Kris and I set the alarm for 6am hoping to get a head start on the hike we had planned. When my cell phone starting buzzing it was still pitch black outside. We elected to sleep until seven. The weather was breezy (windy) and chilly to start. We made coffee, ate breakfast and got a move on to the shuttle that would take us into Zion Canyon.
The shuttles that run in Springdale, UT are great. They come by every 15 minutes or so and they will take you into town or into the park. More on that later. Medium length story short we got to the trailhead for the hike we were planning, Angels Landing, at around 9am. On the way to the trailhead I was listening to the park information about the hike. One thing in particular stood out to me. The recording noted there have been "recorded deaths" on this section of trail. Well, people slip and fall in the bathtub and die... not going to happen to me.
The first mile or so was switchbacks up the side of the canyon. The walls above us were sheer and colorful. The sides of the trail were littered with small cactus and yucca. Light filtered into the canyon and created an intense and dynamic shading of the area. We climbed for some time and eventually came into a long hallway into the side of the canyon. The air inside was cool and moist. The walls were dripping with condensation and a small creek ran through. After more switchbacks we came to the most intense vertical gain of the hike Walters Wiggles.
We reached a large platform that overlooked the entire canyon. There was a kind looking old couple sitting on a rock on the ledge. I began wondering about where to sit and how long I had to eat my beef jerky. Just then my lovely wife pointed up an enormous rock formation. "We're going up there.", she said. Oh lord, I gazed up at the massive structure. The red rock formed a narrow walkway that turned into steep staircases at points. The top was out of my sight behind the top of the rock.
First things first here people. I'm not afraid of heights. I had one bad vertigo feeling when I was like eight in PA with the folks. We were at the Ben Franklin tower and I looked straight down and thought I was going to pass out. Since that time I've become an avid hiker, mediocre climber and all around lover of high places. This was different. This was scary. If my wife wasn't leading me out onto it I wouldn't have gone. I would have thought of a convenient reason why I didn't want to go out and gone with that. No dice.
Kris led me onto the first platform. Three feet wide, plummeting drop to my left. chain to grab on my right. Serious, people do die on this thing? Serious? Ok I make my way out and keep my head facing forward. Kris is looking all over, taking pics, pointing at things on the valley floor. I'm trying to keep my stomach from lurching. As we continue there are numerous other terrifying heights, drops and flights.
I dropped down on the last platform before the final ascent to the summit. "I'm leaving my backpack, I don't want it to throw off my weight.", I say. Kris looks at me like I'm being a baby. Oh shit, I am being a baby. I get up, shoulder my pack and get a grip on myself. On the final few hundred yards there is a spot that you step over a small notch cut out of the trail. There is a chain railing run to grab onto. As you grab the railing and look down to step over the notch you notice that for around 1100 ft there's nothing under you.
We did reach the top. It was sunny and seventy with a mild breeze. As we crested the last ladder I noticed families (with children, small ones) coming onto the summit. I realized what a putts I was being and sat down to have that beef jerky. We hung out for a while on the top, got some great pics (If you want more of this stuff in pics check out Kristen's facebook page, she has them all) and watched the ground rodents try to rob food from the hikers.
When it was time to head down we packed up and moved out. Before I noticed what I was doing I was jumping down the trail like normal. The areas that I couldn't stop on before became great areas to stop and take great pictures. We had to stop numerous times to allow dozens of people up the trail in narrow areas. Things were back to normal, thank god.
After passing some of the best "hiking outfits" we've ever seen we reached the bottom. We filled our waters, had bathroom breaks and heading back up the trail to the Emerald Pools. The trail was a mild one mile into the lower pool. The sun was higher in the sky and it was getting hot. Like Maine in the dead of summer hot. We were hiking up a sand trail, with very little cover, and the sun was bearing down on us. We went up to the top pool but it was like Mario World. People everywhere. Kids without shoes on that were climbing the rocks (first aid nightmare), fat dudes without shirts. Typical town pool type stuff. We got pics of the waterfall and headed down.
The other pools were cool but we ended up heading back to the campground to shower and get some dinner. By dinner I sort of figured out the alcohol laws in Utah. State liquor stores and package agencies sell full on normal beer, wine and spirits. Any bar or restaurant you may go into only sells heavy beer 4%, light beer 3.2% (by weight, not volume. haven't figure if this makes a huge difference, I'll get back to you) wine in small glasses, or one oz. shots or drinks that contain only one oz. of spirits. Some restaurants don't have a full license. They sell only 3.2% beer, that's it. I think I've got it, if I have something wrong please tell me.
I was off on a tangent there, sorry. Anyway we had dinner, hit the packy and headed back to the campground. After we read our books and had a beer we hit the hay so we could get up and do it all over again.
I would have died up there. While Kristen was taking pictures. She could have documented the fall to my death as she already would have had the camera handy, so that part would have worked out.
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