Zion

10/4/09

I like Zion, but feel as if I hardly know her. What can a person expect if you never make the time. If you want someone to be your best friend, you don't stop to chat for a few seconds as you're moving on to somewhere else. You want to make the time, have a cup of coffee, go shopping, find the secrets and the love between you and your new friend. I haven't made the time to make friends with Zion . . . not yet.

We got in late after Cedar Breaks with the intention to stay all morning, hike through the narrows and get to know this beloved park better. It was a temperamental park we got to know. Winds thrashed through the canyon as I imagined a flash flood would - rattling leaves, bending trees, lifting sand into the air and carrying it along. Above us, the clouds raced across the sky, imitating my own history of stopping by to say hi and then moving on without a look back.

It would be Zion's wind that would make us leave a little earlier than had planned. It wasn't Zion's fault. She just wanted to let me know there is more to her than what I've allowed myself to know. Our hike up along the Virgin River although enjoyable, was wrought with efforts to keep my camera clean and dirt out of my eyes. During a short walk along a more protected area we came across several deer grazing in the trees. A pleasant surprise, especially after seeing a couple of wild turkeys earlier during our ride on the shuttle. Just one of those little secrets I so needed to know.

Driving out from the valley to the upper reaches of Zion, we'd see little arroyos running off along the side of the road and we had to fight the urge to stop to explore them. Again, I had somewhere else to go. Some other place calling. A trip ahead that needed to be finished. When will I make the time to make Zion the trip and not another pace? Soon, as I would love to have Zion as a friend,to be able to stop and have a cup of coffee and learn her secrets.

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.