Day 9 - Holy Zion!

Miles traveled:

By Car - 46mi (to and from R&C pickup)

By Foot/Paw/Other -  12.3mi (10 of those miles were before noon!)

Car Entertainment - The Daily podcast recapping the Roe revocation on the way to pick up the bubbas, and Sofi Tucker's new WET TENNIS on the way home because I needed to lighten the mood.

Since it was Saturday, I was warned that the park could get pretty crowded.  So I left my hotel around 6AM and walked about a mile to the Zion National Park entrance.  Zion National Park (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) 

The sun was barely coming up and looked really pretty shining on the mountains.

My original plan for the day was to hike The Narrows which is an iconic Zion hike.  I changed course at the last minute because I decided with one full day I wanted to see more of the park. I'll have to come back for The Narrows!

Instead I hiked Riverside Walk (which takes you to the start of The Narrows), stopped at Big Bend, hiked the Grotto Trail and then hiked  the Watchman Trail.  

Zion is absolutely majestic!  It made me feel very tiny (a word that noone has ever used to describe me).  Everything is so enormous and unique.  From my first hike to my last, it felt like I had been to two totally different parks.

The Riverside Walk runs along the Virgin River and up to The Narrows.

The sun was still coming up on my first hike.

Water was pretty steadily running down this side of the mountain and also included some cool flowers and greenery.  If you look closely you can see droplets of water coming down.

The entrance to The Narrows is where I turned around.  The Narrows hike is mostly in the very cold water and in some places waist to chest deep.  Something to save for next time!

Next I caught the shuttle and stopped at Big Bend where there is a really great view of Angel's Landing and The Great White Throne.  

Angel's Landing is rated a difficult hike and you have to be selected from a lottery to hike it.  Again...something for next time.  

I was able to actually see some hikers up along the ridge on the path to Angel's Landing.  You have to zoom waaaaaay in to see them, and it gives a sense of just how grandiose Zion is. 

Off to The Grotto!  It was a short trail, but worth the views and shuttle stop.

This flower only blooms at night and closes up during the day, like a bizzaro day lily.  It still wasn't quite light enough for this one to close up.  It's also poisonous!

After the Grotto, the shuttle brought me to the Watchman trailhead.  It was HOT at this point and still before 10AM.  The terrain was much more desert than my first hike along the Virgin River.

The terrain at times was a little more difficult to navigate than the previous hikes.  Amazingly I only rolled my ankle once!

It was well worth the journey to get to the amazing views at the top.  Plus I met a family from near Paris, TX up there!

I saved the Pa'rus Trail for R&C since they allow pups and we will do it first thing in the morning before we head off to the Grand Canyon.  

Later in the afternoon I picked up a freshly bathed R&C.  

They were both excited to see me, but Rhino being such a mama's boy was REALLY excited and was trying to open the gate when he saw me.

They got a glowing report card, and I know they were well cared for.

This was the immediate situation when we got back to the hotel, and I have a feeling that's how it will be all night.