We Hit the Trifecta! Our trip to Bryce, Grand Canyon North Rim and Zion.
Jun 28th, 2010, 07:32 PM
#41
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susncrg, I can't speak to the lodge rooms as I didn't see them. I think there are four of them, but the Xanterra website would have that information.
I really liked the Western Cabins and if we go back, we'd stay in them. Like I said though, the location of ours made it perfect. I'm not sure I would have liked it as much if I had stayed in one that overlooked the parking lot or the main access road. There are some that are in clusters of four units. Ours was a duplex. There are also to buildings that have motel units in them. Can't be much help there either as I didn't see the inside.
I got maps of the layouts of all the Lodges we stayed in and plan to convert them to pdf files and make them available. Once I do that, I can send one to you.
Dayle, I can't imagine not going into the hoodoos.
I really liked the Western Cabins and if we go back, we'd stay in them. Like I said though, the location of ours made it perfect. I'm not sure I would have liked it as much if I had stayed in one that overlooked the parking lot or the main access road. There are some that are in clusters of four units. Ours was a duplex. There are also to buildings that have motel units in them. Can't be much help there either as I didn't see the inside.
I got maps of the layouts of all the Lodges we stayed in and plan to convert them to pdf files and make them available. Once I do that, I can send one to you.
Dayle, I can't imagine not going into the hoodoos.
Jun 28th, 2010, 07:50 PM
#43
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Bill--Wow, this sounds like a fantastic trip!!! Yes, pun intended
I don't get the shopping in Vegas thing either, BTW. You know I love to hike, but haven't hit these spots yet so your report is making me salivate! BTW, I am a klutz so can relate to your fall. Broke my hand on vacation once, and of course fell in France last summer...so you are not alone
But your description of it sure made me feel for you!
I don't get the shopping in Vegas thing either, BTW. You know I love to hike, but haven't hit these spots yet so your report is making me salivate! BTW, I am a klutz so can relate to your fall. Broke my hand on vacation once, and of course fell in France last summer...so you are not alone But your description of it sure made me feel for you!
Jun 28th, 2010, 08:42 PM
#44
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susn, I have a correction to make about Bryce Lodge. Xanterra no longer manages it. Forever Resorts handles it now.
mms, I haven't gotten to the Zion part yet, but I think you'd really like the hiking there. Can be a scary place for klutzs though.
Lots of chains for holding onto and narrow sandstone ledges.
mms, I haven't gotten to the Zion part yet, but I think you'd really like the hiking there. Can be a scary place for klutzs though.
Lots of chains for holding onto and narrow sandstone ledges.
Jun 29th, 2010, 06:56 AM
#45
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We were fortunate enough to score one of the 4 Rim Cabins at Grand Canyon Lodge for the two nights we were there. Like the other accomodations, I reserved this online a year ahead of time. These cabins are right on the rim and have amazing, if somewhat obstructed views of the Canyon from the front decks and from inside. Each deck has two rocking chairs strategically placed to take in the views. These log cabins are very similar to the ones we stayed at in Bryce. It had a gas fireplace, a small refrigerator and a coffee maker. Forever Resorts manages the Lodge and it looked like it recently upgraded these like it did the the Bryce cabins. This was also a duplex. Ours was #305. If I had the choice, #306 would be it as the deck was larger and faced the Canyon in a better orientation than ours did. #304 would also be a good choice. It is not on the front line, but is only one row back, raised up a bit and the deck had great views through the two rim duplexes. #309, #310 and #320 would also be nice choices as they face an open space area with the Canyon beyond it. The front desk manager told me that specific room requests are not automatically honored, but are noted. As with Bryce, I have a layout map of the lodge cabins and motel units that I will make available to you if you want it.
After getting settled into the cabin, we we explored the Lodge a bit before our dinner reservation. There is a coffee bar/bar, a deli, a post office, a nice gift shop and two large stone decks wtih benches and chairs that have mesmerizing views of the Canyon below. These are very popular gathering places all day. They are quiet and low-key places. The view of the Canyon is king here and most folks seemed to be just quietly looking out or reading, sleeping or cuddling with their honey.
The inside of the Lodge reminds me a bit if a mini Ahwahnee in Yosemite. The original Lodge that burned down in 1932 was actually designed by the same archetict that desgined the Ahwahnee. The rebuilt lodge apparently is nowhere near as unique and more conventional, but it is lovely nonethless. Soaring ceilings, huge beams, unique chandeliers, large fireplaces, gigantic Native American rugs hanging everywhere, and of course the views, etc...all combine to give it a classic lodge feel. There is a lower level gathering room where there were large leather sofas and chairs. People played board games, read or just gazed out the windows to the Canyon beyond. Even though the Lodge is the hub of things here it still seemed farily quiet and mellow.
We ate in the dining room for two dinners and one breakfast. They were always able to accomodate our requests to sit at a table by the window for the sunset views. The food was nothing spectacular, but fine. One should not expect gourmet food from one of these lodges, but we were surprised and pleased with the attentive service. Reservations are essential and can be made well in advance.
After dinner, guests can gather on one of the decks for an astronomy talk and star gazing through a high powered telescope. The waxing moon made star gazing less intense, but the night sky was spectacular.
Weather on the North Rim is much cooler than on the South Rim. Daytime temps hovered around 75 degrees and it cooled way down to the low 40 or high 30s. The winds blew strong on and off all day. T-shirts and shorts were fine during the day, but make sure you bring a fleece pullover and a pair of long pants for the evenings. This is the only place I had to put on my jeans.
Next up...our day on the North Rim Drive and the hike to Cape Final.
After getting settled into the cabin, we we explored the Lodge a bit before our dinner reservation. There is a coffee bar/bar, a deli, a post office, a nice gift shop and two large stone decks wtih benches and chairs that have mesmerizing views of the Canyon below. These are very popular gathering places all day. They are quiet and low-key places. The view of the Canyon is king here and most folks seemed to be just quietly looking out or reading, sleeping or cuddling with their honey.
The inside of the Lodge reminds me a bit if a mini Ahwahnee in Yosemite. The original Lodge that burned down in 1932 was actually designed by the same archetict that desgined the Ahwahnee. The rebuilt lodge apparently is nowhere near as unique and more conventional, but it is lovely nonethless. Soaring ceilings, huge beams, unique chandeliers, large fireplaces, gigantic Native American rugs hanging everywhere, and of course the views, etc...all combine to give it a classic lodge feel. There is a lower level gathering room where there were large leather sofas and chairs. People played board games, read or just gazed out the windows to the Canyon beyond. Even though the Lodge is the hub of things here it still seemed farily quiet and mellow.
We ate in the dining room for two dinners and one breakfast. They were always able to accomodate our requests to sit at a table by the window for the sunset views. The food was nothing spectacular, but fine. One should not expect gourmet food from one of these lodges, but we were surprised and pleased with the attentive service. Reservations are essential and can be made well in advance.
After dinner, guests can gather on one of the decks for an astronomy talk and star gazing through a high powered telescope. The waxing moon made star gazing less intense, but the night sky was spectacular.
Weather on the North Rim is much cooler than on the South Rim. Daytime temps hovered around 75 degrees and it cooled way down to the low 40 or high 30s. The winds blew strong on and off all day. T-shirts and shorts were fine during the day, but make sure you bring a fleece pullover and a pair of long pants for the evenings. This is the only place I had to put on my jeans.
Next up...our day on the North Rim Drive and the hike to Cape Final.
Jun 30th, 2010, 05:58 AM
#47
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Hi iamq...I always enjoy travelling with you and M, and this time is no exception. Your wonderful way with words always makes me want to take the same vacation. That tumble was a might frightening. I'm glad I was finally able to sit down with a cup of coffee and enjoy the time with you!
Jul 1st, 2010, 07:45 PM
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I forgot to mention a great Grand Canyon guide book I found while researching this trip. I bought it because it has a lot of info on the north rim and most books do not. It's called "Grand Canyon, the Complete Guide", by James Kaiser. Great book with some good photos and lots of detailed information about everything in the park. Highly recommended reading.
Waking up to a full-on view of the Grand Canyon outside your bedroom window is a pretty wonderful experience. I was up early. Made some coffee, put it in a cup, threw on some clothes and went out for a long walk along the rim as most people were still sleeping. M calls this my "morning constitutional" as I do this most everywhere we travel. I get up and explore things and take in whatever there is to take in early in the morning while things are quiet and most folks are not up. It is one of my true joys of traveling. The sun coming up over the canyon was jaw dropping, with shadows disappearing and new colors appearing in their place. I walked out to Bright Angel Point again, this time with no wind and no one else. I sipped my coffee and breathed deeply and looked. Wow.
There is a lot to do on the North Rim, most of it revolves around hiking to viewpoints, along the rim or down into the canyon. One of the great things the North Rim offers is an 18 mile long drive along the Wallhalla Plateau from Point Imperial on the north to Cape Royal on the south. We spent the better part of our day exploring this area. Our Ranger friend suggested we start at Cape Royal and work our way backwards from there. We parked at Cape Royal at the end of the road and walked to Angels Arch. This an amazing piece of rock that juts out into the canyon and has an arch under it. You can walk out onto it and get fabulous views of the Colorado River. It is one of the few places on the North Rim where you can actually see the bottom of the canyon. Standing acoss from the arch, the Colorado River, thousands of feet down is perfectly frmaed through the opening in the arch. Pretty neat stuff. From there it is a short walk to Cape Royal and more incredible views. You can see the Watchtower on the South Rim from here, as well as more views of the Colorado River many miles away. One of the wonderful things about the North Rim (at least in mid June) is the total lack of people. We had these viewpoints mostly to ourselves.
After spending some time exploring the area on foot. We drove back the road to the Cape Final Trail trailhead. I had already decided to do this hike when planning the trip as it sounded worthwhile and was moderate in ability level and our ranger confirmed that it was a must do.
The hike is a four mile round trip and we planned to have lunch at Cape Final. I love forest walks and this one was lovely as there were also generous meadows where large stands of newly blooming bright blue lupines competed with large clumps of newly blooming white and blue larkspur. It was nowhere near a full bloom and it was still quite impressive. I would imagine by now the forest floor is a tight carpet of bright blue.
Cape Final is really just a large rock that juts out into the canyon, but views are eye poppping and this makes it a worthy destination. There are no guard rails, so you are fully exposed. I crawled on my belly to the edge and looked down. What a rush! M just watched and winced. We sat on the rock, had lunch and were there for an hour at least and saw no one else. We had the whole place to ourselves! At this time there were a couple of fires in Flagstaff and from here you could see the huge billows of smoke like they were just a few miles away. We saw one or two people on the way back to the car. We continued to drive and stop at various viewpoints, the last one being Point Imperial. After so much beauty and awesomeness I felt myself getting jaded and saying, "Well this isn't THAT great." LOL. In total we spent about 6 or 7 hours exploring this area and it was the highlight of our time on the North Rim.
Waking up to a full-on view of the Grand Canyon outside your bedroom window is a pretty wonderful experience. I was up early. Made some coffee, put it in a cup, threw on some clothes and went out for a long walk along the rim as most people were still sleeping. M calls this my "morning constitutional" as I do this most everywhere we travel. I get up and explore things and take in whatever there is to take in early in the morning while things are quiet and most folks are not up. It is one of my true joys of traveling. The sun coming up over the canyon was jaw dropping, with shadows disappearing and new colors appearing in their place. I walked out to Bright Angel Point again, this time with no wind and no one else. I sipped my coffee and breathed deeply and looked. Wow.
There is a lot to do on the North Rim, most of it revolves around hiking to viewpoints, along the rim or down into the canyon. One of the great things the North Rim offers is an 18 mile long drive along the Wallhalla Plateau from Point Imperial on the north to Cape Royal on the south. We spent the better part of our day exploring this area. Our Ranger friend suggested we start at Cape Royal and work our way backwards from there. We parked at Cape Royal at the end of the road and walked to Angels Arch. This an amazing piece of rock that juts out into the canyon and has an arch under it. You can walk out onto it and get fabulous views of the Colorado River. It is one of the few places on the North Rim where you can actually see the bottom of the canyon. Standing acoss from the arch, the Colorado River, thousands of feet down is perfectly frmaed through the opening in the arch. Pretty neat stuff. From there it is a short walk to Cape Royal and more incredible views. You can see the Watchtower on the South Rim from here, as well as more views of the Colorado River many miles away. One of the wonderful things about the North Rim (at least in mid June) is the total lack of people. We had these viewpoints mostly to ourselves.
After spending some time exploring the area on foot. We drove back the road to the Cape Final Trail trailhead. I had already decided to do this hike when planning the trip as it sounded worthwhile and was moderate in ability level and our ranger confirmed that it was a must do.
The hike is a four mile round trip and we planned to have lunch at Cape Final. I love forest walks and this one was lovely as there were also generous meadows where large stands of newly blooming bright blue lupines competed with large clumps of newly blooming white and blue larkspur. It was nowhere near a full bloom and it was still quite impressive. I would imagine by now the forest floor is a tight carpet of bright blue.
Cape Final is really just a large rock that juts out into the canyon, but views are eye poppping and this makes it a worthy destination. There are no guard rails, so you are fully exposed. I crawled on my belly to the edge and looked down. What a rush! M just watched and winced. We sat on the rock, had lunch and were there for an hour at least and saw no one else. We had the whole place to ourselves! At this time there were a couple of fires in Flagstaff and from here you could see the huge billows of smoke like they were just a few miles away. We saw one or two people on the way back to the car. We continued to drive and stop at various viewpoints, the last one being Point Imperial. After so much beauty and awesomeness I felt myself getting jaded and saying, "Well this isn't THAT great." LOL. In total we spent about 6 or 7 hours exploring this area and it was the highlight of our time on the North Rim.
Jul 1st, 2010, 08:08 PM
#51
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The weather on this day was a little warmer and not quite as windy as the day before, so when we got back to the lodge we grabbed some pillows, made our deck rocking chair comfy and settled in for a nice rest on our porch overlooking the canyon. M read while a I snoozed. It was blissful. We then joined the other guests on the lodge deck for more gazing and viewing before dinner. That night we got an even better table with an even better view. Dinner was great and since it was not as windy as the night before we went for a dusk walk and ended up back on the deck as it got dark and the stars came out. We were getting into bed when M had this crazy idea to get dressed again and go out to do some more stargazing. What the hell? Why not? So we got bundled up and walked out to a clearing and despite a fairly bright moon, had great success in picking out planets and stars. It was quite a night and a great way to end our time on the North Rim.
I could return here again and again as a destination of its own. There was so much we didn't get a chance to do this time. I could easily see spending three or four nights here and really get into the vibe. The timing of our trip here was perfect. Mid to late June is still early in their season, so the crowds were down and the weather was perfect. After this experience, I'm not sure I'll ever make it to the South Rim.
Next...And now for something completley different: Zion.
I could return here again and again as a destination of its own. There was so much we didn't get a chance to do this time. I could easily see spending three or four nights here and really get into the vibe. The timing of our trip here was perfect. Mid to late June is still early in their season, so the crowds were down and the weather was perfect. After this experience, I'm not sure I'll ever make it to the South Rim.
Next...And now for something completley different: Zion.
Jul 2nd, 2010, 07:42 AM
#52
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Our last stop was Zion Canyon. I planned 3 nights here. Again, I reserved a year ahead of time and got a motel unit in the Lodge located in the park. We really liked staying in the park and not having to deal with the shuttles from Sprindale or driving to the the Information center and then taking the shuttles everyday. For some, this seems not to be a problem. I would not have liked it. There are plenty of motels in Springdale and I know people like staying there as there are lower cost options, and some feel they get better value for their money by staying in Springdale, and many of the motels have pools (great if you have kids), but for us, staying at the Lodge was the right choice. Once in the park, we never left. Our upper floor motel room #228 in unit B was huge, clean, nicely equipped, if a bit dowdy. The only obvious ommission was a mini-fridge. Ssome might have lamented the fact there was no television, but I considered this a blessing. The air-conditioning unit worked well and the room stayed cool even with the a/c off. We had a nice deck with a small sitting area. The deck had a lovely view of the sandstone cliffs just above us where we could watch the sun disappear behind the cliffs at 5 pm everyday. Our unit faced the front and overlooked the cabins. The units in the back obviously have more privacy, but the veiw is a tighter up-the-side-of-the-canyon view and less open. Either one would be fine.
The weather during our late June stay was perfect. It got into the mid 90s during the day, but cooled down quickly in the evenings and it was refreshingly cool in the mornings for my "morning constitutionals" here. There was always a breeze blowing through the Canyon which was welcome. We beat the daytime heat, but being up and on the trails hiking by 7:30 or 8:00. After returning and having lunch on the shady, grassy area in front of the lodge we'd go back to the room to cool down in afternoons and then venture out for dinner and evening excurions on foot or by shuttle bus as it cooled down. I am not sure I'd want to be there in late July or early August when the temps get above 100, but again, as we with at Bryce and GCRM, we were happy with the weather timing of our trip.
This was our first road trip like this. We normally pick one location and base there, preferrring not to move around every 2 or 3 nights, but that approach seemed impractical for this trip as our destinations were so far flung from each other. I worked out well and we'd do it again the next time we this sort of trip (Yellowstone, perhaps?) I am happy that we planned a 3 night stay at the end of the trip however. It was great having another full day to do whatever we wanted. It just felt more relaxing and less rushed. In the future I think I will plan an extra night at our last destination, wherever that might be. For this trip an extra night in any of the places would have been great, but having a one more night in Zion at the end proved to be a good thing as there is so much to see and do and it offerend us a nice chill-down period before having to slog back to Vegas and reality.
The weather during our late June stay was perfect. It got into the mid 90s during the day, but cooled down quickly in the evenings and it was refreshingly cool in the mornings for my "morning constitutionals" here. There was always a breeze blowing through the Canyon which was welcome. We beat the daytime heat, but being up and on the trails hiking by 7:30 or 8:00. After returning and having lunch on the shady, grassy area in front of the lodge we'd go back to the room to cool down in afternoons and then venture out for dinner and evening excurions on foot or by shuttle bus as it cooled down. I am not sure I'd want to be there in late July or early August when the temps get above 100, but again, as we with at Bryce and GCRM, we were happy with the weather timing of our trip.
This was our first road trip like this. We normally pick one location and base there, preferrring not to move around every 2 or 3 nights, but that approach seemed impractical for this trip as our destinations were so far flung from each other. I worked out well and we'd do it again the next time we this sort of trip (Yellowstone, perhaps?) I am happy that we planned a 3 night stay at the end of the trip however. It was great having another full day to do whatever we wanted. It just felt more relaxing and less rushed. In the future I think I will plan an extra night at our last destination, wherever that might be. For this trip an extra night in any of the places would have been great, but having a one more night in Zion at the end proved to be a good thing as there is so much to see and do and it offerend us a nice chill-down period before having to slog back to Vegas and reality.
Jul 2nd, 2010, 08:42 AM
#53
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If Bryce was about looking down into the hoodoos, and he NRGC was about looking out, across and down. Zion was initially about looking UP! Up at those marvelous sandstone cliffs and walls with all those faces (I was not hallucinating Scarlett!) carved in them. The walls with those amazing arches created by some ancient (and not so ancient?) rockfalls. The Canyon appeared sublime and "eh?" at first, but after venturing into it further and spending more time there, it really is a mind-blower on so many levels. The changes in color alone leave one breathless. Then there are the unending designs and patterns of the rocks themselves. When we were in Fiji a few years ago I saw in the sea life's and plant life's colors and patterns where the local artists got their inspiration for desgins in tapa cloth and other products. Here at Zion one could plainly see multiple examples on the walls that msut have inspired artists over the years with regards to color, texture and style. One example that stands out in my memory is one of the beautiful hanging gardens found along the Riverwalk Trail. Where the seeping water meets the shale and drains out it has left large, alternating white and black vertical stripes that span the arched opening. I just found it unique to anything I had seen before.
We had two full days to do some hiking and high on our list was of course Angels Landing. Neither of us intended on going all the way out to the point, but we had conditioned ourselves to stop at Scout Lookout and be satisfied with that. M was a bit apprehensive about the hike up in general due to his drop-off and height issues. We talked to one of the rangers who takes people on guided hikes on that trail and she suggested something very simple. Look at the wall. You can look ahead as far as is comfortable and safe, but look at the wall as you head up and down. This really helped him to have a great, low anxiety hike that day. I would also alert him with cues like "you don't want to look out or down now", or "this one you can handle". That also seemed to help. Turns out he spent most of the time going up, worrying about what it was going to be like going down!
This is truly one of the most enjoyable hikes I've gone on irregardless of whether we braved the chains and made it to the end or not. There are so many spectacular parts and features, it is one of those hikes that doesn't need to be completed to the end to leave one satisfied. I have hiked all over Yosemite for years and this trail rivals many of my favorites there.
Daily duties call...will finish this up later. Thanks for reading and being patient with the sporadic nature of the posting. Photos on the way...soon!
We had two full days to do some hiking and high on our list was of course Angels Landing. Neither of us intended on going all the way out to the point, but we had conditioned ourselves to stop at Scout Lookout and be satisfied with that. M was a bit apprehensive about the hike up in general due to his drop-off and height issues. We talked to one of the rangers who takes people on guided hikes on that trail and she suggested something very simple. Look at the wall. You can look ahead as far as is comfortable and safe, but look at the wall as you head up and down. This really helped him to have a great, low anxiety hike that day. I would also alert him with cues like "you don't want to look out or down now", or "this one you can handle". That also seemed to help. Turns out he spent most of the time going up, worrying about what it was going to be like going down!
This is truly one of the most enjoyable hikes I've gone on irregardless of whether we braved the chains and made it to the end or not. There are so many spectacular parts and features, it is one of those hikes that doesn't need to be completed to the end to leave one satisfied. I have hiked all over Yosemite for years and this trail rivals many of my favorites there.
Daily duties call...will finish this up later. Thanks for reading and being patient with the sporadic nature of the posting. Photos on the way...soon!
Jul 2nd, 2010, 11:42 AM
#54
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Your report brings back great memories. The
patterns in the canyon walls at Zion are inspiring.
Here's one of my favorite photos from our last trip.
I call it 'Stone Sky'
http://www.pbase.com/peterb/image/86651663
Thanks for the effort on the report...I know how easy
they are to start and how hard to finish...thanks for
sharing.
patterns in the canyon walls at Zion are inspiring.
Here's one of my favorite photos from our last trip.
I call it 'Stone Sky'
http://www.pbase.com/peterb/image/86651663
Thanks for the effort on the report...I know how easy
they are to start and how hard to finish...thanks for
sharing.
Jul 2nd, 2010, 01:52 PM
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You are a terrific story teller, iamq. This has been a highly enjoyable trip report. I'm from Utah originally, but it's been many years since I've visited Bryce or Zion (and even longer since I've been to the Grand Canyon). You make me want to see them again. Looking forward to your photos.
Jul 2nd, 2010, 02:12 PM
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Thanks for the kind words folks! I am glad you are enjoying it.
We got an early start that first morning and were on the trail at "7:23" according to M. The shuttle bus drops you at the Grotto stop and you take off from there. If you do this hike, please start early, especially in the summer months. The heat and the crowds later in the day would have spoiled it for me. I won't detail the complete hike, but some the highpoints are how steeply the trail the ascends the side of the wall almost immediately. The first set of switchbacks literally snake their way up and after a while you come around a corner are faced with this knarly cutout in the canyon wall where trail continues around the edge of a point that juts (I've been using that word a lot) out into the canyon. The views from here are very nice and you start to get sense of high you've climbed already. One of my favorite parts of this hike is the lovely canyon that comes next. The trail turns a corner and you start ascending this narrow canyon that was breezy, cool and idyllic. Loved that part of the hike. Next comes the famous Walters Wiggles, a series of 21 walled switchbacks carved into a cervice in the canyon wall that takes you up to Scout Landing. WW are a true work of art. Neer seen anything like it. The stone work is amazing and in the middle of one wall is placed a large piece of what looked like lava rock. Does anyone know the origins of that rock? We saw another piece of it at Scout Lookout and it sure doesn't look like sandstone. Anyhow, it is quite a slog up those Wiggles, but once up, you're at Scout Lookout, which for us was the our final desination. Turning around and looking down at the Wiggles from the top is quite an experience. From here the trail turns into a chain holding affair around steep, narrow trails and up a narrow saddle before getting to the top. I am sure it is gorgeous from up there, but M and I will never see it. The view for Scout Lookout was not too shabby and I did another one of my belly shimmies to the edge for a look down the back wall of Angels Landing to the river below. Nice. This was a fun place to hang out for an hour or so. We met some other nice and friendly wimps and we all pumped each other up and rationalized away for not making the final ascent. LOL! After some snacks and a nice rest we headed down and M did his best to stay calm as we came around those corners with steep dropoffs. "Watch the damn wall.!". We made it down to the bottom by around 11:30, just as an endless stream of late sleepers were headed up. I understand that it can get pretty crowded up there, so we were glad to be going down. All in all it was a worthy and totally unique hike that I'd do again in a heartbeat.
We got an early start that first morning and were on the trail at "7:23" according to M. The shuttle bus drops you at the Grotto stop and you take off from there. If you do this hike, please start early, especially in the summer months. The heat and the crowds later in the day would have spoiled it for me. I won't detail the complete hike, but some the highpoints are how steeply the trail the ascends the side of the wall almost immediately. The first set of switchbacks literally snake their way up and after a while you come around a corner are faced with this knarly cutout in the canyon wall where trail continues around the edge of a point that juts (I've been using that word a lot) out into the canyon. The views from here are very nice and you start to get sense of high you've climbed already. One of my favorite parts of this hike is the lovely canyon that comes next. The trail turns a corner and you start ascending this narrow canyon that was breezy, cool and idyllic. Loved that part of the hike. Next comes the famous Walters Wiggles, a series of 21 walled switchbacks carved into a cervice in the canyon wall that takes you up to Scout Landing. WW are a true work of art. Neer seen anything like it. The stone work is amazing and in the middle of one wall is placed a large piece of what looked like lava rock. Does anyone know the origins of that rock? We saw another piece of it at Scout Lookout and it sure doesn't look like sandstone. Anyhow, it is quite a slog up those Wiggles, but once up, you're at Scout Lookout, which for us was the our final desination. Turning around and looking down at the Wiggles from the top is quite an experience. From here the trail turns into a chain holding affair around steep, narrow trails and up a narrow saddle before getting to the top. I am sure it is gorgeous from up there, but M and I will never see it. The view for Scout Lookout was not too shabby and I did another one of my belly shimmies to the edge for a look down the back wall of Angels Landing to the river below. Nice. This was a fun place to hang out for an hour or so. We met some other nice and friendly wimps and we all pumped each other up and rationalized away for not making the final ascent. LOL! After some snacks and a nice rest we headed down and M did his best to stay calm as we came around those corners with steep dropoffs. "Watch the damn wall.!". We made it down to the bottom by around 11:30, just as an endless stream of late sleepers were headed up. I understand that it can get pretty crowded up there, so we were glad to be going down. All in all it was a worthy and totally unique hike that I'd do again in a heartbeat.
Jul 3rd, 2010, 06:58 AM
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After coming back down, we rested for a few minutes and then took the Kayenta Trail that skirts the canyon wall in the direction of the Lower, Middle and Upper Emerald Pools. the Kayenta Trail offers some nice up and down canyon views and is only about a mile long. We spent some time walking about the Emerald Pools area and then headed back to the lodge for a much needed lucnch of Nathan's hotdogs, french fries and soft serve ice cream! We ate out on the broad, grassy area in front of the Lodge in the shade of the huge tree there. Even though is was approaching hot, a nice breeze blew through the canyon and kept things comfortable...in the shade.
We had been at Zion not even a full day yet and the one thing that really impressed me amongst so many things and was starting to make me a life-long fan of this park was the wide diversity in plant life here. I didn't know the names of many of the plants, but I could recognize that there were many different kinds in large numbers. I hadn't really expected that. I had thought that since this was basically the dessert, threre wouldn't be much in the way plant life. Boy was I wrong! On the hike up to Angels Lnading alone I had stopped numerous time to take photos of wildflowers and plants I had never seen before. I wanted to get a plant book on plant life in Zion and figured the Visitor Center was a good place to start, os afer we ate lunch, we took the shuttle back to the Visitor Center and I went in search of either a wildflower card or a book. I found a great one in the gift shop. It is s small, gorgeous, glossy covered softcover book called "Wildflowers of Zion national Park" by Dr. Stanley Welsh. It is a treasure of a book and was only $6! A real bargain and a must for anyone with an interest in plants and wildflowers in this park. In no time I had indentified at least 10 or 12 things I had seen on the trail this morning alone. Everything from huge Yucca plants to Prickly Pear Cactus to Yellow Columbine, to Butterfly Weed to Boxelder. I'd love to return here a little earlier in the year when the wildflowers are really going gangbusters. Things like lupine and paintbrusch were mostly non-existent this late. When I put together the photo albums from the trip I will have one just for flowers, most of them taken here.
Once back at the lodge we sat on the deck, M reading his mystery, me reading all about plants!
Dinner was at the Lodge dining room and was good. The place fashions itself an alternative sort of place with moe "healthy" eating choices than one would imagine, with some vegan things on the menu and notes by items when "sustainable" ingredients or local products are used in a dish. The portions were smaller here than at the other lodges (a good thing), so it was a refreshing change from the heavier dinners we encountered at Bryce and GCNR.
A walk along the river and up to Lower Emerald Pools finished us off for the day and we crashed hard.
more later...
We had been at Zion not even a full day yet and the one thing that really impressed me amongst so many things and was starting to make me a life-long fan of this park was the wide diversity in plant life here. I didn't know the names of many of the plants, but I could recognize that there were many different kinds in large numbers. I hadn't really expected that. I had thought that since this was basically the dessert, threre wouldn't be much in the way plant life. Boy was I wrong! On the hike up to Angels Lnading alone I had stopped numerous time to take photos of wildflowers and plants I had never seen before. I wanted to get a plant book on plant life in Zion and figured the Visitor Center was a good place to start, os afer we ate lunch, we took the shuttle back to the Visitor Center and I went in search of either a wildflower card or a book. I found a great one in the gift shop. It is s small, gorgeous, glossy covered softcover book called "Wildflowers of Zion national Park" by Dr. Stanley Welsh. It is a treasure of a book and was only $6! A real bargain and a must for anyone with an interest in plants and wildflowers in this park. In no time I had indentified at least 10 or 12 things I had seen on the trail this morning alone. Everything from huge Yucca plants to Prickly Pear Cactus to Yellow Columbine, to Butterfly Weed to Boxelder. I'd love to return here a little earlier in the year when the wildflowers are really going gangbusters. Things like lupine and paintbrusch were mostly non-existent this late. When I put together the photo albums from the trip I will have one just for flowers, most of them taken here.
Once back at the lodge we sat on the deck, M reading his mystery, me reading all about plants!
Dinner was at the Lodge dining room and was good. The place fashions itself an alternative sort of place with moe "healthy" eating choices than one would imagine, with some vegan things on the menu and notes by items when "sustainable" ingredients or local products are used in a dish. The portions were smaller here than at the other lodges (a good thing), so it was a refreshing change from the heavier dinners we encountered at Bryce and GCNR.
A walk along the river and up to Lower Emerald Pools finished us off for the day and we crashed hard.
more later...
