treadnorth: Zion New Year!

For our first married New Years, Alison and I decided to head down to Zion National Park in southwest UT. It’s a place I’ve wanted to see for quite some time, and we couldn’t leave UT without going first. I’ve always heard it described as the desert version of Yosemite, and that description is dead on. Zion Canyon and the Yosemite Valley have the exact same feel in that you just can’t stop gawking at the enormous rock walls that completely surround the tranquil valley meadows you are traveling through. If you haven’t visited these Parks, go!

Alison and I enjoyed three hikes during our stay. New Years Eve, we arrived in Zion in the early afternoon, so we did a couple easy day hikes to stretch our legs and get some scenery. We did the Emerald Pools loop, followed by the Riverside Walk. Emerald Pools is a little nook in the huge sandstone faces along Zion Canyon that contains a serious of little green watered ponds. Very scenic, but then again, everything in Zion is. Riverside Walk is pretty much a freeway of people. It’s a paved sidewalk hike that strolls along the famed Virgin River back to the end of the Narrows. The Narrows are the reason we hiked this trail. It’s an extremely famous slot canyon that is apparently one of the best overnight backpacking trips one can take. The Riverside Walk takes you to the place you exit the Narrows after backpacking it, and we wanted to take a peak. Sadly, you really can’t see any of the real narrow sections from this little hike. You’ve got to get wet and hike up the river, which we couldn’t do without dry suits in this season. We’re putting the Narrows on our life list of outdoor goals. We’ll be back. New Years Day brought us to Hidden Canyon, a strenuous day hike up a trail I’ll just describe as “adventurous”. It was pretty nuts in some spots, as it is in part of Zion Canyon that doesn’t get much direct sun this time of year, so the trail was covered in packed snow. Slippery. Next time I hike Zion in the winter I’m packing crampons for sure. Anyhow, the Hidden Canyon Trail follows many many switchbacks up the Zion Canyon’s East Rim until it reaches the hanging canyon it is named for. A hanging canyon is a smaller canyon that is located high up on the side of a bigger canyon that it drains into. It’s cool. Many parts of the hike involved traversing snowy ledges high above the canyon floor. The Park Service has added chains to hold onto for protection, or I would not have led us up without crampons in the winter conditions. (I get out there, but I’m no fool.) Anyhow, the Hidden Canyon was well worth the trip up. We traveled a ways up it (the official trail ends upon reaching the canyon, and then becomes an unmaintained backcountry route), and then had to return due to time restraints. Pesky night time. I didn’t feel like coming down icy switchbacks via headlamp and no crampons or rope. Anyhow, it was a good adventure. If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend Zion National Park. And no, you don’t have to hang off of any cliffs to enjoy it. Just sit in the main canyon and be amazed. You could do it all day. Anyhow, Happy New Year from Ben and Alison!