Fall Break Recap

We just returned from probably one of our best camping trips of all time. Normally by the end of the trip,  I am ready to get home and just get back to normal but honestly the family had such a great trip that I am truly a little blue that it is all over.

From the moment we entered Zion Park last week I knew we would be in paradise. I was in awe of the magnificent red rocks that our campsite was surrounded by. I loved waking up every morning to this view:

We were only steps away from the Virgin River. And for Tyler who is a water-lover this was Heaven for him. His expression (in the photos) says it all.

We hiked almost every single day. 

T's favorite hike was through The Narrows. It is a hike a couple miles up river where most of it is done walking in the cold water. 

P and I had a chance to hike Zion's famous Angel's Landing. Opa and Gramma stayed behind with the kids. And this is why... Wikipedia's description of the hike: The trail to Angels Landing is 2.4 miles (3.9 km) long.^[2] It begins at the Grotto drop off point on the park's shuttle system. It roughly follows the path of the Virgin River for some time, slowly gaining elevation in sandy terrain. As the trail gets steeper and leaves behind the river, it becomes paved. After a series of steep switchbacks, the trail goes through the area between Angels Landing and the Zion Canyon that is a gradual ascent. Walter's Wiggles, a series of 21 steep switchbacks,^[2] are the last hurdle before Scout Lookout. Scout Lookout is generally the turnaround point for those who are unwilling to make the final summit push to the top of Angels Landing. The last half-mile of the trail is strenuous and littered with sharp drop offs and narrow paths. Chains to grip are provided for portions of the last half-mile to the top at 5,790 feet (1,760 m).^[3]

According to the National Park Service, "The route to Angels Landing involves travel along a steep, narrow ridge with support chains anchored intermittently along the route. Footing can be slippery even when the rock is dry. Unevenly surfaced steps are cut into the rock with major cliff dropoffs adjacent. Keep off when it is wet, icy or thunderstorms are in the area. Plan to be off before dark. Younger children should skip this trail; older children must be closely supervised."^[2] The National Park Service website officially recognizes five fatalities along Angels Landing,^[4] however other deaths have been reported

I didn't really know much about the hike prior to doing it. I actually just thought it was switchbacks that made the hike difficult. Boy was I wrong! The last part of it was extremely scary and yes you really did have to hold on to the chains otherwise you risked a drop-off on both sides! Surprisingly I am not the one who is afraid of heights (my husband-the pilot is-go figure). There were a few times when I thought I might be continuing on by myself but I was able to talk P into continuing up the steep climb. I am glad he did and I know it was really hard for him to get past that fear. So proud that he did it, though! Here are some photos:

We are going up there?

 21 switchbacks (the easy part)

 A long way down

Thank god for the chains

Only a 1500 foot drop-off on BOTH sides.

"Don't look down" was often heard coming out of my mouth many times that day.

Still a drop-off on both sides.

We made it!

P: "That's not funny-please stop it."

We climbed all the way to the top (which is behind us).

We finished off the trip by driving over to Lake Powell. It rained the first day and half we were there so we took a Dam Tour (loved saying DAM tour!) instead of the outdoor activities we had planned. Saturday was race day and that will be an entire blog post on my Luna Blog in a few days. But so I don't leave anyone hanging, the race was awesome. An Olympic distance was tough but so incredibly worth it! I loved every minute of the race and actually would do another one tomorrow if I could. I feel great and am ready to start planning my next one. 

The rest of the time was spent relaxing on the boat (that we rented while we were there).

We had so much fun that we are talking about doing it again next year. Anyone care to join us? You are hereby officially invited.