Zion National Park, Part One

Warning . . . I'll be gushing about how much we loved Zion National Park. Did you know, though, that there is a monsoon season in the four corners area? We had no idea, but this area gets about 15 inches of rain a year (if I remember what the ranger said correctly), and we were there for all of it. It's not a drizzly northwest rain, it's a dent-the-roof sort of rain. 

We started out on the Hidden Canyon hike. Our first detour was the weeping rock.

Speaking of rock, we are 'rocking' our ponchos, no?

Dorkiness aside, they kept us nice and dry for the rest of the hike once it stopped raining.

So much beauty!

This is my daughter's photo, she thought the leaves looked like party confetti.

Climbing up the side of the canyon wall had its freaky moments. Particularly if heights and cliffs are some of your least favorite things. We highly recommend the 'moving fence technique'--dad holds the rope up front, and mom holds the back, and the little ones hold it like a railing and stay 'fenced' from the edge. Besides making them feel safe, and reducing the constant reminders to 'watch where you're going!' it also gives other hikers a clear boundary for passing. (Because zig-zagging every which way on cliff sides is the stuff nightmares are made of.)

Sometimes, though, you just need a good pep talk from your big sister.

We had lunch at the first overlook, and a good laugh. Mostly because we were tucked around a corner from where the trail leveled off, so we overheard some funny stuff. First was a sweat-drenched group of 20-somethings that were sure they had just gone the seven miles, and when they turned the corner and saw us we could tell them that they'd just come up the first mile, and the rest of the trail was through the canyon behind them. (I know, it is sort of evil that I found that so funny.) Then, the group of college boys all "Woo hoo, that was so hardcore, man!" and then they see us sitting there eating our red peppers, and then a sweet little pair of German grandmas pass them from the other side. That makes us all hardcore, too, right? =)

We started out on that valley floor. This place is full of breath-taking beauty.

So very happy to be headed back down!

 

After that we did the park museum and then the Pa'rus trail. This was a fun walk, and the kids enjoyed being able to run around.

How prickly are these prickly pear cacti?

Very!