We headed to Utah and boondocked in the parking lot of an out-of-business diner. The desert in these parts is flat and boring… so we were grateful to find a “town” to stop in before heading to Zion. I got to taste my first Polygamy Porter (it is tasty, and has a hilarious tag line!), and had good Mexican food as well. All in all, a win in my book!
We were up early and headed to Zion, only to be turned away from the campground. (Apparently, arriving at 9am for 11am check out is not enough time to guarantee a spot!). According to my handy Atlas, there was a National Monument about an hour and a half away that sat at 10,000 feet above sea level, and had a couple of campgrounds, so we headed towards Cedar Breaks. The campground was breathtaking… alpine meadows full of wildflowers, and Juniper trees all around (though many have been killed by some pesky beetles, but are on the way to growing back already.)
When we woke up in the morning, it was 46 degrees out. It was awesome! And the afternoon high was about 72 degrees. Perfect camping weather!
We headed back south for Zion again, and hopped on a bus to head for the last stop on the tram route, and the Riverwalk Trail, aka the gateway to the Narrows.
Thanks to my brand new trekking poles, and my 15 year old Chacos, we took the hike of a lifetime. We probably only did about four miles round trip, but it was so incredible! There’s nothing like hiking IN a river, with sheer rock walls on either side of the “trail.”
Zion was HOT… like 104 degrees hot when we left, so other than the Narrows hike, we didn’t spend that much time in the park, and the sun didn’t help my photos, but it was a truly memorable day.
(photos coming later!!!)
Teardrops & Ales 