ZION .....where angels fear to tread

or as my pal Rick Nelson would say .... Fools Rush In

Zion is about an hour from Bryce ….. you just drive down SR9 … and there you are . They couldn't be more different however . Bryce you climb down among these HooDoos ( which remind me of those sandcastles I used to make on the beach with all the drippy stuff ) …. its like a big amphitheater  .

the Bucci hard at work

Zion has these towering monoliths and mountains that go straight up . Awe inspiring .

ZION

I came in through the east entrance . There are a couple of tunnels you have to go through . If you are pulling something wide be prepared to pony up 15 dollars extra and have them stop traffic so you can go through the mile long tunnel by yourself . Ha !

Zion was zoo zoo crowded . Like Yosemite in the summer . I was fortunate to get a camp site (showing up at 11 a.m.  ! ) The camp hosts were really nice and maneuvered one my way . 

I was only there 36 hours but wore myself out with a hike up to Angels Landing and then the West Rim Trail . Being a type A runner I had to make a workout out of it …. but even though I felt good …. I could NOT do the last 200 yards . Totally scared out of my skull . Tight wire going up at a 45 degree angle . Too afraid to even get my camera out of the water bottle pocket . Turned around and crept back to the junction with my tail between my legs . A college x-country runner who was in front of me did the same thing . She was so pissed at herself she RAN back down after getting safely back to the trail . Very steep, bad footing in parts and at least 50 switchbacks . I wasn't up for that kind of insanity so I found another trail , safer , but still going up.

There are alot of pix ..... just can't edit this place

entrance to climb

first series of switchbacks go up that face !

then a level 800m in the slot

up the red sandstone

then the white sandstone

great white throne

checkerboards

up high

... and looking down

thats angels landing

if you zoom in ...

you can see people on top

I quit 1/4 of the way up the 2nd riser

looking down the trail

.... way down the trail

Did a nice 5 mile run along the river in the morning and headed out !