The first trip after lockdown led us to Zion National Park, Utah.
Zion National Park in Utah has a long and rich cultural heritage. Mormon pioneers and American Natives used to reside in the area. Red rocky mountains, whose history dates back to a time when Zion was still close to sea level.
The diverse Zion is home to hundreds of species of animals and plants. Over the four days, we saw a turkey, a snake, deer, California condors, chipmunks, lizards, and ground squirrels. One of Zion’s best-known animal species is the endangered cougar.
Hiking in a hot and new environment required preparation. Before the trip, I had time to train for a couple of months and get used to the intense sun. I replaced my previous hiking shoes to trail running shoes, which helped in such a demanding environment.
The right kind of shoes really makes hiking a much more pleasant experience. Good grip on the shoes helped with supporting my knees and ankles when going down the steep and sandy trails.
05:00: Departure before sunrise
The clock was still in California time 4:30. Our friend knocked on our window. We woke up in a fright and realized we had slept too long. The alarm clock should have rung half an hour ago. In the light of the headlamp, we drank coffee and ate breakfast, dressed in a hurry, and set off. Fortunately, all equipment and lunch had been put in place the night before.
The turkey had decided to settle in the middle of the road without moving, and the excitement intensified to see if we could get there on time before park rangers closed the gates. Eventually, we reached the beginning of the trail at 06:30 and managed to get the last parking space. Otherwise, we would have walk 13 kilometers from the camp to the beginning of the trail because no shuttles were running during the COVID-19. Many had the same intentions as we did, to avoid rush hour and scorching heat.
Angels Landing
We did the final check of the route and started hiking 4 kilometers towards the top. Less than an hour later, we climbed the last steep bend and arrived at the top. In front of us opened an incredible landscape far into the valley. The sun was just rising and the fog was still fading.
The last section of the Angels Landing route was closed due to COVID-19. The steep and narrow ascent to the highest point of the summit was equipped with a small wire bolted to the ground with a drop of 460 meters. We heard that the name Angels Landing comes from a story that only angels were able to land to the highest point of the summit.
One local suggested that we could continue our journey to another hiking trail, West Rim. We walked through the cliffs and into the forest that led us towards the next mountain. The rest of the road was narrow and we were already really high, the altitude was more than 1000 meters. No wires this time, we needed to focus only on looking ahead.
The energy was running out due to the heat, high narrow trails, and the constant climbing. Fortunately, Bryan encouraged when part of the team was already ready to turn back. The next route had significantly fewer crowds. We met some friendly hikers who said that we were almost there and a natural spring would be waiting for us. When we reached the top, we watched with a laugh at a small muddy puddle. We were relieved, ate our lunch, and started the hike back.
Towards the end, we really started to feel all the climbed kilometers. There were still left two long downhills and one uphill in between. We were not able to stop anymore because the legs were so numb. After 20 kilometers and about 7 hours, we got back to the starting point.
Nothing felt as good as taking shoes off, opening a cold drink, and jumping into an icy river to swim.
Endless Horizon 