September 25: West Rim Trail, near campsite #1   Miles Today : ~5 Total Miles : ~5

The trip started off rather oddly, since I was in the mindset for a nice, relaxing hike over four days, while just about everyone else was looking forward to all the excitement that Vegas had to offer. There was even a group of “Swingers”-wanna-be’s in front of me at the check-in counter. They were so over the top that it almost made me laugh out loud – the slicked back hair, the tight shirts, the boisterous attitude. This was just about opposite of what I was looking for from my weekend.

Regardless, the flight went really well, and six hours later I was driving my rental car towards Springdale, Utah. On the drive out there, I was amazed at just how beautiful the desert can be. I guess I was expecting a bunch of dirt, a few cacti and some tumbleweeds. Instead I found mountains almost immediately, and green vegetation that was somehow surviving in this harsh climate. Also, the rocks that make up the mountains out here are all different colors. Everywhere I looked, I saw something new that I wanted to go climb and see what was on the other side. I stopped once at a small national recreation area in Arizona. This place was right near the highway and located in the Virgin River Gorge. The mountains here were very colorful and the river was very inviting. However, I stayed focused and headed for Utah.

Zion Nation Park is a National PARK – which is much different from a National Forest, such as the White Mountains. A National Park means that there are more “things to do”, that there are more roads, more buildings, more exhibits and, of course, more people. The Great Smoky Mountain National Park, the busiest of them all, claims that 90% of its visitors never leave their car. A National Park also means heavy regulation, on hiking and especially on backpacking.

When I arrived at the Zion Visitor Center, I headed for the backcountry desk to book my reservation for the weekend. I found that, not surprisingly, all of the good sites had been taken for Saturday and Sunday and that my only option was to head to the East Rim. The East Rim actually sounded like a great place, but the problem was that there was absolutely no water up there. The ranger told me that I would have to carry a full two days of water up the 2000+ foot ridge.. with a straight face.. and he wasn’t joking. I could see clearly that arguing would get me nowhere, so I just smiled and nodded as Ranger Dan booked me at various areas for Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights. He handed me my official reservation sheet, which I kindly accepted and promptly ignored.

For the most part, the Visitor Center is about as far up into the park that you are allowed to drive. A road travels from the center north into Zion Canyon for six miles, with various stops along the way. This route used to be open to cars, but the congestion was getting too much to bear, so a shuttle system was devised – which works extremely well I might add. I was impressed with the system that this park had devised as you never had to wait more than five minutes for a ride, and everyone there seemed to be quite happy with it as well.

From the Visitor Center, I hoped a shuttle about halfway up the Canyon and into the heart of the park. WOW! On the bus ride alone, I was completely amazed at this park. Sheer, rust-red cliffs and mountains dominated the landscape. Towering over 1000 feet above there were jagged peaks and broad plateaus. WOW! And in between these peaks were deep gorges. WOW! This was not like any landscape that I had ever seen before, and I was in absolute awe. Behind me I heard a mother wonder what kind of food they had at the snack bar. I died just a little bit right then.

When the shuttle arrived at the Grotto, I disembarked. From this area, the West Rim Trail starts and heads west into the park for about 16 miles. The start of this trail is very popular because in just a few miles it leads to a side trail for Angel’s Rest – a truly spectacular peak with a fantastic view of Zion Canyon. Apparently, the trail is so well used that the park saw fit to PAVE IT! Argh! I was hiking on a paved hiking trail with tons of people heading down as I was heading up. What did I get myself into? Why did I come to a National Park on a holiday weekend?

As I continued up the West Rim Trail, I quickly realized why the paving was necessary. Since the path for the trail takes such a steep and awkward route (since there is no really good way to climb these mountains) it would have eroded away long ago had there not been concrete added to the foot bed. Still, it was a paved trail and the sound of my Leki poles bouncing off the concrete was really bothering me.

After a good, hard climb of about 1000 feet, I was at the trail junction for Angel’s Rest Trail. This trail was a different animal altogether. It was NUTS, it was CRAZY and it was completely INSANE. I can’t believe that this trail exists in a national park, and that a good number of people hike it. The only thing that I can compare this trail to is the Knife Edge on Katahdin, but the Angel’s Rest Trail is so narrow, so steep, and the drop-offs are so severe that it doesn’t even compare. The only thing that makes this hike more doable is that the park service has mounted chains along the route. Not only does this help in climbing this extremely steep trail, but it provides a measure of security as well. Still, the trail was no more than five feet wide, and in some sections you were hard pressed to keep your feet side my side without the mountain falling off over 1000 feet below.

The climb was worth the risk, and not just because of the exhilaration that I got from climbing it (though that would have been enough). From the top of the mountain, I could see south down into the wide area of Zion Canyon as well as north, up into the narrower part and where the shuttle service ends. This view was like nothing that I had even imagined, yet here I was standing on top of a 5000 foot peak gazing down at the Virgin River and the Zion Canyon, which it formed.

Eventually, I did leave this peak, and I continued along the West Rim Trail higher up into the park, while just about everyone else descended to the shuttle. From the trail junction to my campsite I didn’t see one other person. Despite having some really great views in just about every direction, no one made their way up past the Angel’s Rest Trail junction. I was amazed as just how big everything is out here, and having some quiet time to reflect on all this was just what I was looking for. The West Rim trail climbed for another 1000 feet into the park, rising to an elevation of more than 6500 feet. The views were beyond description and the trail was in good shape, but I didn’t see another person on this night. I did scare a doe as I turned a corner and almost bumped into her as she was looking for a snack.

As the sun was going down, I found myself in an area with three campsites. Since all of these places had been reserved, I didn’t want to wander into someone’s camp when they weren’t expecting anyone. Instead, I found this great ledge that looked north into the park. It was a fairly flat spot, just uphill from a small spring, and since it was quickly getting dark, it was home for the night. As I was cooking dinner, I could see the moon rise over the park – it was great to have some dim lighting from Luna as I was getting ready for camp. A belly full of warm chow and a mind full of fantastic views - I am ready for bed.

-Chomp

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