Reflections of My Travel

This morning started off with some socializing when there were no tables left at breakfast and a British couple asked to sit with us. Very nice folks and we had a nice conversation with them. After eating we got on the road

and headed back south toward Zion Canyon. As we turned off the main road and started heading into Zion, we started seeing these great big melting rocks.

It was like a scene out of a Dali painting the way that the monoliths appeared to be folding down on themselves.

Unfortunately, there were no pullovers to really appreciate these very cool rocks and we figured there would be a visitor center any minute now so that we could get the full low-down of what to do and see if there were better places for seeing such rocks. Ten miles later, we finally made it to the park gate and the melty rocks were well behind us. I guess they really weren’t a part of Zion after all. Oh well. We got our little map and started down into the canyon which was a long, steep, switchbacked road. When we finally arrived to the bottom and the visitor center, I begrudgingly put my boots back on and we grabbed a pack and left. To save the roads and air, they make you leave your car at the visitor center and take the shuttle buses around the park. We went in and got advice about the best short/easy hikes and hopped on a shuttle. Our first hike was the Emerald Pools with a stop at all three, none of which were emerald and barely pools this time of year.

Lower Emerald Pools was a nice rock overhang with a little waterfall coming off it.

Middle Emerald Pools was nothing at all, really a joke if that was your intended hike destination. Upper Emerald Pools had a nice high waterfall which probably been very pretty with more abundant water.

The hike was a good stretch for the legs after our day of rest yesterday and my downhill muscles were doing much better but my toes were immediately angry about being back in the boots. I think this might be my last hiking trip in these boots.

Our next shuttle stop was at Big Bend where there was literally nothing to do but get a picture of Angel’s Landing and the Great White Throne

so we hopped back on the next bus to the Temple of Sinawava where we did the Riverside Walk back to the Narrows. At the end of the trail, hubby got in the water… and kept going.

I chose to remain dry and waved to him when he got to the bend.

He must not have gone much further than that before heading back toward me with wet shoes and legs.

I think he was a bit disappointed because he thought it was going to be a slot canyon trail and, as far as I could tell, there are none in this park. I think he got bad info somewhere. He was told that Zion was a must see and way nicer than the other area canyons. The melting rocks we saw outside the park were cool but I really didn’t see anything great down inside the park. Not that it wasn’t worth spending a day at, but I was just way more impressed with the scenery at Bryce than here.

The only other stop we wanted to make was at the Weeping Rock which is a super short but very steep trail. Not a big deal going up to it to see the small waterfall coming out of the rock face

but going back down had my poor big toes throbbing and screaming. And that was it.

We rode the shuttle all the way back to the visitor center where I immediately re-shod myself in flip-flops. Not a moment too soon either… my two big toes were swollen to more than twice their size and the nails seem to be lifting up off of them. I assume I’ll be losing those nails. The throbbing is terrible. Anyhow, we left the canyon and made our way west to Las Vegas where we will rest up for the next couple of days.