Although Mandy and I have traveled extensively, there are still plenty of places in the good ole US of A on our bucket list. We love hiking and are huge fans of the National Parks system, so now it’s time to fill in some very obvious gaps on our “been-there” list. We fly from EWR to LAS, rent an SUV and head off across the desert. 3 quick hours and we pull into Springdale, Utah. We check into the The Cliffrose, one of the few hotels within walking distance to the entrance of Zion Nation Park. Late afternoon so we have a bit of time to wander in and get our bearings. The rangers are a wealth of knowledge, and we make our plans for the next few days. Quick walk back to the hotel and we’re ready for dinner. To our surprise, The Cliffrose comes with unlimited use of Cadillac Escalade and friendly staff driver to shuttle us around. We’re digging this town already. Dinner is at The Bit and Spur, a local saloon/restaurant and a favorite with the locals for good drinks, great local beer their ability to make every dish better with chimichurri. We crash when we get back to the room as the rangers warned us to get an early start to beat the crowds and the heat.
The next morning comes too soon, but we’re geared up and out the door by 6:30. Strong, locally roasted coffee takes the edge off the cool morning, and we walk into the park. Private vehicles are not allowed in the park, but there is a shuttle bus system that takes you to the start of each trail. The ranger was not kidding about starting early, and there are hundreds of people already in the cue for the busses. The system runs like a well-oiled machine and after a few minutes of chatting with others in line we’re loaded up and down the road. Fellow hikers on the bus excitedly share details of yesterday’s triumphs and today’s challenges.
We disembark at Stop 6, cross the road and head off to tackle Angel’s Landing, one of the world’s most renown hikes. This 5-mile hike really does have it all: 1500 feet of elevation rise, two sets of mountainside switchbacks, narrow canyon passes and stunning views at every turn (oh yea, and 13 fatalities since 2000). Starts off easy enough on Grotto Trailhead, a gentle grade along a river where you see the monolith that is Angel’s Landing.
We got this. Until we hit the first set of switchbacks on West Rim Trail. Long steep avenues between the U-turns have us winded already, questioning our fitness and our preparedness. I make Mandy “stop for pictures” a few times so my pulse can return to double digits. One guy we pass names this part of the trail “The Striptease” as every hiker pulls off their morning layers as the sweating begins in earnest.
The next ascent is Refrigerator Canyon, blessedly shaded as the morning sun is already starting to bake the rocks. The Canyon ends at Walters Wiggles, a series of 24 short, steep switchbacks that reminds Mandy of Lombard Street in San Francisco.
But if you ask anyone who ever did this trek, they will only tell you about the last half mile to the top. At the top of the Wiggles we reached Scout’s landing, then passed onto Hogsback, an impossibly steep, impossibly narrow ridge with drop-offs 1000’ on either side.
It’s followed up by the even more ridiculous final ascent, crazily pitched, 1200 feet up with no guardrails that you traverse by pulling yourself along chains fastened into the stone. As you literally dangle for your life, you think “don’t look down”. Then you realize that’s where all the best views are. So it’s go up 20 feet, find safe purchase, admire the amazing views and take more pix. You get to know the hikers in front and in back of you pretty quickly as you dangle, pull and crawl your way up, up, up.
We finally reach the very top and the reward is overwhelming. You’re at the tippy-top of the mountain. Views in all directions are breathtaking. A few dozen other brave souls share your perch and are as excited as you to be there. We sit. We stare. We take mental pictures and digital ones. We breathe the thin air and understand how profoundly lucky we are to be here.
After a bit, we sit and break out some food we packed. Along our route we saw chipmunks scurrying around, but clearly their favorite place is here at the top. While we did not see anyone intentionally feeding the little guys, there is nothing they like more than sharing your trail mix. To that end, the minute you put your backpack down, three or four come in from every direction to work their scam. One comes right up to you, sits up on their back feet, and just plays the cute, friendly critter angle. Meanwhile, two or three of his buds are coming in from all angles, trying their best to get into your backpack and make off with the booty. It’s adorable.
Down the mountain is faster, but scarier. By this point the crowds on the trail are growing, bottlenecking some of the narrowest, most harrowing parts of the trail. Some complain about the number of people on the trail. Some call for limiting the hikers through a lottery or permit system. The hikers we encountered demonstrated grace and cooperation and worked out an impromptu method so that everyone passed safely, joking with each other along the way. I realized that the National Parks, and especially the popular hikes there, may be better as a shared experience, like seeing a great movie in a big dark room full of strangers. Not only do you have your own experience, but you can experience it through others’ eyes as well.
Back down it’s time for lunch. Conveniently, there’s a microbrewery just steps from the entrance of the park. Elk burgers and local suds recharge us nicely and Mandy says her Hefeweizen is the most satisfying beer she has ever drank. Refreshed (and probably delusional) we decide to add a second hike today. Shuttle to the end of the line to do River Walk, a relatively flat 2-miler where you can watch the Virgin River turn a 200-yard-wide swatch of desert between two tall vertical rock walls into a lush, lively landscape. River Walk ends at The Narrows, Zion’s famous through-the-river hike. The Narrows has you trapsing through water from ankle deep to waist deep, but we pass because the naturally occurring (but toxic) algae bloom that turned the river milky green about a week ago.
Happily spent, we retire to our hotel’s pool for a well-deserved pre-dinner soak.
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