Tuesday
Yesterday, we rested and got caught up on some business items.
We will be presenting our RVSEF RV Weight & Tire Safety Seminar at Pikes Peak Traveland RV in Colorado Springs, CO on Friday, May 10 and then we'll be weighing RVs there on Saturday, May 11.
And then we will be doing seminars at the very comprehensive RV Safety & Education Foundation's RV Lifestyle, Education & Safety Conference in Colorado Springs May 14 - 18. Check out the schedule of over 40 classes here. There's still time to sign up - Registration Page.
Wednesday
Today, we got a bit of a late start and decided to do a short hike in Zion National Park.
Before heading to the trailhead on the park shuttle, we signed up for a permit for another hike for tomorrow and signed up for a special shuttle service for a hike on Friday. More to come on those.
As much as folks have suggested that we do the Angel's Landing hike, that's not going to happen this time through. Maybe next time. :)
It was close to 1:00 by the time we hopped on the shuttle at the Visitors Center. Eventually, we were dropped off at the Weeping Rock stop.
We didn't do the quarter-mile trail to Weeping Rock, but rather started up the Observation Point/Hidden Canyon trail. The Hidden Canyon hike is listed as 2 miles roundtrip or 3 miles roundtrip on some websites. Either way, we thought it would be a nice, "short" trail for this afternoon.
However, in the mile to the mouth of the canyon, the elevation gain is 850 feet. The trail is "paved" as it zig zags steeply up the mountain - it's paved in the sense that it's a hard surface, but it's not a smooth surface.
There were great views of the canyon floor and the Virgin River as we climbed.
The "paved" part ends shortly after the Hidden Canyon Trail branches off the right at this sign.
And there was still quite a bit of climbing to do. The sloping ramp trail turned into steps. We came to another sign pointing us to the left.
Soon we came upon the first section where the trail was on a ledge with chains to hold onto.
Some of the ledges had no chains, but the footing was better.
Even for me, who doesn't like ledges at all, it wasn't too bad. We climbed more steps and came upon more ledges with chains.
Linda went ahead to do a couple short videos.
Moving on, there were a couple more narrow ledge sections. Yeah, that's the trail on the right hugging the gray wall.
Very shortly thereafter, we came to a sign that says "Mouth of Hidden Canyon - End of Maintained Trail". From there you can continue on into the mostly flat, narrow canyon.
There is some scrambling required to get around boulders blocking the sandy wash of the canyon floor, but it's not too bad.
Actually, the hike getting to Hidden Canyon is more interesting, in my opinion, than the canyon itself.
The one highlight was this small, free-standing natural arch.
Linda decided she wasn't going any farther, so she rested there while I went on to explore a little more. I had read that you could go as far into the canyon as you wanted or until you came to a place where the canyon was blocked. However, not far from the arch was a sign saying "Sensitive Species Habitat - Canyon is closed beyond this point".
So, I turned around and joined Linda for a short rest before we headed back down.
She did a two more videos on the ledges.
The descent on the hard, sloped ramps was a bit tough on the toes, but the views were nice and there were lots of wildflowers in bloom along the trail. The Hidden Canyon hike was just about right for this afternoon.
Back at the road, we waited for the next shuttle and took it back to the Visitors Center.
Rather than heading home, we took a right onto the main road through the park. I wanted to get some pictures on the east side of the park (east of the Zion - Mt. Carmel Tunnel) where the terrain is completely different.
In fact, Linda thinks that the often ignored east side is more interesting than the much more popular Zion Canyon.
Here are a few photos from the many pull-offs on the east side.
This is Checkerboard Mesa.
It wasn't quite in the right light, but it's still pretty interesting with its criss-crossing erosion lines.
I took this photo from the Checkerboard Mesas Viewpoint ....
and then we turned around and headed back. Just a few more shots. :)
On the east side, we always keep our eye out for Desert Bighorn Sheep. They are spotted quite frequently. And we just happened to catch a glimpse of three young ones scrambling up the side of a mountain.
I didn't have my zoom lens and the lighting wasn't very good, but I was able to crop this photo and bring them in closer.
We see mule deer, squirrels, and lizards daily. And we've seen turkeys and chipmunks as well. But it's always a treat to see the sheep nimbly negotiating the steep slopes.
We think that entering Zion from the east provides a much more impressive introduction to the park than entering from the south. Driving the entire park road provides diversity and a spectacular view as you exit the western end of the tunnel. Of course, that whole drive isn't possible in bigger RVs.
Back on the west side of the tunnel, I took a few more rock shots as Linda drove.
The South Campground has some pretty nice early evening views.
Well, that pretty much wraps up today's time in Zion. Not a bad day. :)
Back home, we had some leftovers for dinner, got our showers, watched some recorded shows, and called it a night.
Tomorrow, we're doing a longer hike outside the main park area. Check back to see the details. :)
Another great day of hikes for you two!! We certainly enjoyed that area while there even though we didn't do as much hiking as you have.
OK,, I know it has been asked but make it easy for me,,, what camera do you use?? The pictures are alway so great compared to what I take.
Posted by: Dave | Friday, April 26, 2013 at 09:56 AM
Hi Dave,
I'm still using an old Nikon D40. I've been using the same model since early 2007, although it was discontinued in March 2009. I do some quick brightness and contrast adjustments with a simple software, but other than that, I don't mess with the photos much.
Posted by: Howard | Friday, April 26, 2013 at 03:07 PM
Hi Howard and Linda,
Been following your picture stories and thoroughly enjoy them! Sure gives alot of us ideas about where to go when we're in those areas. Your pictures are fantastic and add alot to the story. I was going to ask the same thing Dave just asked about your camera, but now I don't have to. Keep up the great work!
Posted by: Mike | Friday, April 26, 2013 at 04:30 PM
I do have a question about the hike itself - it is hard to tell just how narrow the ledges are at the spots with the chains - did you feel hestitant at any point about moving forward or about the relative safety of the trail? We have hiked in Zion and surrounding parks and gone up as far as Scouts Landing on the Angels Landing Trail and to Delicate Arch in Arches Nat'l Park....
Have just come across your site and will be following your adventures - we have just purchased a 40' bus and and hoping to head west in it soon!
Posted by: Becky | Sunday, May 12, 2013 at 05:30 PM
Becky,
No, we didn't feel hesitant on this trail about moving forward. For the most part the narrow part of the trail angles from the edge toward the rock wall. In some places it angles the opposite way, but that's where the chains help and the trail is a little wider.
We've heard that others didn't feel comfortable especially if it was wet. That probably would make a big difference.
But on this day, there were a couple spots we took extra care, but there wasn't anything that gave us any reason to think about turning around.
Posted by: Howard | Monday, May 13, 2013 at 09:21 AM