Day 124: Angel's Landing, Amazing, dangerous hike, The Human History Museum

Thursday 7th April 

Early cold start

Shuttle bus

Hike through scrub, switchbacks, onto ridge.

Scrambling with chains along narrow rocky crest, deadly cliffs on either side

Up onto the top, getting a 360' view of the park

Climb down as temperatures get increasingly hot-lots more people coming up in the midday heat

Buy a National Park Passport

Lunch and nap time

Human History Museum/ propaganda/ over the top American dramatisation of the park video

Australian style burgers

S'mores by the fire

Distance:

Total Distance:

Being just before sunrise and in a canyon it wasn't too warm in camp at 6:30am. For once I had my long trousers on, a thermal top, a couple of layers, and my light rain jacket. The reason for our early start was Angel's Landing- the best hike to do in Zion National Park, so long as conditions are perfect, one is fit and healthy, and you've no fear of heights. It's a little bit dangerous. 7 people died on it in the last 10 years. Good job the weather was looking good!

We caught the free shuttle bus through the park. A decent number of people were also up and about- not peak numbers, but enough to fill over half of the bus. On the hike we'd be with other people, but not surrounded as we would have been had we gone later in the day.

We started in the brush of the valley floor, taking a bridge over the Virgin River and followed the concrete path through this scrub. Slowly we rose up to see the meandering river and thin trees below. The trail ascended along the valley wall towards the point where Angel's Landing meets it. 

Angel's Landing is a part of the edge of the valley which has not been pushed back in the same way that the rest of the valley wall has been. Thus it stands near to the centre of the valley, a little way down from where it broadens out. It is flanked by sheer cliffs and only remains attached to the walls by a thin ridge of rock. This must be traversed to get to the summit which offers spectacular 360' views of the park, looking down along its length and up towards its beginning. The steep cliffs either side of the access ridge, as well as the narrowness of the ridge itself, not to mention the old weathered sandstone one is standing on, are reason enough to not try this hike/climb in anything but perfect conditions.

We climbed into the gap between the ridge and the valley wall, finding a cold little valley with the path steadily going up. After a little while it cut back on itself giving access to the switchbacks that have been built to enable a slightly easier climb to the top of the ridge. After about 20 turns we were up onto an open area of sand and bushes. It was getting much warmer now so we joined many others in removing layers and preparing for the second half of the ascent. 

The paved trail gives way to a warn estimate of a path on the sandstone, with a little guidance and safety provided by a chain running at 3 feet off the floor. It's not all hands and feet work, but it certainly feels safer and easier that way.

We passed by our first point where the cliffs left and right dug in leaving only a narrow 3 foot strip of rock to walk on. I couldn't help let out a ne vous laugh. It's a long way down.

Between getting used to the sight of the drops of death and the ridge widening we got used to such issues. There were obese people, family's with young kids, people running the whole thing- if those idiots can do it, so can I! 

Personally, as someone who used to be heavily involved with rock climbing at university, I really enjoyed this hike. It was a slow, steady, yet fun and dangerous way to spend a sunny morning.

We all made it to the top eventually. The views were breathtaking. We just sat for a little while taking it all in. Photos were then taken, and our snacks unloaded for morning tea (minus the tea). Then the scroungers arrived. A few Chipmunks, tiny little animals, as well as a couple of squirrels, were skulking around the top of Angel's Landing. They wouldn't wait nor beg for anything. Instead they just sniffed around, darting under people's legs. I never saw one do it but no doubt they were looking for any scraps of crumbs we might drop. I imagine even a crumb is a significant meal for something smaller than my mobile phone.

All done and with the temperature rising we headed down. As we walked the numbers (and weight) of people climbing increased. I don't know how many managed to comets it that day but there were a multitude trying to get through the midday heat complaining bitterly whilst not even being half way up. It's good that they're trying and it's good that they're out- but its foolish to try something so hard in roasting heat with only a litre of water and a camera.

Back at the visitor centre I bought a National Parks' Passport. These are little booklets with information about the parks with a space to put stickers and stamps as one visits each location. My friend from San Diego, Sarah, told me about these and it seems fitting to try to mark what I do with one- even if we're only hitting a tiny fraction of the best parks.

Lunch and a nap in the sun for an hour before two of us decided to use our afternoon to check out the park's Human History Museum. Which was interesting. Lots of pictures, a few words in big font, that's the American Infromation Centre way, it seems. Also limited look into American Indian lives here- although their visits were limited at the time when Europeans arrived. We watched the 22 minute "orientation" video meant to introduce us to the park. It was written in a very American way- many many adjectives (like I wrote as a 14 year old before being reprimanded by my English teacher), simplifications of everything, concentrating on the beautiful aspects of the park, not on the facts of how it was formed or who has ever lived here. The formation of the park and the Native Americans only got a few lines of recognition during the whole thing. It was very entertaining and very American- so I enjoyed it as a tourist, but we'd never make anything so garish in the UK!

This evening's meal surprised and amazed our tour guide. We made Australian/New Zealand style hamburgers. Additions to beef burger and cheese include fried egg, beetroot, tomato, lettuce, mayonnaise and fried onions. We could have included pineapple if we'd had some. Instead a couple of us chose to add a little American hot sauce. After one everyone was struggling. With two we barely had room for s'mores.

Having invented the marshmallow, then invented roasting them on a campfire, some greedy, sugar-laced American invented S'mores. Roasted marshmallow with chocolate (melted by its hot friend) between two thin sweet crackers/biscuits. So sweet, so sugary. We decided, after two, that one was really enough. S'more S'mores are too much for our savoury palettes.

Day 123: Las Vegas Buffet Breakfast, Zion National Park, Emerald Pools

Wednesday 6th April 

Finally got a Buffet Breakfast in Las Vegas- like Christmas Day! Loved it.

Travelled through Nevada, Arizona, and into Utah (via state check point)

Into Zion National Park- a massively huge sandstone valley. Bigger than you'd believe.

National Park visitor centre

Shuttle Bus

Paved path up to Emerald Pools

Camping with American style tents

American gas cooker/lamp

Distance:

Total Distance:

"All you can eat" "Breakfast" "Buffet" "$7" "They have smoked salmon"

I ate about half a fish. No brown bread, no cream cheese, just a little lemon juice and a fork.

The coffe was awful but orange juice was also free. 

And there was everything else too- croissants, bacon, 3 types of melon, something like a spring roll but filled with cream and covered in a strawberry sauce.

Problem with all you can eat is, when you've had the buffet last night too, you're not as hungry as one could be. So only one American sized plate for me, and I didn't even quite finish that.

But fear not! We're going hiking!

We passed through Nevada, a little of Arizona, and into the state of Utah. We were heading for the stunning Zion National Park- a valley formed as the Virgin River rubbed away at the raised sandstone Colorado Plateau. The cliffs, columns, and mesas left behind are unbelievably big. The rock is a sandstone laced with impurities, primarily iron, giving it the red colour, as well as its yellows and whites. The colour reminded me of Uluru (although the red there is from a covering of desert sand, the rock itself is grey). This felt more impressive though.

We parked up the bus just outside the park at our campground. Here we set up the tents we would be using. They are a modern version of those toblerone shaped tents all American movies and cartoons have. The sort I've never seen anywhere else. Being tents that will be carried in a trailer, not on my back, they were far larger and more robust than my usual accommodation. About 8feet long, 4 feet wide at the base, and nearly 5 feet in the centre. I could nearly stand up in it! Plus, with only four in our group, we have 14 sleeping/yoga mats to go around. Even sleeping on these rocks we should be fairly comfy.

We went into the park. It was fairly busy, but later in the afternoon at this point so becoming quiet. American National Parks are strange places after having been to the equivalent in the UK, NZ, and Australia. In all of these places efforts are made to bring people in and make the most of the space in an active manner. People hike, mountain bike, ride horses, go canyoning, swimming, rock climbing, camping, bird watching- it's a natural theme park for peoe wanting to go outside and make the most of both nature and their lives. People can go nearly anywhere in these places and are often invited to do so, within their own personal limits.

The Nationql Parks of the USA by comparison feel more like giant Botanic Gardens. To much an extent they seem to be a federal business enterprise. They advertise widely via being in to documentaries, movies, and drama series. 4th graders are given free access to the parks and at this young age taught how to respect the space whilst enjoying it. The majority of parks have good access roads (compared to NZ or Aus) making it easy for people to come in what ever transportation they have, including giant RV/mobile homes. With all of these people wanting to come visit the parks can charge significant entree fees- Zion was $50 for a day, $80 for a year pass. These fees pay for the Rangers- who are federal cops- advertising, signage, facilities, a free shuttle bus that prevents hordes of cars blocking up the roads, and maintenance of the park. With so many people, and to make access easier, the park only has a relatively small number of hiking routes. It is drilled into visitors to never leaver these paths so as to maintain these places, which is fair given what could happen if thousands of boots tore up the land every day. This seems very effective as the pristine wilderness creeps right up to the edge of the walk ways. Visitors are also made well aware that feeds animals is bad for everyone, as is any interaction with them. This doesn't stop the chipmunks and squirrels knowing that flaky granola bars and trail mix are liable to drop the odd treat around picnickers. Yet it also means that most animals don't view humans as any form of threat. Thus the big eared Mule Deer will happily stand grazing as the hikers walk by.

It's fair and reasonable that the National Parks are maintained in perfection and enable thousands to see such landscapes everyday.

But there's part of me that doesn't find it as fun as the wilderness of UK/NZ/Aus. There's a lot fewer people though so those 3 hikers per day probably aren't eroding the landscape on unpaved muddy tracks. Likewise emptying last nights stale beer or Coke onto some tree roots once a year is simply going to feed the local ant colony. However if a tenth of the Americans who visit these parks did such a thing the place would be over run with ants!

At first I wasn't too sure about the National Parks. They seemed too constrained and uneventful compared to other places. The purpose of them is different however, and it seems fitting that they are run as they are. A museum of North America's geology and a botanic garden rolled into one whilst trying to teach the public here how to look after a place. 

I just wish they'd take the messages of don't litter and look after the environment back into the city with them!

We made use of Zion's infrastructure that evening. Taking the free shuttle bus we went down to the start of the paved track to the Emerald Pools. These are comparative puddles, filled with green slime, compared to their namesakes in New Zealand. The walk was nice though, under a long waterfall, through woodland, over rocks, up cliffs. We even saw a number of the park's Mule Deer- small shaggy coated, big eared, deer, there were a few does and a couple of calves. We'd even see a mother and child pair carefully fording a shallow river later. 

That evening we cooked dinner on the gas stove. Light was provided by gas lamps attached above the gas tanks. In the days of electric lamps, especially solar ones, I feel like this is inefficient and a poor use for a fossil fuel. But this is 'Merica, and it's what they do.

At least we had marshmallows for the camp fire later on that evening.