Last Day with Rodney

We found one more hike on the Bow Valley Parkway for Rodney and then drove back to Banff. We had lunch at the Spaghetti Factory (Rodney’s favorite). We went shopping for 20 minutes on Banff Ave for shirts, etc. so Rodney could find last-minute souvenirs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bow Valley Parkway, Take Two

After Mari left, we headed back to Bow Valley Parkway, which was closed last night when we tried to see animals at dusk. Mari's shuttle was late and we decided to wait with her, but now we've missed seeing animals at dawn. But there were still plenty of photo opps and fun times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A photo of Lambie's ancester. . . a true bighorn sheep.

 

 

 

 

Hike to Lower Falls of Johnston Canyon

Hoping to see wildlife but no luck. Instead found Johnson Canyon and a great waterfall at the end of a nice hike. Met Susan M. Stephens Davis and her family. She and her six children (plus her mom and aunt) are on an inspiring and exciting journey. Safe journeys new friends!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Running Eagle Falls

We drove to Glacier National Park to scope out sunrise photos and check out the scenery. Running Eagle Falls was one of the areas near Two Medicine Lake. We actually stopped twice. The first time, we didn't see the falls, but we did see the crystal clear water and the multiple colors of rocks. The second time we went down a different trail and actually made it to the falls.

Zion Day 3--Canyon Overlook Hike

From ZionNational-Park.com: "The Canyon Overlook Trail is one of Zion's classics that is well advertised by the park. The trailhead is located immediately east of the 1.1 mile long tunnel. It begins with charming steps, carved into sandstone, that climb above the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel. The winding trail travels along Pine Creek Canyon, a popular canyoneering route and the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel. It is a short and easy hike ending at the edge of a cliff that allows a glorious view of lower Zion Canyon, including Zion's famous Switchbacks, the Beehives, West Temple, East Temple, Towers of the Virgin and the Streaked Wall. If you are looking for a high elevation viewpoint, but do not want to tackle a grueling trail like Observation Point, then the Canyon Overlook Trail is ideal. There are lots of hoodoos and wild flowers along the trail that make it fun for kids but keep your children close to you and safe while hiking in Zion." That pretty much describes it though at the time we didn't know what a hoodoo was.
Distance: 1-mile round-trip
Average Hiking Time: 1 hour round-trip
Difficulty: Easy for most adults, moderate for young kids.  There are some exposed cliffs.
Sun Exposure: Full sun in most places.
Elevation Gain: 163', which is a moderately, easy climb after the initial elevation.
Peak: 5300'
Trail Conditions: Expect a well maintained path that is mostly sandstone with some packed dirt sections. This hike is tolerable during the hottest parts of a summer day, but it is best enjoyed in the morning or late evenings that time of year. Sand or moisture on the trail may make it slippery. Do not hike this trail if it is wet, raining or lightening.

The sign at the trailhead:

Here we are inside a cave/opening looking out. The trail went right by the front of this opening.

At the top:

The sign telling us what we were looking at:

After this hike, we stopped at a scenic overlook, fixed some sandwiches for lunch, and ate in the car enjoying fresh air and beautiful scenery through the windows.

Zion Day 2--Hiking the Narrows

On National Geographic's list of America's Top 100 Adventures is to hike The Narrows at Zion. There are two ways to do it...from the "top" take the 16-mile hike that requires a permit or "from the bottom" and just venture up as far as you want to and go back to where you started. National Geographic is probably referencing the first approach since their list is fairly extreme and includes heli-skiing, surfing, climbing, biking, and paddling. But the second approach from the bottom is still incredible and that's the one we took.

National Geographic describes it beautifully. The canyon "winds voluptuously through the crimson sandstone, in some spots stretching 2,000 feet (610 meters) high and narrowing to 20 feet (6 meters). Lush hanging gardens spring from the walls, stately ponderosa pines grow in nooks, and the water can turn a shade of turquoise that perfectly contrasts with the cliffs’ deep terra-cotta hues. The hike isn’t necessarily a cakewalk, however: For more than half the time, hikers walk in the Virgin River, which can be waist-high, and negotiate cobbles as large and slippery as bowling balls."

We took the shuttle from its first stop (the Visitor's Center right by our campground) to its last stop, Temple of Sinawava--about a 45-minute ride. From there you walk the mile-long Riverside Walk, a paved walkway that goes alongside the Virgin River. At the end of Riverside Walk is a place where you can start your wading in the river.

I forgot to bring my new hiking poles. After about three steps in the water, I knew that was a mistake. Almost immediately, a nice young man walking towards me, who was obviously just finishing his journey through the narrows, offered me his walking stick. "You'll need it," he said. The nice young woman who was walking with him offered hers to Rodney. Oh goodness! He was so right! Did I ever use that walking stick!! A couple of times, I got to thinking that I probably would've bent my hiking poles and this big stick was a much better solution.

There is no set path to follow. You look at hikers ahead of you and decide if you want to go that same route or not. At least a third of the time, there was no choice but to wade in the water as the river went from canyon wall to canyon wall. But sometimes there was a little shore line to walk on and sometimes you crossed the river to get to another shore line on the other side.

After about an hour and a half, I could feel my energy draining and I knew no matter how far in we hiked, that was exactly how far we had to hike back out. So we found this nice rock and I soaked up sunshine and enjoyed the beauty of The Narrows while resting. Meanwhile, Rodney hiked further up the river, then came back and picked me up and we made the return trip together.

At the end of the trip, I was looking for someone to pass my hiking stick on to, but there weren't many people starting their adventure that late in the day. We did, however, at the end, see a collection of walking sticks leaning up against a ledge, so we put our sticks in the collection for tomorrow's adventurers.

Though paved and pretty level, I think the mile hike on dry land on Riverside Walk back to the shuttle was the hardest part of the trip LOL.

It was definitely a grand adventure to add to the bucket list. (Who knew to put it on there in the first place?) And now I can cross it off. Would I do it again? You betcha!

Zion Day 1--Emerald Pools Hike

Now that we're settled into our campsite, it's time to head out to Zion. You can't drive in the park, so we took the shuttle bus (the visitors' center is very close to the campground) and picked the Emerald Pools Trail for our first hike.

Arches at Night

One of the options for an evening event here in Arches was a Ranger program on star gazing. I would've loved to have gone to that, but it didn't involve a hike and it was pretty cloudy that day, so we thought the star gazing might've been a little obstructed. There was no way to feasibly do both in the same night, so we chose hiking to Delicate Arch at sunset. We made the right choice!

We drove back through the park again on the same road we took yesterday, but in the later light (it's now 2 hours before sunset instead of late afternoon), it already looks different. Check out the Three Gossips:


The hike to Delicate Arch is described on climb-utah.com's website: "The first part of the hike is on a wide and well defined trail that leads to the base of a steep sandstone hill also known as slickrock. Once you have begun hiking on the slickrock you must follow cairns (stacks of rocks) as the route slowly climbs over the sandstone hill. The route is well traveled and easy to follow. As you near Delicate Arch you will pass Frame Arch on your right. The arch is often used as a picture frame for photographing Delicate Arch. Just before you reach Delicate Arch the trail follows an impressive 200 yard ledge which was blasted from the sandstone. Just past the ledge you will reach Delicate Arch."
Length: 1.5 miles One-Way.
Time: 1 1/4 hours One-Way.
Trailhead: 4,300'
Arch Elevation: 4,800'
Skill Rating: Easy, there is nothing difficult.
Season: Year Round
Equipment: None
Water: 2 liters per person.
Difficulties: None.
Circle Trip: No, Out and Back

As an out-of-shape old lady, I choose to differ with their opinion that "there is nothing difficult." The 1.25 hours one-way description is fairly accurate but that 500 foot climb was a bit much. Lots of panting and stopping to consume some of that 2 liters of water. I brought my new hiking poles (thank you, Rodney!) and was glad to have them.

Was it worth it? Oh yes!! "Delicate Arch has become the unofficial symbol of Utah.  Towering eighty feet over hikers, Delicate Arch is one of the highlights of Arches National Park and is possibly the most beautiful arch in the world. This arch needs to be experienced in person to be really appreciated." The view along the way on the hike was great, too.

Obviously, we weren't the only ones who made the hike. And we're not even at the height of tourist season. Rodney described the crowd as paparazzi. That was exactly what it felt like...and we were part of it. 

                                                                               

The lighting at sunset is just spectacular. Also, look at the mountains in the background through the arch. Those are the La Sal mountains and that is fresh snow on the peaks.

The climb back down was uneventful and much easier than the climb up. We had our flashlights but didn't need them. We left a little before complete sunset because the good photo ops were over and we wanted to get a head start on the big crowd. There was enough light in the evening dusk to make it back to the car.

We were so tired but also hungry, so we drove to Moab and found a cute little place--The Moab Brewery. The homemade root beer was fabulous as was the service. Fortunately, the drive back to camp wasn't too long.