This is our third visit to Zion. To enter we joined the line to drive through the long, dark mile-long tunnel that was blasted out of the rock by the CCC.
On one previous trip our hike was vertical, climbing up Angel’s Landing. This time we hiked horizontally and got credit for a 10K volksmarch.
First some observations. With this being the 100th anniversary of the national parks and also being fall, the parks are crowded. Bryce had limited parking but was less crowded than Zion. It has an optional shuttle taking visitors to viewpoints and hiking spots. To get into Zion you must ride a shuttle, actually two. We parked in the nearby town of Springdale, which has free parking everywhere. That shuttle took us to the entrance of the park where we boarded another shuttle to all the stops throughout the park.
English is definitely the minority language at this time. We heard mostly German but also Eastern European, Asian and Aussie/Brit accented English. Along with us “elders” there are many families and groups of young people. It is wonderful to see all these people enjoying this unique landscape.
A major difference between these two spectacular parks is that to see Bryce you have to look or hike down. To explore Zion, you walk along the canyon or look up a couple thousand feet to the summits of the peaks.
In fact the Paiutes, early inhabitants of the area, used the word “mukuntuweap” or straight-up land to describe it. Zion’s canyons were carved by the Virgin River on whose banks trees and flowers flourish.
Our first hike was up to the Emerald Lakes created by runoff from powerful if infrequent rainfall. We were cooled by the mist from the dripping water.
Then we walked along the Riverwalk following the Virgin up to the Narrows. Jerry hiked the Narrows back in the nineties balancing over the rocks in the cold water. This time we just photographed and left the hiking to others.
Rock Squirrels are so tame they expect to be fed but we did the right thing and took pictures instead.
These reeds, which require a wet environment, thrive along the edge of the river which overflows during heavy rain and melting snow. This small area is actually a swamp but no alligators.
Our third walk followed the river up to Pa’rus. We crossed several bridges spanning the Virgin.
We visited the Zion Human History Museum where we saw artifacts from the Paiutes, considered the first inhabitants of the land. The next group to have a major impact were the Mormons who settled the land and created the vast farms and towns nearby.
Outside the museum, the rangers had telescopes focused on a young condor. He/she is the offspring of a resident pair. Unfortunately, the male died of lead poisoning ingested from a shot animal he was eating. Though no photo to prove it, it was a thrill to see this bird, the product of a successful rescue program that brought the condor population back from about twenty to about four hundred breeding pair.
After a delicious dinner at Oscar’s, we went to a ranger program back in the park. This ranger is new to Zion and in love with the geology, plants and animals. He showed his enjoyment and added to our knowledge with his adaptations of lyrics sung to classic rock melodies.
The next morning we visited a separate part of the park, Kolob Canyons. The canyons are a small version of Zion, with all the types of formations packed closer together.
We took a hike to better view the formations around us. This place should have been the inspiration for the song “On a Clear Day” because the lyrics so fit and on a clear day you can see the north rim of the Grand Canyon in the distance.
Flowers bloom against a backdrop of lichen.
The leaves are just beginning to turn.
After visiting Kolob we are heading home to enjoy great memories and thousands of photos.
