Zion

3/30/07-3/31/07

I arrived at Zion just as the sun was setting. I knew I would need to get to the campground as soon as possible - this is where I planned to stay but Zion fills up rather quickly on the weekends. And sure enough, I backed into one of the last two campsites available - handicapped. Hey! The campground host said I could. My plan was to take a few little day hikes then start my long journey home. The ranger at the visitor's center gave me a few ideas including Emerald Pools, Weeping Wall, and the River Walk to get a good feel of the park.

I visited the park on a Saturday, the last day before Zion went into their busy season. I would hate to tell them this but if their busy season starts on April 1st and April 1st is a Sunday, they had better darn well fire up the shuttle buses the day before the busy season. By 10 in the morning, cars were lining the road at the trail heads - not a parking spot was found. I was able to slip into the Emerald Pools and the Weeping Wall, but there was no way I could get into the River Walk - there were just too many people, too many cars.

However, the beauty of Zion is remarkable. I found the scenery more of a reflection of what I had seen before in New Mexico and dry high mountain areas. Unlike Capitol Reef and Bryce, where I gazed in wonder at the desert and sandstone formations, I admired Zion for its comforting trees and high valley walls.

As I left Zion (past a line of cars at the fee station a 1/2 mile long), I realized I would need to plan vacations for the next 10 years to fully explore just the places I had seen on this 1 trip.