Zion National Park

Friday, August 19

This morning we got started a little later, staying in bed until around 8. Once we got started, Evan and I put on water gear and jackets as we mentally prepared ourselves to face The Narrows.

The Narrows is one of the most famous hikes of Zion, you walk a little over a mile to get there, and then you enter the Virgin River (which is all of 60 degrees- which is COLD water.) We started out in barely ankle deep water, and as we hiked through the canyon we got to points where we couldn’t touch at all. The hike is called The Narrows, because it’s the narrowest part of the canyon with only about 20 feet in between the canyon walls most of the time.

Hiking up the river in The Narrows

Cool and Refreshing

Smiling through the pain (that water was in the process of numbing my legs.)

Yeah!!  We made it!

The Narrows where the canyons close in around you.

Yeah! The water is cooolllllddddd!

Many people hiking the narrows stop long enough to build these cairns

The squirrels have learned that a lot of people ignore the "Do not feed the wildlife" signs.  They are so tame that they will come right up to you.

The whole hike is in the water, there are a few sandbars here and there, but those are for wimps. Evan and I hiked up the river for about an hour and a half, before turning back (because we told Papa we didn’t think we’d be longer than 2 hours.) The walk back only took about half an hour because it was going with the current and not against it.

Evan and I had a great time, we both committed to getting completely soaked, so he did a few belly flops and climbed up every rock he saw (as usual.)

Once we got out of the Narrows we met with Papa at the Temple of Sinawava, he was waiting for us the whole time even though we had made a plan to him that if he wanted to leave, we could take the shuttle back to the campground.

When we got back to the RV Mimi was the hero. On the shuttle ride back, Evan and I were starving and just trying to figure out what warm food we’d eat because we just hiked forever and were hungry. Well, when we got back to the RV Mimi had fixed us all lunch that was worthy of being dinner. We had sausage, hamburgers, mac n cheese and potatoes. As if that wasn’t heaven, once we finished she pulled out a fresh quadruple chocolate cake. It was great. Total bliss.

Our campsite.  Not to shabby!

Once we had showered off and put on warm clothes, we went downtown to check out the art galleries, wind sculptures and milkshakes. It was like a thousand million degrees there so we headed back to the RV pretty quick to chill out and fix supper.

Mimi again pulled out all the stops with mashed potatoes, pork chops and rice (with sugar.) We really ate right today.

After supper we all rode through the park, half of it in the car going through the tunnels and switchbacks. The other half going up the canyon on the shuttle. It was again, gorgeous (and getting mighty dark). When we got back it started to rain so it was a good stop to the evening so we could all get to bed to the patter of rain on the roof.

The best way to see the tops of the mountains!

This is the view from within the tunnel.  This little section is opened up for ventilation - and what a view.

Looking straight up in the bus to the walls of the canyon

Zion National Park has become our favorite of all the parks we have been to on this trip.