ZION ANGEL

18 May 2013: Day 4 of 43 – Zion National Park UTAH (State 3).

Overnight in Hurricane UTAH.

Today 312km, Total 996km.

Zion National Park in Utah is home to the 16 mile (24km) long Zion Canyon comprising huge, iron-infused sandstone cliffs between 3,600-8600ft (1,097-2,621m) with most over 7,000ft (2,134m). It was named after the Hebrew word Zion, meaning “place of refuge” since some early European settlers were able to grow produce along its thriving river bed on their way to California – many stayed here. 

Our journey there from Vegas took us across the rest of Nevada and into the very south-western corner of Utah after clipping the top north-western corner of Arizona! The drive was your typical western adventure – expansive flat plains, distant ridged flat topped pancake style mountains with free sun tanning in our convertible.

Zion Canyon is set up for tourists and the Americans do a great job. There is a tourist centre just outside Springdale which runs free get-on, get-off, shuttle buses every 5-10min between 8 stops along 16 miles of canyon valley road. There are 48 different treks off the 8 stops, each with varying degrees of difficulty and timing. We all agreed to split up to do the treks that suited us and meet back at the tourist centre at 6pm. We all set off at 1pm and I got off at Grotto stop to climb the most difficult, dangerous but famous of all the treks to a place called Angels Landing. 

This trek is advertised at 4hrs return over 8.7km and climbing 1,520ft (463m). I ran/fast-climbed it in 50min up and 30min down. It is wild. The first challenge is a hairpin 2km, cliff-hugging trail called “Walter’s Wiggles” which is 0.5m wide with sheer drops on one side. The real adrenalin kick is last 0.5 mile (0.8km) which involves climbing up several rock-faces using chains fixed to the rock to pull yourself along. 

It is back breaking and knee-capping tough but the reward at the top is worth it. The worst part was a narrow ledge as wide as your feet with 200m drops on either side – you do this one on all fours!!! The top called Angels Landing is nothing short of a life-changing experience. It was named by the Puebloan Indians because they thought it was so high and remote that it must be the place where angels come to rest. 

I shared the jaw-dropping view with two French guys, a Korean and two guys from Salt Lake City. It reminded me of my running trek to Las Tres Torres in Chilean Patagonia, simply awe-inspiring and very moving – for some the closest thing to the Divine. There is no doubt that Angels Landing was one of the most satisfying treks in my travels and I felt fantastic coming back to earth. 

Bubba, Thelma and Louise took on a couple of easier treks called the Kayenta Trail and the Riverside Walk. For desert, I also took on the Riverside Walk and the Lower Emerald Pool Trail walk. Amazingly we all rendezvoused back at the tourist office at exactly 6pm, all exhausted but immensely satisfied with days events. To celebrate we decided to go local into JB’s Restaurant across the road from our hotel in a town called Hurricane. Not. It was a disaster but with a silver lining! 

The disaster involved very poor food. Their idea of steamed veggies was a pile of defrosted carrots – “What am  I? A rabbit? I asked”. Louise got a pile of rice she did not ask for and my “pulled pork” (roast pork off the bone) was covered in gravy I ordered removed and looked like a baby had just brought it up. After Maureen pulled up our waitress on these matters, Bubba volunteered to order everything else to prevent them spitting on our food! 

Paris also got a coffee cup instead of a bowl for his soup and when Paris asked why, the waitress replied “Oh, the soup bowls…umm…I think they got all broke”! I wish I could record me almost choking on my frozen carrot in repressed laughter. The silver lining was the presence of a Coconut Cream Pie! Yes, exactly like Maryanne made on Gilligan’s Island! It was sensational! They gave it to us for free to make up for the misdemeanours and I even asked our waitress to give our compliments to Maryanne for the pie. We almost died laughing when she returned and announced “I checked and there is no Maryanne working for us”. At least we finished the day with a laugh.