Heading to Zion National Park is a rock climbers dream. You’re surrounded by 2,000 foot, navajo sandstone walls, with approaches that rival walking across the street. Apparently the weeks that I spent daydreaming about climbing in Zion, didn’t make it important enough for me to pack the climbing rope. So for the week, we became hikers.
Day 1
Once we accepted that we were going to be hikers we grabbed a hiking guide from the visitor’s center and began to choose our destiny for the next 6 days. According to everyone we “have to do Angel’s Landing first thing!”, so we did Angel’s Landing first thing! Angel’s Landing rewards you with steep hiking, loads of exposure, and a towering 360 degree overlook. After descending Angel’s Landing we hiked a short loop to check out the Emerald Pools. We really enjoyed the pools, and were taken back to the waterfalls of the Red River Gorge. Day one set a great trend of hiking immediately followed by me wanting some ice cream, and then relaxing at the campsite.
Day 2
Day two arrived much as day one had. There was lots of strong wind and me just waiting for the sun to stretch its arms over the red walls, and grace the campsite with warmth. It always bothers me a little bit that the sunlight takes 8 minutes to reach me from the sun. I really could use that 8 minutes for something more useful than waiting, but I digress. Motivation was a little lower today so we decided to hike the Hidden Canyon trail. A very short hike brings you to a intimidating traverse around sheer cliffs and you end at the mouth of a small canyon. Thus ends the hike and you can venture deep into the canyon. Get ready for some 3rd class moves and viewing a truly beautiful, hidden ecosystem. This was a pretty short hike that left us time to head to Zion Outfitters and pick up our canyoneering shoes and a walking stick.
Day 3
I recommend that everyone get the canyoneering shoes and a walking stick when hiking The Narrows. I just can’t believe how amazing day three was. When you step into the chilly Virgin River and see the enormous walls, it really hits you that you are about to partake in a memorable adventure. We sloshed, trudged, waded, and smiled between the slot canyon for nine miles. We hiked as far as you can go without a permit, which ended us at Big Spring. I recommend that everyone do this hike at some point in their life.
Day 4
Day four started with a drive through the Tunnels and over towards the East Entrance. Lots of really cool scrambling and steep hiking littered the East side of the park. We ended up seeing fearless mountain goats and having a really enjoyable day. This side of the park was a lot quieter and it was nice being able to drive your own car around, and not wait for the park shuttles.
Day 5
We spent our last day of the trip hiking to the Kolob Arch. The Kolob Arch is a 14 mile round trip that takes you through some more amazing scenery. Once you get to the arch you are blessed with the sight of the second largest freestanding arch in the world. This hike is downhill on the way in, and uphill on the way out which makes it a pretty tough hike, and a very rewarding day. Sore feet took us back to the campsite for a pleasant ramen noodle dinner and our final sunset in Zion.
– Keegan Dimmick • Team Member Supervisor
Mesa Rim Indoor Rock Climbing San Diego ^^ A Community Blog 