Monday May 17, 2010

Zion National Park has got to be the most organized and well-signed park in the US. Everything is marked clearly. There is a free shuttle (to minimize Park traffic) that picks people up in the nearby town of Springdale. It stops at every hotel, inn and campground along a two-mile stretch and deposits the passengers at the Visitors’ Center in the Park. Our final destination for today was going to be east of the Park, so it made sense for us to drive in, rather than backtrack later. When we came to the fee station area, we had to buy a “ticket” for a mountain tunnel through which we would have to travel after we explored Zion today. The tunnel is 1.1 miles long and is a semi-circle style opening. That means that its highest point would be in the middle and the sides would be significantly shorter. We knew this last night and got out our tape measure. We could be no wider than 7 feet 10 inches. The tunnel is designed for two-way traffic, so width matters. We failed the test as we were 8 feet 4 inches, including our side view mirrors. By purchasing a ticket, it would entitle us to a one-way drive through the tunnel. Traffic would be held at the other side until we came through. We’ll worry about that later.

We park the motor home at the Visitors’ Center and head for the shuttle. The shuttle will take us to the hot spots in the Park. Shuttle buses run every eight to ten minutes, which is even better than the Grand Canyon. Each shuttle stop drops you off near hiking trails and identified viewing areas. The buses at Zion are double tandem and hold large numbers of people. They actually have a greater capacity than the Grand Canyon.

Off we go. We decide to take the shuttle till the end and get off on the last stop, working our way back. It is still pretty early and the sun is not high in the sky so there are still significant shadows on the monoliths. It’s a bit chilly too, at 59 degrees. The trick to being in these places is layers. When we board the bus we note that there are some serious hikers in this park. They have serious backpacks, hiking boots and walking poles. We look at each other, wearing our tennis shoes and carrying insignificant backpacks. We look like a couple of rookies. As in the Grand Canyon, we hear multiple languages. There’s also two girls who are apparently camping with a large group from the School of Charleston, a pricey college in South Carolina. They probably could have opted for a shopping trip to New York City or a laid back vacation at the beach. Gotta give them credit. They look like they are up for the challenge, in fact as I overheard them talking, they were discussing rock formations. I am impressed.

Our first stop is called “Temple of Sinawava”. It offers an easy 1.5-mile trail that runs along the Virgin River. This river has some oomph to it and people go tubing along it in the spring. At this point the flow is somewhat gentle. We pass a number of serious hikers that have already done the trail and are heading for their next adventure. Once done, we hope on the shuttle and go to “Big Bend”. There is a park ranger located there. She is answering questions. One visitor is from Holland and was giving the ranger a run for her money. The visitor was also giving her husband a run for his money. He was taking pictures of some climbers hundreds of feet up and his wife clapped her hands, commanding him to come near her. I have to try that with Dennis. Not. We saw a couple of wild turkeys at this stop as well. But enough about Dennis. lol

Rock climbers are attracted to Zion because of the vertical walls and the sandstone composition of the rock. It is easier to pound in the anchors into cracks they find. Once at the top of the mountain, they come back down on traditional hiking trails.

We decided to forgo the shuttle and walk to the next stop, only .5 mile away. We took a few pictures of the shuttle buses going up and down the hills as we walk. We saw some wildflowers as we walked as well.

The next two stops are “Weeping Rock” and “Grotto”. There are a couple trails along the Virgin River as well as some incredibly difficult trails up the sides of the mountains. We also spotted two ambulances near one of the trailheads. The EMT said it wasn’t a serious injury but they have had some significant injuries on this trail. I think I’ll pass on this one.

Next stop is the Zion Lodge. There are some great trails here, including one that has a neat walking bridge of the Virgin River. Every direction you turn, there is another photo op. We have been told that in October, Zion is loaded with people, leaf looking. There are so many deciduous trees in the Park, it must be a gorgeous place to visit and photograph.

After walking, we stop at the lodge and enjoy a great lunch at outside tables with a beautiful view of the Zion Mountains. What a country. We re-board the shuttle and stop at “Court of the Patriarchs”. This might be my favorite. We take a short but steep trail to a high vantage point. There we get a great view of three peaks, named after biblical figures, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Zion is really the inverse of the Grand Canyon. While at the Grand Canyon, most visitors walk around the rim, looking down at the incredible rock formations, at Zion you are at the bottom, looking up at mountains that have the same look as the Canyon. The Zion Park brochure talks about how the Park was created by water’s erosion over thousands and thousands of years. Explorer John Wesley Powell said about Zion, “All this is the music of waters.” Powell also explored the Grand Canyon and one of the points is named after him. The study of the layers of rock, which form the mountains in the Park, is called Stratigraphy.

We make one more stop at Canyon Junction. Once again, the Virgin River is carving a path through the rock. I notice some cactus flowers growing by the side of the river and incorporate them into a vista of the rock around me.

We get back to the visitors’ center and get back to the motor home. We are heading east now, going to Bryce Canyon, 60 miles away. Now, we are going to head through the tunnel. Before we get to the tunnel entrance, we have to ascend about 2,000 feet through a series of switchbacks. We would not want to drive this road in the dark. There are NO guardrails! When we get near the tunnel entrance, the ranger stops us and explains that it will be about three minutes. He talks with someone on a walkie-talkie. About two minutes later a lone car comes through and the driver hands the ranger a baton of sorts. That is the indicator that this driver is the last person heading west on the road. It is now our turn to enter the tunnel. Yikes, now we know why they measure the width and height of your vehicle. It is narrow and low. Going through the middle, straddling both lanes is still nerve-wracking. Once through, the rock has a different appearance. The coloration was more yellow than red. It showed more pronounced erosion marks. One monolith was called Checkboard Mesa, with criss cross erosion cuts in the mountain. It almost looked like heavy equipment used to cut into mountains, creating highways had been used on the mountainside. In fact, Mother Nature did all the work. When you look at the picture, it looks like shredded wheat.

We continue our drive to Bryce Canyon. We look forward to seeing another one of the National Parks of the Grand Circle tomorrow. Car & Driver Magazine has called Utah's Highway 12 from Bryce Canyon National Park to Capitol Reef National Park "the most scenic drive in America". We look forward to it!

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