Trip to Zions

Okay this is my first blog and it took a trip to Zion national park to make me do it. This story started about a year ago when 3 of my good friends (Bryan Brezoff, Scott Dimond, and Chris Buckman) wanted to hike Narrows. (for you that don't know the narrows is a slot canyon that you hike up stream with some parts of the canyon being about 10 feet across.) Well we were all ready to go and Jenn got sick. She still wanted me to go but I decided to stay home and the other three went without me. They brought back pictures and bragged about how much fun it was. So this year we decided to go again but do two hikes Angel's Landing in the morning and the narrows after.

So Friday after work we load up and head down to Hurrican Utah. The next morning we enter the park around 7:15 and head up to the trail head of Angels Landing. I have to give a little background on Angels for those of you not familiar with Angels. It has been called the most thrilling hike in the National park system and they average a death every other year on the hike, but that happened last year so the odds were with us. :) It is only a 5 mile round trip hike but in those 2.5 miles you rise 1800 feet. The first part is up the a gentle incline till you get to your first set of switch backs that go up the side of a mountain. Then you enter a small canyon called refrigerator canyon. this is because the temp is always 10-15 degrees cooler inside. After existing the canyon you are confronted with a part called Walter's Wiggles and only the picture can do it Justice. They are steep series of switch backs that really gets the heart pounding.

Once on top of the wiggles then you get to a flat area called scouts point that has a great view and where the faint of heart stop. The next 1/2 mile is where you take your life into your hands. You climb a thin fin up to the landing that in some parts is only 3 feet wide with a 1200 foot drop on one side and a 800 foot drop on the other. I never felt like I was in danger but there were times where I looked down and thought is was crazey to be up there. They do have chains to help hold onto and even footholds in the really tricky parts but the hike is well worth it beacsue the view is amazing. Chris put it best when he said "Is there any wonder why prophets went to mountain tops to talk to god."

Then we try to go throught the Narrows but the water level was too high so once again that little slot canyon has foiled me but I vow I will have the last laugh.