Zion – Mighty and Majestic

Zion National Park – mighty, majestic, powerful, and serene. So many different types, shapes, and colors of rocks. From Checker Board Mt, to the Court of the Patriarchs (named Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob),   to the Alter of Sacrifice with its blood red stripe. All unique.   We hiked about 5 miles round trip to the Grotto and all three Emerald Pools – lower, middle, and upper- and then relaxed by the river. Whoa that’s chilly water.

Waterfalls, stunning from a distance and more so when you climbed up to see them up close and personal.                                                                           That’s me under the falls                  

 

 

 

 

The mist was so refreshing after a steep climb.        What a treat to look over the valleys through the falls.  The scientist who study water, hydrologist, say it takes 1200 years for the water to seep through the mountains and out to form these falls. Strange to think we had 1200 year old water spraying and dripping on us.

A short, but beautiful, hike brought us to see Weeping Rock with her hanging gardens.  Look at how these plants grow hanging off the sides of the mountains.

I did not tell you about our trip into Zion. What an experience. First of all, there are tunnels, two of them.  The 1st we could drive through with no problem. The second is another story. We had to pay $15 to go on a rollercoaster, I mean to go through the tunnel.  Why $15 you ask, because we are wide and the tunnel is not. Traffic had to be stopped on the other side so you could go through this one mile long tunnel, through solid rock, without having a head on collision. This was once the longest tunnel of this type in the world. When driving through, you had better stay in the middle or you will hurt yourself. After you make it out alive you have the most gorgeous drive but the road is narrow, switch backs are plentiful, and guard rails are not. We had to detach Hooptie prior to entering the tunnel. Good thing too, with the hair pin turns we did not need to pull her too. Tommy drove the RV and I took Hooptie. This is what it looked like from behind the wheel in the RV. Whoa! How did he get this machine down? This is the 2nd road, the 1st being being on Rt 89A into Sedona, that people look at you like you were crazy fools for taking your life in you own hands going on that road with an RV. In fact in Sedona and in Jerome, AZ there are T shirts in stores you can buy saying you survived the 89A drive.

Later in the evening we had to take Hooptie back up that road just to see the scenery again. I drove up, Tommy down. This way we both had a chance to really look. How can you describe this?  Not only the gigantic mountains but you have valleys of rock as well. Some look like sand and you realize it’s solid rock. They say some rock is over 3000 feet thick.

Zion, for me, is by far my favorite place that I have seen. I realized being here that I prefer being “in” the mountains. At Bryce and Grand Canyon, both spectacular, you are on top looking into the canyon. At Zion you are in the canyon. The mountains are like arms gently wrapping themselves around you, keeping you warm and safe. Awesome and amazing are such over used words today, a catch phrase for everything like neat, cool, dig it, and far out was in the past. But Zion is awesome, leaving you in awe of her majesty and grace, forever changing a piece of you inside for having the privilege of see her.