Zion

We landed in the somewhat familiar territory of Springdale, Utah and Zion National Park. We had been to Zion twice before, but the weather is great and we have a few things we want to do there.

We re-establish the camping routines and decide to hike the West Rim Trail. It is the longest day hike I have ever attempted - 16+ miles, but most of the elevation is down. Like 5000 feet down. For some reason, Wilson thought it would be a cool shot, if he held himself up by a small tree while peering down an 1800 foot cliff into the Virgin River canyon. Around mile 10 - I suspect that I may have a blister brewing. I put it out of my mind and enjoy the fall colors as we begin our rapid decent into the valley. The maples are spectacular!

The final two miles are a relentless descent on a paved path. Our joints are begging for mercy, but we push on.

The next day, we will take it easy! We'll ride the bikes in the valley and go on a photo safari. Here are some of the highlights:


We spotted a very rare California condor. This bird has an eight foot wing span. And we later learned that it's the rarest bird on the world, only 156 are known to live in the wild.
Zion is one of my favorite places. The park system does a nice job there, making it a pleasant place to be.