We woke up at the reservation campground under this formation. I could tell when we got there that we were below some big mountains though I couldn't see anything. I decided to go up for an early climb.
I climbed as far as I could up the crumbling rocks. It was precarious at times because of the loose rocks so I didn't go that far. The view was pretty nice from up there. I could barely see the tent down below where we camped. The rocks were pretty amazing and it was a nice introduction to Utah.
There was a loud stream that I could hear all night and I expected a big, roaring torrent when I went to find it in the morning. What I found was little more than a trickling stream with a big sound. I dipped my hands in the cold water and washed my face. It felt great after climbing in the already hot sun.
We packed up and got back on the road for the last stretch through Utah before we got to our destination. The views along the way were great at times, but I started thinking I'd prefer the darkness where my imagination could wander and dream up the kind of formations that were out there. We pulled off at a truck stop where we got some amazing burritos. Maybe they tasted so good because our expectations were low, however Truck Stop Burritos were great!
We got to Zion National Park following a lengthy drive in and got our campsite after a little waiting at the park gate. After finding our site and claiming it, we headed off to grab a shuttle and find a hike to do for the day before the sun went down. We went a few stops in and started up the East Rim Trail toward Observation Point.
Once we got up the switchbacks, we got to the more interesting section and encountered our first slot canyon. It was a smaller one that was inaccessible because of the water that had collected several yards in. The formation was still amazing, and we spent some time there admiring it.
We were joined by plenty of lizzies along the way. They would scurry off every few steps; I usually only caught a glimpse of them before they were gone. Sometimes I just heard them rustling in the bushes.
The hike up was pretty strenuous and we eventually reached a plateau of tall grass. We took the trail a little farther through and reached observation point where we were rewarded with this fantastic view. We took a load off and had some water and Clif bars. The photo does not properly encompass the grand vision we were looking at while sitting on the edge of the canyon.
We spent some time chatting with another photographer that was also up there; also enchanted with the natural offerings of the southwest. He gave us some tips on where we should check out next on our travels. Once we were able to tear ourselves away from the view we headed back down somewhat swiftly.
We got back to Watchman Campground eager for real food. I made a sandwich and had some cold Gatorade that tasted fantastic after that hike. We got the tent prepared and I spent some time shooting the stars from our site. Yep, that was our view. I'm still amazed.
Once I finished playing with the long-exposure shooting, I spent some time reading and then retired for the evening, ready to get back out there early.
We woke up at the reservation campground under this formation. I could tell when we got there that we were below some big mountains though I couldn't see anything. I decided to go up for an early climb.
I climbed as far as I could up the crumbling rocks. It was precarious at times because of the loose rocks so I didn't go that far. The view was pretty nice from up there. I could barely see the tent down below where we camped. The rocks were pretty amazing and it was a nice introduction to Utah.
There was a loud stream that I could hear all night and I expected a big, roaring torrent when I went to find it in the morning. What I found was little more than a trickling stream with a big sound. I dipped my hands in the cold water and washed my face. It felt great after climbing in the already hot sun.
We packed up and got back on the road for the last stretch through Utah before we got to our destination. The views along the way were great at times, but I started thinking I'd prefer the darkness where my imagination could wander and dream up the kind of formations that were out there. We pulled off at a truck stop where we got some amazing burritos. Maybe they tasted so good because our expectations were low, however Truck Stop Burritos were great!
We got to Zion National Park following a lengthy drive in and got our campsite after a little waiting at the park gate. After finding our site and claiming it, we headed off to grab a shuttle and find a hike to do for the day before the sun went down. We went a few stops in and started up the East Rim Trail toward Observation Point.
Once we got up the switchbacks, we got to the more interesting section and encountered our first slot canyon. It was a smaller one that was inaccessible because of the water that had collected several yards in. The formation was still amazing, and we spent some time there admiring it.
We were joined by plenty of lizzies along the way. They would scurry off every few steps; I usually only caught a glimpse of them before they were gone. Sometimes I just heard them rustling in the bushes.
The hike up was pretty strenuous and we eventually reached a plateau of tall grass. We took the trail a little farther through and reached observation point where we were rewarded with this fantastic view. We took a load off and had some water and Clif bars. The photo does not properly encompass the grand vision we were looking at while sitting on the edge of the canyon.
We spent some time chatting with another photographer that was also up there; also enchanted with the natural offerings of the southwest. He gave us some tips on where we should check out next on our travels. Once we were able to tear ourselves away from the view we headed back down somewhat swiftly.
We got back to Watchman Campground eager for real food. I made a sandwich and had some cold Gatorade that tasted fantastic after that hike. We got the tent prepared and I spent some time shooting the stars from our site. Yep, that was our view. I'm still amazed.
Once I finished playing with the long-exposure shooting, I spent some time reading and then retired for the evening, ready to get back out there early.
3 comments:
you didn't even mention the squirrel in the car.
I considered it, but then didn't. There was so much so I just left that out.. I'll remember. And probably put the photo up on facebook.
ahh gotcha.
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