When we first got sight of Zion National Monument a couple
of days ago, our jaws all dropped and a series of “wows” came from each of our
mouths. We remained pretty much dropped-jawed and in awe for the rest of our
visit.
I can’t even begin to describe the beauty of the area. The
canyon walls are a mix of creamy white, hypnotic crimson, mystifying black, and
calming greys. There are juts, crevices, mounds, and overhangs carved out of
the rock. If Red Canyon was almost cartoonish, Zion is perfectly, elegantly
chiselled.
Near the entrance, there is a tunnel originally carved when
Model –Ts were the norm, and RVs hadn’t yet been thought of. Oversized
vehicles, including ours, must pay an escort fee. The ranger shuts down traffic
from the other direction so that you can drive through the tunnel safely,
straight down the middle. It’s a long tunnel too—it took probably two minutes
to get all the way through—and there are no lights, aside from the occasional
opening for sunshine.
After supper the first night, we did the leisurely Riverside
walk, a paved path that, as you might expect, runs along the river. At the end
of the path, we continued on to another trail, The Narrows. This trail isn’t
paved. Instead, you must actually walk in the river, sometimes up to knee-deep.
The cool water was refreshing, and the canyon walls continued to get closer as
we walked further. It was a lot of fun, and a good touch of adventure after the
easy paved path.
Yesterday, we did another hike in the morning, this one
leading up the canyon walls, with a series of three small pools along the way.
The first pool was my favourite, because the path went behind a small waterfall
and the mist was refreshingly cool. The other two were also gorgeous, and worth
the uphill climb in the heat.
Afternoons here get unbearably hot, perfect for playing in
the pool or reading indoors where there’s air conditioning—which is pretty much
how we wrapped up our second day in Zion.
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