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Abstract

in memory of the victims of one of the horrible mass shootings that had just happened the day prior. He responded with a nasty remark that implied he thought that was a pretty stupid reason. Suffice it to say, I got away from him as quickly as possible. I was there to enjoy the wonders of nature, not listen to someone spew hateful political BS.After watching the film, I picked up the shuttle outside of the museum and rode to Court of the Patriarchs, also sometimes called Three Patriarchs. They are named after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. While I certainly wouldn’t call this a challenging hike — I think it took me less than five minutes to reach the overlook — it is really steep, so I’m not sure if it’s considered to be a truly accessible trail or not.<figure id="4da8"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*a-pvIfq5CBYhDQwMa72haQ.jpeg"><figcaption>Photo by Author</figcaption></figure>I stopped for lunch at Zion Lodge and had a salad, which was nothing spectacular — but what did make the dining experience there worth mentioning was getting to eat outside on their patio. There aren’t too many restaurants that can beat that view!Feeling somewhat more fortified and rested from lunch, I hiked from the lodge to The Grotto, and then over to the West Rim Trail. This trail eventually leads to Angels Landing, which is famous for being one of the most dangerous hikes in the whole national park system (there are parts that are only a couple of feet wide with a thousand foot drops and only a chain to cling to for dear life). You have to apply for a permit ahead of time, and even so, people wait in line for hours to be admitted to this section of the trail. Maybe you’ll think I’m a bit of a chicken, but I wouldn’t hike Angels Landing even if someone paid me for it, let alone wait in line for the privilege of doing so. But, to each their own.Personally, I contented myself with hiking just a short section of the West Rim Trail, and then headed back to The Grotto to once again pick up the shuttle.<figure id="d992"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*YI-ZGihuc4OekzVMV114-g.jpeg"><figcaption>Photo by Author</figcaption></figure>One of the trails that I enjoyed the most was Weeping Rock. It is about half a mile and leads to — you guessed it — weeping rocks. I got dripped on quite a bit and keeping my camera dry was a challenge, but it was worth it. Admittedly my photos didn’t turn out the best, but you can hopefully still see the moss and other plants growing on the side of the cliffs, like a lush garden oasis in the midst of the canyons.<figure id="2e94"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*FJxrtpmRbBJS4oAJoYQJvg.jpeg"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure id="7131"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*YlJJID0CzPrg05PoT5Z3Hg.jpeg"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure id="5e11"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*78h7p2icLeHwLaB9G7BCmQ.jpeg"><f

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igcaption>Photos by Author</figcaption></figure>Not long after my visit, there was actually a large rock slide at Weeping Rock. Seeing videos of it was a bit unnerving, knowing I had just been there! The trail unfortunately had to be closed, and from what I understand remains so even now, though I’m guessing it will reopen later this year.Last but certainly not least, I hiked part of The Narrows. Similarly to the situation with Angels Landing, I specify part of, because in order to actually hike the entirety of the trail, you have to be willing to wade up to your torso in water much of the way, which I was absolutely not prepared to do on a chilly autumn day. I did see lots of intrepid hikers doing just this, though — many of them had waterproof overalls, boots, and hiking sticks. I heard some of them say that it had taken them almost all day to complete the hike, and I was pretty impressed with their commitment!Even though I didn’t go that far on the trail, I did get to see some really beautiful sights, so if you’re like me and don’t fancy hiking through the water, know that the first part of the trail is still very much worthwhile.<figure id="d6ce"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*DNei8o1AOOkBKY0CnNnbMw.jpeg"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><figure id="aa70"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*XklBt-03TvUt3FkMxIKcVA.jpeg"><figcaption>Photos by Author</figcaption></figure><figure id="4e14"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*tN8ggjKjXardCfFGcV6VvA.jpeg"><figcaption>Photo by Author</figcaption></figure>I figured at this point that I’d seen most of what there was to see, but boy was I wrong! In fact, I’d almost say that my drive out of the park was one of the most interesting parts of the day. Driving east on Highway 9 will not only take you through the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel, which is a pretty impressive feat of engineering (especially considering it was built nearly a hundred years ago), but will also eventually lead to Checkerboard Mesa, pictured below.<figure id="bb10"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*TDt70XXs3_rNnW05IR8waQ.jpeg"><figcaption>Photo by Author</figcaption></figure>I’d never seen anything quite like it before, but as you can see, it is very aptly named — it really does look like a checkerboard!There are other pull-offs along the road as well. I can’t remember exactly where this one was, but regardless, I found the light sandstone canyons to be truly beautiful, albeit slightly less striking in color in comparison to the red-tinted canyons I’d seen earlier in the day. If you’re able to I’d really recommend taking the time to see these slightly less popular areas of the park — they might turn out to be one of the highlights of your visit.<figure id="d09d"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*JxkyfKruBfZgJwrgnUZz2g.jpeg"><figcaption>Photo by Author</figcaption></figure></article></body>

Three Patriarchs, Weeping Rocks, and a Checkerboard of Stone: Zion National Park

Visiting Utah’s most popular national park

This is my 7th park on my way to hopefully visiting all 63. Previously, I have visited and written stories about Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Indiana Dunes, Great Sand Dunes, Saguaro, and the Grand Canyon.

Zion National Park is one of the parks that has grown the most in popularity in recent years (I believe it has now climbed into the top three most visited parks). On the one hand, this made me all the more excited to see it, but on the other hand, you know how I feel about crowds. And even though I was there during the off-season, the truth is, these days, there isn’t really an “off” season at Zion. Just a season slightly less hectic and insane than summer, I suppose.

Which is how I found myself driving round and round their parking lot for half an hour, sighing impatiently and wishing I could be out on the trails already. At long last, someone left and I was able to snag their spot. Keep in mind that you can also park in Springdale, the closest town, and take the shuttle in from there instead, but that parking can be quite expensive so I’d only recommend it as a last resort.

I looked around the visitor’s center for a little while, but unlike many other national parks, the documentary film introducing the park isn’t shown there; it’s screened at the nearby Human History Museum. There is a short, paved trail called the Pa’rus Trail with beautiful views of the river and surrounding canyons that connects the two, which was my first hike (or really more of a leisurely stroll if I’m being honest — I took my time to enjoy the scenery and take lots of photos!).

Unlike the visitor’s center, there were hardly any people at the museum, although as I was going inside, one other person was heading in as well. He commented that the flag outside was flying at half mast and wondered if I knew why. I said that I thought it might be in memory of the victims of one of the horrible mass shootings that had just happened the day prior. He responded with a nasty remark that implied he thought that was a pretty stupid reason. Suffice it to say, I got away from him as quickly as possible. I was there to enjoy the wonders of nature, not listen to someone spew hateful political BS.

After watching the film, I picked up the shuttle outside of the museum and rode to Court of the Patriarchs, also sometimes called Three Patriarchs. They are named after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. While I certainly wouldn’t call this a challenging hike — I think it took me less than five minutes to reach the overlook — it is really steep, so I’m not sure if it’s considered to be a truly accessible trail or not.

I stopped for lunch at Zion Lodge and had a salad, which was nothing spectacular — but what did make the dining experience there worth mentioning was getting to eat outside on their patio. There aren’t too many restaurants that can beat that view!

Feeling somewhat more fortified and rested from lunch, I hiked from the lodge to The Grotto, and then over to the West Rim Trail. This trail eventually leads to Angels Landing, which is famous for being one of the most dangerous hikes in the whole national park system (there are parts that are only a couple of feet wide with a thousand foot drops and only a chain to cling to for dear life). You have to apply for a permit ahead of time, and even so, people wait in line for hours to be admitted to this section of the trail. Maybe you’ll think I’m a bit of a chicken, but I wouldn’t hike Angels Landing even if someone paid me for it, let alone wait in line for the privilege of doing so. But, to each their own.

Personally, I contented myself with hiking just a short section of the West Rim Trail, and then headed back to The Grotto to once again pick up the shuttle.

One of the trails that I enjoyed the most was Weeping Rock. It is about half a mile and leads to — you guessed it — weeping rocks. I got dripped on quite a bit and keeping my camera dry was a challenge, but it was worth it. Admittedly my photos didn’t turn out the best, but you can hopefully still see the moss and other plants growing on the side of the cliffs, like a lush garden oasis in the midst of the canyons.

Not long after my visit, there was actually a large rock slide at Weeping Rock. Seeing videos of it was a bit unnerving, knowing I had just been there! The trail unfortunately had to be closed, and from what I understand remains so even now, though I’m guessing it will reopen later this year.

Last but certainly not least, I hiked part of The Narrows. Similarly to the situation with Angels Landing, I specify part of, because in order to actually hike the entirety of the trail, you have to be willing to wade up to your torso in water much of the way, which I was absolutely not prepared to do on a chilly autumn day. I did see lots of intrepid hikers doing just this, though — many of them had waterproof overalls, boots, and hiking sticks. I heard some of them say that it had taken them almost all day to complete the hike, and I was pretty impressed with their commitment!

Even though I didn’t go that far on the trail, I did get to see some really beautiful sights, so if you’re like me and don’t fancy hiking through the water, know that the first part of the trail is still very much worthwhile.

I figured at this point that I’d seen most of what there was to see, but boy was I wrong! In fact, I’d almost say that my drive out of the park was one of the most interesting parts of the day. Driving east on Highway 9 will not only take you through the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel, which is a pretty impressive feat of engineering (especially considering it was built nearly a hundred years ago), but will also eventually lead to Checkerboard Mesa, pictured below.

I’d never seen anything quite like it before, but as you can see, it is very aptly named — it really does look like a checkerboard!

There are other pull-offs along the road as well. I can’t remember exactly where this one was, but regardless, I found the light sandstone canyons to be truly beautiful, albeit slightly less striking in color in comparison to the red-tinted canyons I’d seen earlier in the day. If you’re able to I’d really recommend taking the time to see these slightly less popular areas of the park — they might turn out to be one of the highlights of your visit.