More Zion May 2014

One week later finds us back in Zion. I tried to get a last minute Subway permit so I could take Julie on that adventure. No such luck ensued. We decided to make the most of it. We drove down Wednesday with a plan to hike the West Rim trail on Thursday and leave Friday open for some other adventure. I found out that the road to the West Rim trailhead may be washed out from the recent rains. In fact, Zion Adventure Company were not going to shuttle people to the trailhead on Thursday. We had to rethink our plans and decided that we would do the bottom up Zion Narrows hike. All of us(Me, Diane, Dick, Nancy) except Julie have done the top down hike. We got outfitted with fleece, dry pants, neoprene booties, river shoes and the ever essential walking stick. We then went off to dinner at Oscars. "Hungry? Don't blame Oscars". Cute slogan. We had a great meal and then went off to bed.

We woke up and suited up in our gear and went to catch the shuttle bus to the Visitor Center. Diane, Julie, and I met up with Dick and Nancy and loaded onto the canyon shuttle bus to take us to to the Temple Sinawava trailhead. The first part of the hike is on a paved sidewalk for about a mile. Then we enter the river, The Virgin River. It was a good thing we got outfitted. The water was cold and swift. Some of the hikers did not plan accordingly and seemed to be shivering and off balance. We had our walking sticks to keep us upright. The views were fabulous. We immediately entered the canyon with its sheer walls and dramatic scenery. We passed Mystery Falls, a route that climbers would rappel down to get into the canyon. The scenery was gorgeous but walking upstream seemed to be taking its toll on our leg muscles. Our goal was to make it to Big Springs. Diane and I decided to wait for a while and then turn around and head back while Dick, Nancy, and Julie went on ahead. I went back with Diane to paved part and then headed back upriver to meet up with the other group. We met up and found that the hike to Big Springs was quite a bit longer but well worth it. It was a strenuous day and the hike out was long and tiring. Then we had to ride the shuttle bus to the visitor center and then take the  city shuttle back to the motel. Almost too tired to eat, but somehow we managed. Everyone voted for Oscars again. I guess that is a pretty good recommendation. We were off to bed after dinner for we had an early start planned for the morning.

                                                     Bell's Waterfall

Diane and I decided to hike to the waterfall today. The first part of the trail has been our training hike that we do year round. In the winter we put on crampons and hike to the bridge. To the bridge, it is a distance of 1.5 miles. The waterfall is about another 1.5 miles but the grade increases dramatically. This hiking trail has gotten immensely popular. The parking lot is always full and there are cars lining both sides of the road. The first part of the hike is a nice family hike with a reservoir to view after about one mile. Many people who hike it for the first time are surprised at how strenuous the second part is.

We got an early start(to beat the crowds). And it was Sunday. Yeah, Sunday. Some people engage in other activities on that day. It was cool and crisp and we made good time to the bridge. The next landmark would be the Lone Peak Wilderness sign, about a quarter mile from the bridge. From the sign, the trail passes through greenery and shade. The steepness also increases after the sign. The trail winds over to the creek in a couple of places and the mist from the rushing water creates a cool mist. I have actually hiked the trail all the way without stopping and achieved my personal best. One hour and eleven minutes. Not today. With the crowds and the need for rest stops, we were in no hurry to get there. We just wanted to get there. And we did. The waterfall was rushing with more water than I have ever seen before. So much so that we could not get to our usual observation point but had to head down  to where the terrain was dry and not slippery. This seemed to be the gathering place for most of the hikers who had made it all the way. We took some pictures and had some refreshments and then headed back down. I think we can say that the hiking season has officially begun.