Zion National Park, Utah

We drove the short distance from Snow Canyon State Park in Utah to Zion National Park also in Utah.  We had a reservation so we got set up in our site in the Watchman campground with no problems.  The sites were not bad as there was good space between them.  This campground is electric hookups only so we took on water filling the fresh water tank in the RV before getting set up.  We then walked to the visitor’s center.  Oh my, what a zoo it is here!  After the serenity of Snow Canyon, Zion is like being in Disneyland.  There was a huge line just to talk to the Park Rangers and ask questions!

The next day it was very hot so we did the Pa’Rus trail and stopped at the museum to watch the 22-minute park movie (in the AC) before walking back to the campground.  We received a text that our package arrived in the Springdale Post Office so we were anxious to go get it. 

When we were in Mexico City, Al took his driver’s license and a credit card out of his wallet and placed the wallet and the remaining contents in the side pocket of his rolling duffel bag.  He also put a set of truck keys in that pocket.  Well, when we left Mexico City on our way home his wallet and keys were still in that side pocket of his bag.  We checked that bag and it went on the plane underneath and the bag made it to LAX but the wallet and keys were gone when it came out on the carousel.  We figured they were gone forever but filed a report with United before we left the airport just in case.  Welcome home huh?  Well a few days later I received an email that they found Al’s wallet.  We could pick it up at LAX or pay to have it shipped to our house but since we’re no longer in our house, I asked to have it shipped to my friend’s house in Tustin.  We were going to see him at our next water-ski trip so he could bring it with him.  Well for some reason the post office was having trouble delivering the package to our friend’s house.  I was tracking the package online and next thing I see is the package is in Houston, TX their hub.  While on one of our hikes in Snow Canyon, my phone rang.  It was United telling me they received the package back and we were able to have them ship the package to our new mailing address in Livingston, TX.  We inquired about the keys and were informed the keys were with the wallet too.  Awesome!  Once it arrived in Livingston, I had our mail service bundle up the contents in our mailbox and ship it to us in Springdale, UT just outside of Zion Park.  You see, our National Park annual pass was in Al’s wallet too.  Anyway, the package arrived and all the contents of Al’s wallet were in tact including the cash and gift cards he had.  It improved our faith in humanity! 

When we arrived at Zion's entrance booth we mentioned that we were expecting Al’s wallet containing his annual National Park pass to arrive at the post office the next day.  The Park Ranger let us in without paying the $35 fee.  Once we were in the park though, we couldn’t drive out until we had the pass in case the next Park Ranger wasn’t as nice.  We were lucky the Park Ranger let us in and super lucky to get Al’s wallet and truck keys returned with all their contents!  God was watching over us!

In Zion we did a Park Ranger guided hike to Watchman Overlook, a Park Ranger guided bus tour of the canyon, other hikes, and got caught in the rain at the Zion Lodge.  That was nice just being able to sit on rocking chairs under the patio cover and watch it rain and all the people who got caught in the rain running back from the Emerald Pools trail. 

View from the Watchman trail hike

View from the Watchman trail hike

The Watchman

Our site #12

We wanted to celebrate the return of the keys and wallet so we went out for lunch.  While waiting for our food we were using their WiFi and I was cruising on Facebook and noticed a friend of mine from Pennsylvania posted a photo from Bryce National Park.  (I worked with Vicki at Prudential many years ago and we usually meet up when we're back in Pennsylvania and I went to high school with her husband, Bill, but we didn't know each other back then.)  Bryce is about an hour away from Zion.  I texted her to see if we could meet up and it ended up they had moved from Bryce and were now in Zion too!  We couldn’t believe it!  It would have been weird to just run in to them on a trail somewhere (which happened to us with my coworker from San Francisco, Jimmy Baker at Lake Louise in Canada years ago) and I would have been bummed if I found out later that we were both in the same park on the same day and didn’t meet up.  Anyway, my friend, Vicki, and her family, husband Bill and kids Natalie and Zach, came over to check out our RV for a few minutes and then we went to their hotel so the kids could swim and the adults chatted and caught up.  Vicki and family were our 4^th visitors to our RV since we started our full-time journey just two weeks ago.  It was great seeing them!

Zach is a big Mike Trout fan (he's from New Jersey) and it was funny that Zach and Al were both wearing Angels t-shirts!  In fact, Al owns the same exact Trout shirt that Zach was wearing (although a little larger)!

Photo courtesy of Zach C.

Vicki and family were leaving the next morning headed for Vegas and then back to PA to end their vacation.  So great that we connected!

My all-time favorite hike is The Narrows hike at Zion.  It has three factors that make this my favorite:  1) no elevation gain so no huffing and puffing;  2) walking in water which keeps me cool; and 3) hardly any sun.  At the ranger station they have projections for the safety of this hike listed for each day.  You see this hike is in a slot canyon and any rain up from this location can cause flash floods with injury or death.  When we arrived at the park the forecast was "probable" for flash floods so we had to wait for a day when it was "not-probable".  That occurred on Sunday and Monday after several days of probable so many, many people were doing the hike the same day.  It was hard to take photos without so many people in them.  Even though, it's still my favorite hike!

A good thing to do is rent insulated water shoes and a hiking stick.  The cost was less than $25 and well worth it. 

Starting off up the slot canyon

This was about as deep as the water got on us.

Some times of the year the water level is much deeper and people rent wet suits or dry suits to do the hike. 

I didn't fall in once all day!

We ended up hiking into the slot canyon about 3 hours (where the number of people dropped drastically) and then turned around and walked back out.  We got to a spot where the water was deeper and we would have gotten pretty wet so we decided it was a good spot to turn around.  It is possible to hike "through" the canyon but it requires a permit and backpacks.  Our day hike was awesome!  Did I sell this hike pretty good? 

Our treat after a great day of hiking!

Our view sitting in rocking chairs under a patio cover watching it rain on the big cottonwood tree at Zion Lodge

Due to a big rain storm and flash flood in July, some of the trails in the park were closed including the popular hike to Angel’s Landing.  It's a hike that requires a lot of elevation gain and then it gets to the point where the trail has a chain railing to hold on to so you don't fall and die.  We did this hike the last time we were at Zion and I was secretly glad it was closed because I know Al would have wanted to do it again and I'm so afraid of heights.  Last time when I got to the top, I just sat down and enjoyed the view.  I had Al walk in front of me on the way back down the scary part so I couldn't see ALL the way to the canyon floor while holding on to the chain railing for dear life.  I didn't want to panic.  I remember it not being as scary as I thought but maybe my memories are blurry plus there were not many people up there when we did the hike so no need to allow oncoming traffic to pass around me at dangerous spots. 

Angels Landing is the point on the left after walking up Walter's Wiggles switchbacks on the other side of the mountain (out of view).  The really narrow part of the trail is right in the middle of the photo in the dip and then up the ridge on the left to the point.  

A visitor to our campground

One thing we like to do at the National Parks is their Junior Ranger program.  I completed the tasks and earned my Zion Park Junior Ranger badge after taking my oath with Ranger Kristina.           

The town of Springdale is very quaint.  I love the fact that the only chain store/restaurant is a Subway sandwich shop.  I don’t think even Starbucks has invaded this town!  I don’t know how they’ve managed to keep all the box/chain stores/restaurants out but I hope they continue. 

We had a great time at Zion but after a week it was time to move on.  

Comments on this entry?  We'd love to hear from you and know someone is reading it!  

Nancy:  nbgonz@hotmail.com

Al:  mch20skir@gmail.com