Summer of Hell - Days 7-8: Zion

Zion National Park was our hands-down favourite! Zion Canyon is 15 miles long with reddish walls that rise dramatically 2500' above the valley floor, it's breathtaking. We stayed just south of the park and came in Friday to hike Angel's Landing and Saturday to hike The Narrows. Sara's parents Sue and Rex drove out to join us and were staying at the Zion NP Lodge, so we got some good hang-out time with them too.

Angel's Landing summit!

Getting into the park

The park doesn't have a lot of parking inside the valley, but there are free buses to the park entrance and the park runs free shuttle buses every few minutes. Unfortunately there were so many people visiting that inside the park the bus wait times were more than an hour. Gotta get there right when they open to be first in line, we couldn't get our acts together enough to make that happen so we waited and waited and waited.

Zion NP entrance Charlie on bridge

Angel's Landing hike

Our first hike is the iconic Angel's Landing, which is only 4.5 miles, but ascends almost 2,000' above the canyon floor to an epic lookout spot. We took the bus to stop 6, The Grotto, crossed the road and took the West Rim trail north.

Approach to Angel's landing Angel's landing from below

The switchbacks are called Walter's Wiggles, they zig-zag right up the middle of this picture.

Angel's landing switchbacks

We started up! There were signs about staying quiet to avoid disturbing the owls.

Starting to climb Quinn and Miles on the switchbacks Almost there Harriet and me Sara Sara and Harriet starting up the chains Team resting at the midway point

Sara and Quinn decided to wait at Scout Lookout, which has amazing views to the immediate north.

View from Scout Lookout

Permit section of Angel's Landing

Harriet, Charlie, Miles and I headed up to the "Landing". I was keeping a close eye on Harriet, she was tired and would occasionally skip around without holding the chains..

Harriet starting the spicy stuff

Here's the ridge climb up to the Landing. You can see the trail going up the ridgeline!

Angel's Landing ridge

Loooong drops on either side.

Harriet on the chains Charlie, Miles, Harriet on the narrow ridge Climbing with the chains

We made it to the top! The Landing is a flat ledge with amazing views up and down the Zion Canyon.

Harriet and me at the top Kids and me with south canyon views Kids with north canyon view

The climb down wasn't easy, we took it slow. The cliffs fall thousands of feet down on both sides of the ridge trail, which in places is only five or ten feet wide.

Downclimbing the chains Charlie and Harriet Charlie and Quinn in a cave Walter's Wiggles from above

Virgin River and canyon floor

We got back down to the canyon floor and immediately jumped into the Virgin River to cool off.

Charlie and Harriet checking out the river Soaking and cooling down after the climb

Sara had gone ahead to meet up with Sue and Rex at the Zion Lodge. We joined, ate ice cream, and headed back to the RV for some pool time and laundry.

The Narrows hike

The next day we were back in the park, back through the bus lines, and off at stop #9 Temple of Sinawava to meet up with Sue and Rex and hike The Narrows "bottom-up".

Super Miles on the bus

We took the Riverside Walk to the end of the path, where Sue and Rex parked their chairs for people watching.

Sara and me hiking Riverside Walk Sue and Rex

Harriet isn't sure if the sign is for real. She loves squirrels.

Harriet don't feed the squirrels

We got into The Narrows and started wading/hiking. We had rented hiking poles and they were clutch on the slippery rocks.

Charlie and Harriet making their way upstream Sara and Harriet

This hike is so much fun. The water was cool, not freezing, and apart from a few areas where the kids had to swim or hang onto an adult, it wasn't ever deeper than 4-5'. The water definitely pushes against you though, take it slow!

Sitch family with Quinn Harriet wading a deep spot