Zion Nat'l Park, Day 2/4 - Observation Point, and The Narrows

Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018 - Day 2 at Zion National Park. I can't wait to hit the day - after my Loaded Oatmeal and medium cup-of-coffee at Deep Creek Coffee Company:

(this is my breakfast for each of all 3 days!) (Ellie would approve of this place)

With yesterday's experience of looking down the canyon into the almost-direct sun, I want to do Observation Point first today. Got to the trailhead a little after 9 AM:


The whole hike was 8.5 miles in 3 hours 20 minutes, and looks like this:

Google Earth does a GREAT JOB displaying The Park!


The first mile is zig-zag up the canyon wall (micro-spikes necessary with the snow and ice):

with ever-better views of "The Organ" and the Valley/"Big Bend":



You then head back into the "back country", with the beautiful cliff walls:

You even walk through a little "slot", with its frozen water:


You keep going higher:



At 10:30 I saw Observation Point far in the distance:


And 30 minutes later I was THERE:



There were five guys at a table at Deep Creek Coffee this morning - they were at the top, and took my picture!

Looking back at where I had taken the picture of Observation Point:


Got back down safe-and-sound by 12:30. I drove back down out of The Canyon to do errands and pick up my pass for "The Subway" for tomorrow.

A little "art interlude" - from Thomas Moran's 1873 travels through southern Utah, he made 3 beautiful etchings of this area. The April 1875 issue of "The Aldine" had a wonderful article on "The Scenery of Southern Utah", publishing "The Narrows, North Fork of the Rio Virgin, Utah":

"Temple of The Virgin, Mu-koon-tu-weap Valley, Utah":

and "Valley of the Babbling Waters, Utah":


It is very exciting to be here, surrounded by, and immersed in, the natural beauty, 145 years after it had inspired such wonderful art.

a little history lesson: Mu-koon-tu-weap means "Straight Canyon" in Paiute, and was the original name for this National Park in 1909. But because it was so difficult to pronounce, the name was changed to "Zion National Park" in 1919.

I had enough time, so I headed back up The Canyon to the trailhead for The Narrows at 2:30. I don't know how far I'll get, but I'll give it a shot:



Needless to say, it is difficult to take a picture in these canyons, with the lighting contrasts. Same place - the first focused on the sun-lit cliffs, and the second focused on the river:



Fun seeing people in The Narrows:


Wonderful Canyon pictures:



As you can see, the river is "The Trail"!

MapMyWalk kind-of freaked out. Looking south (start at the top, go "down" and back):

It had me doing 13.33 miles in just under 3 hours - um, I'm fast, but NOT THAT FAST. Maybe I'll adjust the track at a later date.

I did make it up as far as "Floating Rock", and the frozen waterfall next to it:


and then, at 4 o'clock, it was time to turn around and head home (finish before dark!)

I finished about 5:20 (still enough light), and had a nice chat with a couple who were going to do it tomorrow. Pizza Dinner, read my COOL BOOK

SiFy Channel, bedtime. Thank You God for these WONDERFUL Adventures!