Wednesday evening the weather turned cold and wet, equally so. We toasted hot dogs while dodging rain drops. As the evening progressed, our dinner was interrupted by a hail storm. This did not bode well. We hurried for cover under the restroom eaves and waited out the worst of the storm. Good news is that the tent withstood the storm and it was dry in there! A quick trip into town to replace the our stove lighter and find some foot warmers for yours truly was the high point of the evening. The low was looking at the next day's forecast for rain and snow. ugh.
Thursday October 21 was to have been our last day of hiking in Bryce. We wanted to do the Navajo Loop Trail, a steep trail ending at what's called Wall Street, a narrow canyon where we would have found two 500 year old Douglas firs happily growing. That will have to wait for our next trip. The rain held off long enough for us to have a quick breakfast and pack up.
Westward ho! Onward to warmer weather! Zion here we come!
We were extremely glad to be leaving the cold at the higher altitude.
Entering Zion from the east was beautiful. The sliprock sandstone formations, the hairpin turns on the road and the 1.1 mile tunnel offered what will be some fond memories. Luckily, there were ample spots in the South Campground, and we selected a prime spot close to everything including the shuttle system that you use to get around.
The rain stayed with us all day and night. Again, the fates smiled on us and turned off the spigot until the tent was up. Once we were all set, the spigot opened full force! We trekked into Springdale, the symbiotic town adjacent to Zion (much nicer than Moab), and found some supplies. The only available shower was also located down the road. $5 will get you smelling less like the cattle we see in the distance. Cooking dinner in a downpour can be challenging, but I persevered and served Fred some perfectly cooked pork loin. Still don't know how I managed that one!
Today, Saturday, was rainy in the morning, and cloudy for the rest of the day. We took the shuttle up canyon, and walked the riverwalk to the Narrows. We were contemplating the Narrows hike, an unmarked trail that requires special wet gear you can rent, but due to the inclement weather and large amount of rain, the trail is closed. Darn those flash floods!
We hiked all three of the Emerald Pools. It was a great hike that tuckered us both out. We passed numerous waterfalls that feed the pools, and the lowest one we were able to walk behind. Much red mud on the hiking boots. Poor Fred's car is more red than black these days!
Tomorrow is a challenging hike to Angel's Landing. I won't go all the way up because of some very sheer drop offs, and very little safety things to cling to. I will try to go up to the first place where the chains start. I have learned some interesting things about exploring these parks. If there are chains involved on a hike, it's one that I'll chicken out of. Not so my trustworthy and agile partner.
Thankfully the rain has stopped. We're hoping it will not rain tonight, so the tent might have a chance to dry out. It was pretty wet this morning when we awoke.
Partly sunny is the forecast for Sunday. Angel's Landing and other adventures await!
A day without your blog is like a day with out sunshine. Somehow the analogy doesn't match your weather. Sure hope you start getting some clear skies!
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