Zion
Zion, one of the World’s most famous National Parks; a bucket list item for any adventurer and a top spot for natural adventures. Part of both Utah’s Mighty 5 National Parks and the Colorado Plateau National Parks, Zion is an American icon. Perhaps one of Zion’s most unique features, however, is its accessibility. Barely a 2 hour drive from Las Vegas, Zion is easily within driving distance for millions of Americans and is likely a direct plane ride away from the whole country.
Consistent with my methodology of avoiding crowds, Zion was a must do winter national park. While in the summer, shuttles and extreme congestion plague the park, the winter provides a much more relaxed experience.
In my honest opinion, Zion does not compare in scenery with parks like Yosemite, or in wildlife with parks like Yellowstone. Zion is simply too small in area to cover the diverse array of views available in the above mentioned parks. However, what it loses in wildlife and scenery, Zion makes up for in outdoor adventure opportunities. For such a small park, Zion has easily some of the most iconic outdoors trips in the entire National Park System. Between completing Angels Landing and the Narrows, I was able to get a good grasp for some of the opportunities easily accessible within Zion Canyon.
Angels Landing
I like completing the iconic hikes within the NPS. With hikes ranging from the Precipice trail in Acadia to the Half Dome trail in Yosemite, spread across the 63 National Parks are a group of trails that simply cannot be missed. Angels Landing falls in this group every time. Between the breathtaking views at the top, the challenging cables section that is rarely seen within National Parks and the classic switchback section up through Zion Canyon, Angels Landing has everything needed for an epic day hike.
I began the hike at the base of Zion Canyon, with light snow cover blanketing the canyon floor. After only a few minutes of hiking alongside the Virgin River, I reached the beginning of the real challenge, the switchbacks. What better way to get to the top of 2000+ foot canyon walls than walking endlessly back and forth for miles? I would argue there is no better way– considering that with each switchback comes a more impressive view of Zion Canyon! The final section of the switchbacks come in the form of ‘Walter’s Wiggles’. The ‘wiggles’ are a uniquely steep and tight section of the switchback, reminding me of climbing the subdome of Half Dome (easily the most miserable portion of my Half Dome hike). Luckily, Walter’s wiggles are much quicker, and within only another 10 or so minutes I arrived at Scout Lookout. For many, Scout Lookout is already a perfectly sufficient day hike, with a very expansive view of both the canyon and Angels Landing. But for me, Angels Landing was the target.
With my eye on the clock, I wanted to speed my way through the technical sections of Angels Landing: perhaps a poor idea at the time. Nonetheless, at Scouts Lookout, I put on my shoe spikes and continued onto the cables section. Although the cables/chains section is barely a quarter mile, I was shocked at how many twists, turns and climbs were required. Put all of that on a ground that was covered in ice above 2000ft sheer cliffs, and I can confidently say that winter Angel’s Landing is not for the faint of heart. With a surprisingly narrow and exposed trail, I made sure to hold tight to some of the guiding chains and watch all my footings as I ascended the cliff face. The views from the top were well worth it. Angels Landing is a rock formation that juts out into the center of Zion Canyon. From the top, I was welcomed with a 360 degree, aerial view of the entire canyon. With red rock, green evergreens and a white snow blanket, the view lived up to my expectations. After spending 15 minutes at the summit, I carefully made my way back down the slippery chains. Upon reaching Scout Lookout, the hard work was done. The good thing about the steep ascent is that the descent was a nice, steady downhill. Making a very good time down allowed me to finish the entire adventure in just over 2 hours. A pretty packed morning if I do say so myself!
The Narrows
While Angel’s Landing gives you the expansive, top level views of Zion Canyon, the Narrows provides a very up-close slot canyon experience. The Narrows is perhaps the only place within the National Park Service that you can hike up a river within a slot canyon (that reaches almost 1000 ft cliffs at points).
My trip within the narrows began the night before– at the Zion Outfitters shop in nearby Springdale Utah. While in the summer, the temperatures of the Narrows’ Virgin River is comfortable for shorts, the winter has the water temperature get down to 45 degrees. Evidently, a wet suit is required for the Narrows in this season. I was able to pick up the wetsuit and some additional gear on a 24hr long rental.
The next morning, I woke up at 6:30 in preparation for an early start to the Narrows. With limited parking available, I wanted to make sure that there was no waiting necessary. After securing a spot at the end of the Zion Park Road, I was able to start putting on my waders and wetsuits. The first 60-90 minutes of the hike seemed like island hopping. The water level was not high enough to completely engulf the slot canyon, leaving areas of dry land separated by relatively short water crossings. However, as I got further, the hike became more of a water trek until eventually, the entire slot canyon was just the river. Being very careful with my camera, I was able to take out my tripod to get some cool slot canyon photos. With no organized trail in the narrows, I was free to explore as I wished. Taking some side paths in the canyon got me to some mini waterfalls and even tighter canyon vistas. After about 3 hours going up the Narrows, I was ready to turn back. The way back was heading in the water flow direction, making the walk significantly less taxing. After stopping for a few missed photo opportunities, I eventually made it back to the car about 5 hours after starting my hike.
I love the Narrows! Especially in winter, the Narrows gives an otherworldly outdoor adventure. On the hike, I passed relatively few people, a stark difference from the complete saturation the hike faces in the summer. It is rare that 2 vastly different hikes exist within only a few miles of each other. Along with hikes to the famed Subway and in Kolob Canyon, Zion has truly unmatched outdoor possibilities.
