Zion

The Virgin River

My last little trip of October was a quick jaunt down to Zion National park before the weather turned cold. My weather luck continued to hold and while the evenings were cold, the days were sunny and dry. Zion is just about my favorite place in Utah. I love the narrow slot canyons and dramatic views afforded in the main Canyon. The eastern portion of the park is equally (albeit quite different) beautiful as well. I spent the first full day in the park doing what is perhaps the "signature" experience - a hike/wade up The Narrows. This is the slot the Virgin River flows through the park before it enters the main canyon itself. A short trail dead ends at the river and if you want to continue, you step in and begin slogging upstream. The canyon quickly narrows and it is quite beautiful indeed. I spent the entire day working my way up and then eventually back down again. Every turn brings shifts in the light and a different perspective on water and it's adversarial relationship with rock. Absolutely beautiful.

Switchback trail to Hidden Canyon

The next day I spent doing several short hikes from various shuttle stops. I visited Hidden Canyon for the first time and went up to Observation Point, one of my favorite hikes in the park. The weather was perfect and the autumn colors were just about at their peak. This time of year I always get homesick for New England. Western fall foliage is so muted compared to their eastern cousins, but as I spend more and more time out here, my appreciation for the turn of the seasons has increased. Zion is certainly a great place to experience the slide into winter.

Kolob Canyon

My final day included a couple of short day hikes and then a quick trip up to Kolob Canyon in the northeast portion of the park. This was a part of the park I had never visited. It was quite beautiful although smaller than I had imagined from the park maps. The weather was beginning to turn, so I didn't spend as much time here as I had planned. There looks to be some interesting longer hikes that I'll have to explore some time in the future.