Zion NP - Southwest USA 2018 - 9
Friday, 2018-05-04 - Zion NP
Today I want to spend the day in Zion. Quite unusual for me this will be the only stay at a National Park for the whole trip. I know that the parking at the visitor center will fill up quickly. So, I go for an early start, even if that means that I have to get up even earlier than the other days due to the different time zone. I have my breakfast shortly after the hotel opens the area and manage to be at the gates of Zion NP at 7:30 Utah time.
I don't have a problem finding a parking lot, but already that early it seems to be half full. You must not drive your car in the park during summer times (except for the road that is passing the park from south to north-east, but that offers next to no options for a hike). So, I take the shuttle bus to Weeping Rocks and start the hike to Observation Point shortly after 8 am.
It's an 8 miles round trip, strenuous but not difficult. The path goes straight up most of the time, only the last 500 ft or so are flat, but sandy and without shade. It takes me two hours to reach the top. There are not so many people at the observation point at that time, but a lot are coming when I'm on the way downwards. To be honest: I have no idea why to start one of the most strenuous hikes of the park around noon, when it's not only hot but also next to no shade is available, too.
Back to the car, I change gear. I want to go to the narrows now.
Many people are in the river and differently to the times I've been here before, most of them don't turn around after the first or second corner. This time people are prepared pretty well, a lot of them even wear water-resistant trousers. There are too many people to make decent pictures.
I walk until I reach the place where I took pictures quite some years ago and take a few shots with bright green trees in front of the red canyon walls. But I have to cut the lower part of the tree and all the water to get rid of the people. In the end, I will delete them right after the first import to Lightroom.
As many people keep on walking upstream, I call it a day and return with the shuttle bus to my car.
The temperature is back to normal, being in the high 80s (~30°C) in the evening. My app on the phone claims that I walked 12 miles (19,4 km) and climbed the equivalent of 165 floors.
