Day 32 - Zion Canyon, UT

We woke up Tuesday surrounded by giant red sandstone canyon walls that barely let in the light from the clear blue sky. (Picture above) Springdale, the town we stayed in, is nestled in a narrow opening along bottom of Zion Canyon next to the Virgin River. The small mountain village is trendy but quaint and looks something like a cross between Aspen, CO and Lawrence, Kansas. The main streets are crowded with upscale photography galleries and seedy souvenir shops, but the local charm wins you over. As for the canyons, they are strikingly beautiful. It is like a more beautiful, colorful canyon that you can actually drive down into. The landscape is much greener and the colors are more vibrant. There are a handful of distinct peaks that characterize Zion that make it more beautiful than its bigger sister, the Grand Canyon. The views were breathtaking.

We took a local bus to the area where the hiking trails begin and decided to start off with the scenic route on a trail called, Emerald Pools. Round trip we hiked about 4 miles and saw picturesque pools fed by waterfalls seeping through the sandstone face. It was easy, but really crowded with other hikers.

After a quick snack, we headed over to the local favorite hiking trail, Angel's Landing. The 5 mile round-trip hike is described as "Strenuous" and "not for those afraid of heights." The trails edge up to cliffs with 1500 foot drops and can be as narrow as 4 feet across at many places. In the picture above you can see Kevin holding on to one of the chains that have been installed for the climb up the rock. For the last half mile you have to use them to climb up the steep slope because of the treacherous terrain. It was very steep, but the view from the top was amazing. When you get to the top of the 6,000 foot peak, you can see across the canyon for several miles. It was absolutely gorgeous.

After the hike, we went into town for dinner at a local legend called the Bit and Spur. We were both exhausted and almost fell asleep on the table, but we made it back to the lodge for the night safe and sound.