National Parkapalooza

The visitor's center at the Grand Canyon National Park reminds one of Disney World, yet it is as informative as it is touristy. We decided on a three-mile round-trip hike into the canyon via the Bright Angel Trail. Initially we had hoped to hike deeper into gorge, but at that time we were ignorant with regards to the time and energy that would take. As it was, the chosen hike would be plenty challenging. Ice and snow narrowed the trail and made it quite slippery, so while the hike back up was strenuous, the hike down was equally taxing as we had to take care with our footing on the precarious path.

The hike was exhilarating yet exhausting so we traveled back at the campsite and relaxed around a fire. As an aside, I think I have perfected the s’more.

Our second day at the canyon was spent hiking the Rim Trail and driving to various overlooks along the park’s main drag.  So often we snap pictures knowing that they do no justice to the spectcles surrounding us, still we hope that they are able to convey some measure of the majesty we feel so lucky to witness.

On our way out of the park, Jared made a new friend:

From the Grand Canyon we continued north stopping in Page, AZ for the night. Page is a small, sleepy town that is home to the southern edge of Lake Powell at the Glen Canyon Dam.  This area is surrounded with the red rock that, although commonplace at ths point, still inspired awe.  In the morning we took a short trail down a steep, rock staircase to an area that offered nice views of the dam and the Colorado River.

Lake Powell is equally impressive; its expansive blue waters are interrupted by islands of humungous rock. We walked around the marina and were taken aback…these people’s boats have boats, and you ain’t nobody without a waterslide affixed to the back of your yacht.

We were met with some extraordinary views as we continued north along Glen Canyon.  Climbing under a barb-wired fence off the side of the road allowed us to walk among the rocks for a nice close-up.

It wasn’t long before we were in Utah at the southwestern edge of the Grand Staircase National Park. Unfortunately, we could only drive the outskirts of the park as wet and cold weather had made the roads that lead to the interior impassable, yet it was another stunning drive.

Jared impressing me with his mad climbing skills:

We were in Bryce Canyon by late afternoon. It seemed that inclement weather was to be the theme for the day as all hiking trails at Bryce were closed due to snow. The main road through the park was clear however, so we drove that route jumping out at most of the designated scenic overlooks. While it would have been nice to be outside of the car dirtying our sneakers, after days of red stone and sand at every turn it was a refreshing change of scenery to see the massive rocks draped with bright snow.

We found some more friendly animals.  (We did not feed them!):

We left Bryce at dusk hoping to reach Zion National Park in time to get a campsite. Snow had been forecasted, and we had seen a few flurries throughout the day, yet the driving was manageable until about fifteen miles outside of the park. The road had no lighting, and we were in the middle of a complete white-out. It was one of those situations where we knew we should stop, but we kept going given that we were just minutes from the entrance. We crept along at twenty mph with our hazards on unable to see the lines on the road beneath us. Finally we pulled into the parking lot of a gift store situated a mile from the park gate, reclined our chairs, thanked God and went to sleep.

The descent into the canyon from the east entrance of Zion is replete with sharp turns and switchbacks, although the highlight of this passageway is the 1.1 mile tunnel cut directly through the stone. Both the drive and the views it affords are spectacular, easily our favorite patch of road to date.

Zion features several hikes through its sometimes forest, sometimes desert, always rocky terrain. After April 1, the only way to access the trailheads is via a tram that runs from the welcome center every seven minutes, following along the bottom of the canyon as it narrows. After picking out a near-perfect campsite, we boarded a tram and road it to the farthest stop to the two-mile Riverside Walk. This path follows alongside the park’s Virgin River and passes by waterfalls, feeding dear, rapid-riding ducks, beaver dams and staggeringly high cliff-side walls.

Riding the tram back “up canyon” brought us to the Weeping Rock Trail: more giant rocks, more feeding deer, more trickling water.

Easter weekend was upon us, and the mob was thickening. Still, the walks were enjoyable and not particularly overcrowded. At the campsite we had some chores to do. I washed dishes while Jared went into town for some essentials. In the Grand Canyon we made the mistake of too little firewood, so I was glad when Jared returned with two large bundles of wood. I whipped up some spaghetti and garlic bread (a favorite meal), and Jared built a fire so huge we could have filled the canyon with those tasty, roasted confections.

As an aside, our campsite had an amazing view of the mountains surrounding us. Before packing up the next morning, we took a few moments to document this score:

Our final hike at Zion was the combination of the three Emerald Pool Trails; algae growing in these pools give them their name. As it was a beautiful Saturday morning, the masses were upon us, and we joined the pack headed up to the first pool. The real attraction of the first stop was the waterfall above cascading into the small pond at our feet.

A mountainous stairway scattered with flat patches of clay led to the second Emerald Pool which was really a collection of pools mixed with large rocks made for resting. We stopped to enjoy our surroundings and a peanut butter fiber bar.

Our intention was to climb to the third and most elevated pool, but upon the advice of someone who looked like they knew what they were doing we got a little taste of some back-country hiking. After a few minutes of scaling boulders and tree roots and limbs, we determined that the road less traveled would remain that way. We gave up on the final pool, but made up for it by jogging back to the trailhead.  Later, our experience encouraged us to forge our own trail.  We pulled over to the side of the road and climbed down to a somewhat dry riverbed.  Jared found a waterfall he could climb, and after much scouring I found a piece of petrified wood among the many rocks. 

The Grand Canyon was astounding. Bryce Canyon was stunning. Zion National Park with its running waters, flora and fauna all accessible and around you was our favorite park. Reluctantly, we motored back up and out of the canyon heading for less civilized parts of the southwest: Vegas.



(PS to Facebook readers: I updated the photo slideshow on the main blog.  I'm not nearly as smart as Google's Picassa, so I can't figure out how to break apart AND post various albums...sorry!  But if you go to the site (http://www.nostateunturned.blogspot.com/) and click on the album slideshow to the left it should bring up a new window that allows you to "thumb" through the pictures.  Much love to all!!!)