July 1, 2018 - Zion National Park

You can take a shuttle from Springdale to the Visitor's Center.  But we figured that would be crowded and time-consuming so we decided to get an early start and drive our car to the Visitor's Center before the parking lot filled up.  And despite the early start, the parking lot was almost filled up by the time we got there.  But we found a spot.

Here is the line for the shuttle into the Park at 7:30 AM Sunday morning!  We waited about a half hour.  Not too bad.
   
We took the shuttle all the way to the end so we could hike the Riverside Walk trail along the Virgin River.
 
Group shot!  Beau, Maggie, Lynnette, Bill
   
Here we go!
   
The first portion of the trail was a nice walkway, suitable for wheelchairs.
   
The plants growing out of the side of the rock walls were interesting.
   
 
   
Then the trail ends and you hike up the river.  After the Grand Canyon trip, Lynnette and I were veterans at this.
   
 
   
There were spots where there was no avoiding getting your feet wet.
   
 
   
Very pretty.  The water wasn't too cold; nothing like the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon.
   
You did have to watch where you put your feet.
   
All of a sudden, a Mule Deer came charging down the river, followed by her baby.   The deer were clearly terrified of all the people.  But they had no choice but to go right through the crowd.
   
 
   
We went down the river for about half a mile and that was enough.  We turned around here.
   
Maggie lurks in the mountain.
   
 
   
I believe that is Angel's Landing from the back side.
   
 
   
The famous Angels Landing Trail!  I knew I would never be able to make it to the top, but thought I might go as far as I could.
   
Beau and I headed up the trail.
   
Lynnette and Maggie stayed back.
   
A nice shot of the valley with the Virgin River running through it looking north.
   
That's Angels Landing.
   
Looking back down the trail, to the south.
   
Looking straight up.
   
Now we'r estarting to get up there.
   
You can just make out the trail on the side of that mountain.  I was starting to get freaked out so this was as far as I went.  Beau continued on.
   
Looking back along the trail.  You can see it's uphill all the way.
   
 
   
Lynnette and I went south and hiked the Kayenta Trail to Middle Emerald Pools.
   
There wasn't much to Emerald Pools but it was a nice hike.
   
 
   
Looking north.
   
 
   
The Virgin River
   
The Zion Lodge.  I guess they have some rooms you could stay in, but probably not very many.  A lot of people were hanging out in the shade of that bit tree.
   

The obligatory contour map at the Visitor's Center.

Zion surprised me.  I felt it didn't live up to its hype.  Then there was the crowd.  Of the Utah Big Five, it was my least favorite.  That said, we only saw the valley, which is maybe one sixth of  the entire park.  Which I have seen from the air, and from the air, it is awesome.  Also, we have been viewing spectacular scenery for the last two weeks; maybe we were just too used to it.
   
 
   
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