Zion National Park
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Angels Landing Zion National Park |
April 20, 2010
Last year I promised myself a revisit to this, my second-most-favorite
trail. It is twenty degrees warmer and quite a bit greener this time around.
Getting started
In the distance I can see the slanted cutout blasted from the cliff to facilitate the route. Along the way are numerous flower types, including some gorgeous red and purple paintbrush that I have not seen previously.
The trail looms above
Incense Cedar Mistletoe
Northwestern Indian Paintbrush
Beautiful trail
This is the first time in my three trips here that water has been flowing in the canyon.
Refrigerator Canyon is a cool respite to the switchbacks
Starting up the north end
Scout Lookout and its viewpoint
Many hikers are content to stop here, being reluctant to continue for one reason or another, and that's just fine. Two people fell and died here last year; one slipped off the trail for an undisclosed reason, and the other did something imprudent on the summit. "A man's got to know his limitations", I am told.
Dozens of hardy souls are making the effort today, however, to conquer Razorback Ridge.
Check out the climbers up close ⇔
This is the scariest part
Nifty stairs
Three women have gathered here at the big stairstep, proclaiming that
when the chain stopped, so did they. "But it's only 800 feet
down on one side, and 1,200 feet on the other!" I chide.
Chains advisde
It is somewhat crowded today
The summit is achieved easily enough, with just a few stops for breathers. I seem to be in better condition than when I visited last year, which is good; for I am planning to tackle Half Dome just a month from now.
The true summit of Angels Landing, in front of the West Rim
Summit northward view
Summit southward view
The resident rodents are relatively fearless; they scurry around, under, and even over the tops of hikers stopped for a lunch break. Although feeding them is illegal, it is certain that they get plenty of handouts anyway.
Summit panhandlers
Greenleaf Manzanita
Wavyleaf Paintbrush
A hiker couple en route from Florida to their summer digs in British Columbia are happy to take my photograph, just to show that I am not faking all the hikes that I write about.
Ted the Conqueror
Looking down at the landing imparts a feeling of accomplishment.
Scout Lookout is in the center of the picture
Somehow the scenery always is different on the return leg. Careful footwork remains critically important, however.
Looking both up and down, from the same spot
Back at the scary stairstep
A previously unnoticed arch underneath the trail
Safely back at Scout Lookout, I descend the 21 switchbacks
of the famous Walters Wiggles.
Walters Wiggles
Natural cliff art
Refrigerator Canyon formations
A sighting of the park lodge indicates that my journey is nearly complete.
Down the switchbacks
Trail maintenance workers head for home at day's end
The Great White Throne
§: Last year it was cold and crowded on this trail, but I still gave the trek a rating of 9. Today the weather was good and the traffic was quite tolerable. What more need be said? This hike is in a class of its own.
View more about this trail and its history here:
| Scenery |  |
| Difficulty |  |
| Personality | |
| Solitude |  |
