Zion Adventure: Day 4

1. Haven't proofread. This was the biggest ordealyest blog post ever of all time.

2. I realized the size is different and I think I'm going to go back and change it because it makes reading a little more difficult, but I tried something different with the pictures and they're HUGE. But, it means I had to expand my wrappers and I'm not sure how I like that. Let me know if it's easier to read the other way. But, hey, at least bigger pictures for now.

Tuesday morning, Davey and I took the shuttle to the Weeping Rock stop. Three trails begin here and we were going to do all three...just not in one day. First off was Weeping Rock itself. It's a huge false cave/alcove and it's very sad, so it cries–or weeps–all the time. The upper plateau streams (and rain water) seep through the porous sandstone and find their way to the canyon walls where they drip throughout the year, causing the rocks to "weep." (But, really, it's because they've been watching The Notebook.) This is one such place. If it's been raining a lot, there's a huge waterfall here. Once again, not upset about the lack of a waterfall because it meant all of the trails were open.

It was a short little 1/2 mile hike to the rock feature.

See the tears? Open the floodgates, rock. It's okay. Let it all out. This is a circle of trust. No judgment here.

The view from Weeping Rock.

We hiked back down to the trailhead and then started our straight up journey to Hidden Canyon. There was no rest. About a mile up, our trail met the trail to Observation Point, the most strenuous hike in the park. We were saving that for Thursday. We turned right and continued upward. Just switchback after switchback. Great views, though. At one point, we looked back and saw a rock climber on the wall opposite Angel's Landing. I don't think you can see him well in this picture at all, but he's a tiny little baby bitty spot right above my finger. In the second picture, if you look for 30 seconds and let your eyes settle, you'll see two darker smudges on the wall above and to the right of my finger...actually, it looks like three smudges, I guess. Smudge, smudge, break, and smudge. See it? That second smudge, the one before the break, right at the upper right corner of it, you'll see a hint of blue with a white speck at the top. That's him. Long explanation for something you may or may not see. If you get really close to your monitor, you can see him. But not too close or your eyes will stick like that.

So, we continue on for another mile or so and get to this great lookout. But, there's nowhere to go it seems. I spy to the left this really narrow path right on the edge of the mountain. Not cool. I do remember reading in a trail guide online that there was a "short section of slippery sandstone with chain handrails." I looked ahead a ways and sho nuff...chains. This must be the section. And it was straight DOWN. I almost didn't go, but I faced the wall and went down sideways...really slowly. My heart was racing when I got to the bottom...and to safety. This is what it looked like. I had to get a picture.

And this is what was below it.

I sat on my little rock rest and calmed down for a second. I said to David, "Whew, I made it through the hard part." David lovingly and ever so supportively replies, "Yeah, you gotta hike back up it, too, remember?" We made it to Hidden Canyon, another hanging canyon. It was actually discovered in 1920 (I believe) when a few hikers were climbing the neighboring Cable Mountain. One of them fell. They assumed he had died, but hey, they found him two days later in Hidden Canyon and he was okey dokey. Crazy broken bones, but alive and well. So, they made a trail. We turn into the canyon and see this set of stairs. Fun! I like cool steps.

We climbed up, thinking we would continue on straight, but the trail took a sudden turn right, back toward the main canyon. Huh? We walked a little further into sunlight. Is that...chains? What?? MORE CHAINS?! WHAT?!?!?!?! You lied to me, online trail guide!!!!! I already did the hard part!!! This wasn't Hidden Canyon. This was an impostor canyon and I hated it! Over sandstone again....whyyyyyyyyyy. David walks out onto the trail, grasping the chains, then disappears to the left. He peeks his head around the mountain and says, "Uh...it's...uh...I don't know if you'll like it. You might can crawl, though." Ha, no thanks. I'd rather eat the sun. Sigh. I was gonna miss seeing Hidden Canyon. I was beyond bummed. I told David to go on ahead, it couldn't be much further, take some pictures, and I would wait there. Sweet Hugs hesitantly responded, "Are you sure?" I nodded and he disappeared around the corner again.

So, there I waited. What was I going to do for the next hour...or longer? I wasn't sure how much longer it was until the actual canyon and then you could hike into it for half a mile until you got to a 12' arch. I had lots of food and water. David had my cell phone so he could take pictures for me. I don't know why I didn't give him the regular camera to take and I could have had the phone to play games with. I was mad at myself. I tried a few times to go on my own. I made it a few feet and once the trail went around the mountain, I could see the drop-off and there was no way. I would just have to wait. A few seconds later, I see a couple coming down the section of chains we dealt with before we entered the impostor canyon. They were hardcore hikers...head to toe in gear. I was wondering where these folks were going because there was only so far you could go into Hidden Canyon before it got technical and you had to have ropes and equipment to rappel and climb. They smiled and waved and, without any hesitation, walked right up that sandstone and around the mountain.

Gyah, I'm such a pansy. I slumped back against my wall of cowardice. I see another couple coming down the chained trail of death. The man was carrying a full-length tripod. They approached me and I moved out of the way, smiling. The man asked me in a sing-songy accent, "You're not going?" I shrugged and gave my doofy face and said, "No, I'm a little afraid of heights and I used all my courage getting down that section of chains. I didn't realize there was another one and I can't see what's ahead, so I'm gonna stay put." The man tilted his head to the side and pointed to his wife, "She's afraid of heights, too. A real scaredy cat. But I'm making her go." The wife, who possessed the same fabulous accent, rolled her eyes, smiled and said, "He's so pushy. Why don't you come with us? We can help each other." I thanked them, but declined, saying there was no way I thought I could do it. They understood, resituated their backpacks, cameras, and tripod and headed up the slope. I wanted to go...I wanted to do this...MOTHER OF PEARL, I WAS GONNA!

I ran after the couple, "I'm coming!" They turned back and said, "Great!" I'm going to show you pictures of the trail in a second, but I'll tell you that I had the most interesting and fun conversation with my new-found friends. Their names were Lynn and Louie and they were from South Africa...ahhh, that accent. Love it! They moved to the States about 18 years ago (I think) and live in Seattle. They were so sweet and encouraging. I really think that because we talked and laughed the whole time (a nervous laugh, mind you) that I was able to do it. As I look at the pictures, I have no idea how I did it, really. I don't remember it being that ridiculous of a trail. I just remember facing the wall, scooching my feet one little step at a time and holding onto the chains, when there were chains, with every fiber of my being. At one point, Lynn scolded Louie for not holding onto the chains..."Honey, at least one hand needs to be on the chain at all times. If I don't see at least one hand, we're turning back, that's all there is to it." It was hilarious. Dude was holding onto a tripod, too.

Some of these are going back down the trail, but I'm just putting them all together right here. David took all of them. If I had known he was taking pictures, I would have been mad at him, but I'm secretly glad he did. And sweet Lynn took a picture of me in the part without the chains.

We finally made it to the mouth of the real Hidden Canyon.

My buddies.

Hidden Canyon is a hanging canyon, but also a slot canyon with huge sheer cliffs on both sides. I hustled up the mouth of it to try to find David. I caught up with him about a quarter mile in. He was so proud I made it. I was proud of me, too. :) Here's a bunch of pictures from the canyon. I won't commentate on each one.

At the halfway spot (and where traditional hikers, like ourselves, are required to turn around), there's a hidden arch. You could totally walk right by it. It's kind of like in Labyrinth when she walks to the wall, but can't see the passage. You have to get right up on the arch and it's like BOOM. ARCH.

It was such a neat hike and I was so happy I made it. SO HAPPY. But, then I remembered...I have to go back. I just tried not to think about it and just did it in a hurry. And Louie and Lynn went ahead of us, so that helped, too...just getting to chat with them.

Do you see the chains on the far right? Like, that's ridiculous, right?

We got to a little spot where you could see the trail cut into the side of one of the mountains we had to go around.

Anyways. An AWESOME hike. We loved it. I highly recommend it and if I can do it, you can do it. Just don't look down. Oh, you know that I other couple I saw before Lynn and Louie? David said they walked by him in the canyon and we never saw them again. Creeeeeeeeepy.

You'd think that'd be the end of our hiking that day. A great adventure, but nope. I blame David.

So, we're hiking back down and we come to the part where the Observation Point trail starts up in the opposite direction from the Hidden Canyon trail. David suggests, "Hey, listen, we've come this far and I really don't want to have to hike back up this again another day to make it to this part...we're already here...you want to go ahead and do this trail today?" I was on an adrenaline high, so I stupidly agreed yes.

BIGGEST.

MISTAKE.

EVER.

I do not pride myself on my endurance. I've never run a marathon or anything, but I do enjoy staying active. I can hike for awhile. I can keep up a good jogging pace for a mile or two. Gosh, I can shop for days. I've done some pretty strenuous hikes before. But, what we endured from 10:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. that Tuesday was unlike anything I have ever put my body through before. EVER. I read on several occasions that this was a strenuous hike. It's an 8-mile round trip...I've hiked way more in a day before. So, I thought, "Hmm...can't be that bad, right?" I've hiked Chimney Tops in the Smokeys on multiple occasions. That is a strenuous hike. Y'all...I'm not kidding...Chimney Tops is Sissy World compared to this hike. I'm not saying that to be like, "Hey, look what I hiked" (well, I am a little)...but I had NO idea at all what we were getting ourselves into. We were not prepared in the least. If I had known the hike would be what it was...I'm really wondering if we might have skipped it. I dunno.

Actually, you know what...my parents are going next October and I really want them to do this hike because the view at the end is TOTALLY worth it, so maybe I shouldn't talk so bad about the hike. It was a really easy trail. Laid back. You'll enjoy it, Mom. I was lying earlier. And also, you have to remember...we had just hiked 5 miles and I was on a super high and then a super crash, so I'm pretty sure that was 50% of it. Really.

It really is a good hike. Just be prepared to know you're not going to be prepared. You get so many different varieties of scenery and views. It was wonderful. When we got to the visitor center, we saw where the path took us and I was in awe. It was like we hiked the world. Five star hike, for sure. And 4 miles one way? L.I.E. Had to be 29 each way, minimum.

Okay, pictures. The first section of the trail was basically just switchbacks going straight up a hillside above Weeping Rock, Angel's Landing and the Organ in the distance.

We climbed higher and higher.

Finally, the trail started leveling off and went between two mountains. We came across several slot canyons and walls that stretched to the sky. Also, in the pictures with blown-out/overexposed backgrounds, there are huge mountains in the distance. I could not get the shadows and highlights in there at the same time. It was killing me. So, it's not a bright white light enveloping Zion. That's the sun on the surrounding mountains.

We tested the strength of the sandstone.

I was beginning to think this wasn't so strenuous a hike after all. Ha. It stayed in the cool shade for a little while, but started getting into the sun for the first time that day. There's literally a 25 degree difference between the shade and sun there. It was sudden full-on mountain desert. And the trail's incline increased with each step.

See the trail on the right? It was that and steeper, hanging on the side of the mountain, for what seemed like an eternity. This was the section that was brutal. Up until this point, we had seen a few other hikers, but we saw just a handful of hikers from here on out...going up or coming down. It was just barren rock with about a 3' wide path carved into the side of the mountain. I had one hand on the mountain and the other hand shielding my eyes from looking down on the left. Just wide open and windy. It was amazing, it really was. Just made my hands sweaty. We had to take a break every 10 minutes or so. I literally prayed for the next step. I got to the point where I was shuffling. But, I kept thinking, "Surely we're almost there. I mean honestly." We kept looking up to see if we could see the top of the mountain we were on and we could and it was a long ways away. We thought for sure we weren't hiking to the top of it. Oh yes, we were. Little did we know we'd be hiking to the top of it, then hiking almost a mile to ANOTHER peak.

We brought our lunch, but I was determined to make it to the point and eat there. We had some snacks, drank a ton of water. My feet and knees were killing me. I was like, "Don't pass out, don't pass out." We passed one guy coming down. I begged for some insight as to how much further this torturous trail was. He calmly replied, "Oh, I didn't make it. I turned back a little further up. I'm a land lover. I couldn't handle the height. Vertigo. It gets worse further up."

Awesome.

I wasn't going to turn back, though. Yeah, it got worse and more windy. I didn't come this far to turn back now, mister. Anyways...I'm super wordy, I know. It was the most insane hike ever, but we finally make it to the desert plateaus above the canyon. And they were beautiful. And flat.

And then...

Angel's Landing. See how narrow it is?

It was completely worth it. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. We ate lunch in the shade of some trees. Best lunch ever. PB&J with Pepperidge Farm cookies and pig skins.

This guy was also eating his lunch. About 2 inches from the edge.

We stayed there, aired out our socks, switched out Band-Aids on our poor, poor feet, and started back down. The whole way, we kept asking each other, "How much would someone have to pay you to hike back up to the top right now?" "How about now?" "Now?" There was a point where I wouldn't accept any amount of money. I was done with that mountain.

Straight off to the right is nada.

Mystery Canyon, a slot canyon off to the side of the trail.

David waiting patiently while I take my pictures.

Never been so happy to see this sight. Only a mile from the trailhead.

The very tippy top of that mountain is Observation Point.

Those switchbacks below are what ruined my knees. I was an invalid (almost) for the rest of the trip. My legs will never be the same. Going downhill is worse than going up.

The mountain on the far right is Observation Point mountain...the peak is out of sight.

Observation Point mountain.

I don't know why I always stand like a dude.

Or walk like a zombie.

We finally made it. I about didn't get up off the shuttle when we arrived back to the visitor center. We passed the Court of the Patriarchs and I got a few shots of them.

And the river.

We ate supper that night at Zion Pizza and Noodle Company. Oh, so delicious. I don't know that I have ever been so exhausted in my life. My feet were so traumatized, but mainly it was my right knee. I've never had problems with my knees before, but that hike did it. We had not planned on doing that much hiking in one day. I am glad we went ahead and did it, though. It was a good day. I slept so good and dreamed of chains and sandstone.