedious with the traffic. The shuttle system is great, since you aren't really allowed to drive in the canyon. Meanwhile, back to the Big Hike:

On the walk down

You can see how the trail is pretty narrow

The trail is cleverly carved right into the rock

This a little bit of an idea about the bottom part of the trail. I could never get a good shot of the trail going up.

The following day we took a comparably long, but much more sedate, walk in a remote part of the park called Kolob Canyon. It was a walk deep into the canyon, and it was mostly through forest that was in the midst of its Fall colors. It was lovely. (However, my feet were hurting from the day before, so I probably was NOT the best companion.) When you get to the end of the trail, there is the most incredible alcove. It is so deep and painted with desert varnish, and just so huge it is hard to get your mind around. This part of the park, which is about an hour drive from the more popular part of the park, was just amazing, and not so crowded. In spite of how many people are here, Zion is really a wonderful place to visit, and especially so in such a beautiful time of year.