In Zion

We got back from our Georgia trip early in the morning last Friday (the 8th), and then I had to turn around and drive down to southern Utah to give a lecture at the community center in Springdale. It was a fun trip, and I had originally hoped to get in a couple slot canyons while down there, but my planned companions bailed on me and I changed plans. So my newfound hiking buddies Addison and Bryn agreed to come along. Once again, we sorely missed the rest of the family but had a good time.

After spending the night at Grandma and Grandpa's house in St. George, we headed up through the tunnel (which the kids loved) to Orderville, where there's a small slot called Red Hollow. Dad came along for the trip because he's always game for an adventure. The kids got really hot, and Addison still gives me a hard time about the "shortcut" I led us up on the way back, but it was fun.

Add the Spaz

After a Subway lunch in Mt. Carmel, we headed back down to a swimming hole me and some friends found out about a couple years ago when we did Pine Creek. At first the kids were really hesitant because the water, though fresh from a running stream, was pretty murky and they couldn't see down into it like they could a swimming pool. But they got brave pretty quickly and we had a great time swimming to the waterfall, exploring in the rocks, and especially catching canyon tree frogs.

Then we went back to the hotel in Springdale, cleaned up, went to dinner at Oscars with Mom, Dad, and Abbey, and I had my lecture. It was fun to talk about Zion history with the old-timers in the area. Very memorable.

L to R: Lyman Hafen of the Zion Natural History Association, Michael Plyler of the Zion Canyon Field Institute, Reid Neilson, and me.

Mom and Dad agreed to have Addison and Bryn at their house Saturday night and I stayed at the hotel in Springdale. Sunday morning I caught the first shuttle at 6:00 and was the first on the East Rim Trail. I hiked up through Echo Canyon, which I had originally planned to do as a technical canyon this weekend. It is beautiful and dark and begs to be explored. We'll be back. Then it goes up another bazillion switchbacks to Observation Point. Great hike, didn't see a soul all the way up, and got to watch the sun rise over the cliffs. Eight miles round trip, 2,100 elevation up and 2,100 back in three hours. On the way down I kept running into people going to Mystery Canyon and I was jealous.

Here's too many photos.

Looking up at the East Rim and Cable Mountain.

Bottom of Middle Echo. Man, the potholes stank.

Cable Mountain and the Great White Throne.

You can just make out the remnants of the upper cable works on the edge.

The iconic shot. Looking 600 feet down at Angels Landing is quite a thing.

The second visitor of the day arrived and took my picture.

Echo Canyon snaking its way to the rim.

Cool spot where the trail runs parallel to Echo.

Looking down into lower Echo, which is closed to canyoneering because it's prohibited to rappel into the Weeping Rock area.

An important piece of history: Frederick Dellenbaugh's 1903 Zion Canyon in the Human History Museum. Shortly thereafter followed federal protection, roads, and busloads of people.

Back to Springdale in time to catch sacrament meeting, where the opening hymn was "Beautiful Zion." I wonder if they sing that every week.

Once again, a great adventure, but I missed Michelle! She needs to heal up.