Sunrise over Zion
Saturday- We got up right around sunrise and got ready to enjoy the rest of our exploration of Zion. We had a relaxing morning, not rushing to get somewhere as we were already here! After breakfast, Tyler did the dishes while I called my credit cards and paid some bills. Some things don't change, even on vacation! While Dawn was still showering and getting ready, Tyler and I decided to go looking for the meteorite I saw crash down last night. I knew it couldn't be too far away, as I saw it land in front of the mountain we could see from our camp. It was on the other side of the river, so Tyler and I found a shallow spot to cross and fanned out looking for any sign of it. I had seen a brief puff of light when it impacted the hillside, so I was looking for burn marks.
View from our campsite. The meteor landed in the hills behind the trees above the white camper, coming down diagonally from the upper left part of the photo
For all I knew, it might not have been any bigger than a golf ball! We searched for about an hour, with no luck. It was a very rocky hillside with lots of scrub brush and trees, and a million places it could be hiding. Oh, well, it would have been very cool to find, but I'm happy I at least got to see it!
We broke camp, packed up the truck, and left it in the campground parking lot. We took the camp shuttle to the park visitor center. When we arrived, Tyler noticed he didn't have his silver wolf necklace that he had bought as a souvenir in Badlands National Park. I had remembered seeing it on one of our black folding chairs at camp that morning, but Dawn didn't remember seeing it when she packed up the chairs, while we were on our meteorite hunt.
The paved trail from the Temple of Sinawava to The Narrows
Ty was upset at the thought of losing it, as he collects wolf memorabilia, plus he bought it with his own money! We left Dawn at the visitor center, and hopped the shuttle back to camp to see if we could find it. Since it was a busy weekend, they had already given our spot to another family..and, sure enough, they had found his necklace on the ground, right where the chair had been! He was grateful to get it back, and we caught the next shuttle back to the visitor center. Whew!
We caught the Zion Park shuttle, and took it all the way to the end of the line, at the Temple of Sinawava area. We walked about a mile up a paved trail along the river, which ended at "The Narrows", a slot canyon with the river running through it.
Hiking The Narrows
The Narrows trail is actually hiking in the river itself..a walking stick and waterproof shoes or sandals are recommended. We waded into the river, and wound up walking several miles up into the canyon. The whole hike of 16 miles requires a permit and an overnight stay, as it takes 12-13 hours to do. We, like most, hiked upriver for about 3 hours or so, then headed back the way we came. Tyler went swimming fully clothed, in his jeans and T-shirt! It was a long, grueling hike, but we made it and enjoyed it! The water depth was anywhere from a few inches deep to about four feet, but the average depth was less than 2 feet. Tyler found some deep spots, but he was swimming. If you follow the "path" ( the line of other hikers both in front and behind you) the water is rarely even waist deep.
Hiking The Narrows
..knee high is the norm. Of course, we did this hike in late August...I'm sure it's much deeper in the spring! The rocks here can be very uneven and slippery, so it's a good idea to have a hiking pole or walking stick. It's safer for you, and you'll be able to move faster. You also have to be careful of flash floods here... It's not called "The Narrows" for nothing! It's not advised to hike here if its raining, here or several miles upstream. Weather reports can be gotten froim the rangers at the visitor center. A trip to Zion would not be complete without trying this hike!
On the shuttle ride back to the visitors center, we sat next to a jovial guy named Stuart, who claimed to be a local Morman who once dated Marie Osmond. He kept us entertained all the way back with his funny stories, we just didn't believe too many of them! We had already packed up our truck that morning, so we just stopped at a small grocery store near the shuttle stop, and re-stocked up on food, beverages, and ice for the cooler. Now we are off towards our next stop, Bryce Canyon!
