The Mighty Five - Part Two

Day Nine - We left Moab this morning while Doug drove the motorhome and I followed in our rental car. This seemed the easiest way for us to have a car and still make the loop around all the parks and it is working great. We drove 100 miles south on UT 191 to Bluff, UT; population 380. The town has 4 RV parks, one gas station, one operating restaurant, and the Bluff Fort Historic site. It is a cute western town situated in between sandstone bluffs and the San Juan River. Cadillac Ranch, our RV Park, is right across the street from the Bluff Fort Historic site so after lunch we went to check it out. This town was settled by a group of 250 Mormon pioneers who traveled 250 miles through almost impassable terrain to establish a settlement between two Indian nations – the Navajo and Ute tribes. They spent 6 weeks creating a trail through a hole in the rock and lowered their 83 wagons 2000 feet to the Colorado River; even their guides thought it impossible. They survived this 6 month journey with 43 men, 29 women and 120 children. One story we heard spoke of a 30 minute pause on the journey while a woman gave birth and then they continued on. Wow! I can’t imagine what it took to persevere through this! Then they had to build shelter, find water, grow crops, raise children, and take care of livestock while trying to survive in this difficult area. The cemetery on top of the hill tells many stories of how hard life was. Then, we drove to Hovenweep National Monument. On the map it didn’t look that far. The map didn’t have road names on it, but it didn’t look too difficult – just a right turn, one left and the entrance was close by. Well, nothing is close by here. It was 11 miles to the first right turn and then 28 more miles on a road that sometimes was paved and then sometimes not. We saw sheep grazing, wild horses, open grazing cattle, and a few homes in the distance with fences around them. I think the fence was to keep the cattle out of the yard. We finally arrived at the National Monument. The area was made a monument in 1923 and it is pretty remote. Doug and I enjoyed the 2 mile walk around the canyon as we observed the stone buildings. The ancient Pueblo people had found a way to survive and thrive in this area. I envisioned children running up and down the canyon while adults warned them about the rattlesnakes. The rangers had also warned us about the rattlesnakes so I was careful to look before I stepped or put my hands on any rock. Thankfully, no rattlesnakes today; just lizards and squirrels.

Natural Bridges Hike

Day Ten - We spent most of the day at Natural Bridges National Monument. This small park is about 60 miles from Bluff. The park has a one way 9 mile loop with several observation overlooks that led to the three main bridges in the park. We hiked to the base of each one of the bridges using steps carved into the rock and OLD wooden ladders made from cedar branches. It was a real experience to hike the mile and a half to the base of each of the bridges and then back up. We chose a different route home and drove back towards Bluff through the Muki Dugway. This state road (Utah 261) went from pavement to gravel and quickly down to 5 MPH with 10% grade through 12 back to back hairpin switchbacks to get us down the mountain. It was quite an experience as we were blessed with a breathtaking view of the valley of the gods.

Day Eleven - As we left Bluff and headed to Monument Valley the deep red rock and soil slowly gave way to more sagebrush and lighter red soil. We could see for miles and miles as we crested hills at 6000 feet and sunk into valleys at 4000 feet. The road signs said to watch for open range cattle, for horses, and for pedestrians, but our eyes were scanning the horizon for mule deer. The skies were brilliant blue and it was warming up nicely. The high for today should be around 93 degrees, but right now we are comfortable at 70. The light winds make this a great day to travel. We drive past the valley of the gods and glance at the buttes within the valley. A narrow, gravel road runs 17 miles through this park. We drove a little way through this area yesterday; now we head past it on our way to Monument Valley.

Driving through Monument Valley

Monument Valley is a 30,000 acre Tribal Park on Navajo land. No motorhomes are allowed on the 17 mile gravel road so we park the motorhome at the Visitor Center and head into the park crossing from Utah into Arizona. The new museum beckons us and we learn a bit about the history of the Navajo people, their service in WWII, and the land we were about to see. Traditionally, the Navajo people live in a domed, hexagon shaped building made out of wood and red earth. They are a very spiritual people. In WWII over 400 code talkers helped transmit messages using the Navajo language and they still didn’t have the right to vote. There is an unsettled feeling or remorse and regret that overcame us as we read history from their point of view. The earth is red, the brush a dusky green, and the deep red buttes are strikingly tall as they rise out of the plain. They all have names and a story as we slowly travel onto their sacred land. The wind began to pick up and dust swirled everywhere. Doug drove slowly around deep potholes, through inches of fine sand, while carefully missing rocks that threatened to hit underneath our car. The shapes of left mitten and right mitten were easily identified. The three sisters and totem pole stood out to us also. A few buttes were named for chieftains and movie producers. They were all quite beautiful and we stopped to look at them all. We discovered that many John Wayne movies were filmed here as well as Back to the Future III and Thelma and Louise. John Wayne even had a home built next to the Goulding’s Trading Post. The Trading Post was built in the 1930’s just a mile from the monuments and introduced the area to the rest of the world. Doug asked me a few days ago if I ever got hangry. I wasn’t sure until today when I got a bit edgy. We had been driving on the gravel road for about an hour when the wind really began to pick up with gusts up to 30 mph. We still had 125 miles to drive until our stop for tonight. I voted to forgo a 4 mile walk in the dusty, windy, hot park and head to Lake Powell. We stopped at the Goulding museum and grocery store and then got lunch. It wasn’t until after lunch that I realized that’s what hangry feels like. I will try to stay hydrated and keep a few snacks available to prevent another attack in the future. Doug expertly drove the motorhome over the mountains as the wind continued to blow with gusts up to 35 mph. I followed in the car. The scenery is amazing and totally unlike anything in Ohio. We dropped out of the mountains as we got closer to Lake Powell. Lake Powell has 2000 miles of shoreline filled with side canyons and the largest natural bridge in the world.

Horseshoe Bend and the Mighty Colorado

Day Twelve - The Glen Canyon Dam is what forms Lake Powell on the Colorado River. This hydro-electric dam supplies power and regulates water flow for 5 states. After our visit at the dam we drove to Horseshoe Bend and hiked to see where the Colorado River does a 270 degree bend. We carefully walked to the edge of the sandstone bluffs 500+ feet above the river. The drop offs are a bit intimidating. At one point Doug crawled up to the edge to get a couple pictures and had a death grip on his phone.  We left to hike to a place called Hanging Gardens. The green gardens grow because moisture is seeping out of the sandstone. I continued to watch for rattlesnakes and jumped a few times when lizards scurried out of the brush creating a rustling noise. We decided to head back to the marina on Lake Powell and rent Jet Skis for a couple hours to enjoy the narrow canyons from the water. We had been there yesterday to check out availability and they said this should not be a problem. When we arrived at the rental desk they said it was too windy and were not renting out any boats of any kind. We were a little bummed. I do have to admit the wind has been blowing at 30-40 mph since we have been here but we thought that was just normal. We found a place where we could take a quick swim - and I do mean quick. The water was a refreshing 61 degrees. It was still a beautiful place to soak in the sun because any day on the water is a good day.

Rocky Mountain Sunset in Antelope Canyon

Day Thirteen - I had been looking forward to this tour ever since I booked it in February. I was so excited that we stopped by Ken’s Canyon Tours the day we arrived in Page to confirm our reservation into the Lower Antelope Canyon. I didn’t want to miss it. I had read online that the best time to enter was at noon when the lighting would be directly overhead so I had booked an 11:30 am tour. Today the skies were clear with an occasional white puffy cloud. The weather was perfect. Our small group of 15 entered Lower Antelope Canyon at 11:20 am with our tour guide leading the way. I was a little concerned since there were quite a few groups ahead of us and we were all walking down towards a narrow canyon. Groups enter the canyon every 30 minutes all day long. During the busy season the wait to enter can take more than an hour while people walk the ¾ mile through the canyon, but according to our tour guide the crowds were not bad today. We reached the metal stairs as we climbed down 50 feet to the canyon floor. These were a nice improvement over a rope ladder that had been used by people when the canyon was first discovered. Instantly we were struck by the vibrant colors of the rock wall. Rushing water at over 150 miles an hour had carved the sandstone rock into this slot canyon. Flash floods continue to occur year after year during the summer monsoon season shaping and smoothing the sandstone walls. Doug and I marveled at the beauty all around us. The sun caused the sandstone to reflect all the striations and colors our eyes could take in. We took SO many pictures. Even our tour guide took photos for us. He told us the names of various rock formations – Lion, Fox, Bridal Arch – each one of them spectacular. At one point he took everyone’s camera, leaned against the rock, framed the picture using the chrome filter and said, “This photo sold for over 1.5 million dollars when it was first taken.” I am sure it wasn’t on a camera phone but still. It is a beautiful shot. The crowd of people disappeared around the corners and at times it was only Doug and I in a small open twist of the canyon. We couldn’t believe what we were experiencing. The hour and 15 minutes went so fast and it was time for us to exit the canyon. We couldn’t believe we were so blessed to have had this once in a lifetime experience. I couldn’t help but think these rocks continually sing praise to their creator. We sang his praises too! 

After our canyon tour we headed to the motorhome, grabbed lunch, and began our 140 mile drive to Virgin, UT. We laughed as we left Arizona, entered Utah, left Utah, entered Arizona, left Arizona, and entered Utah again. We drove through the lower section of Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument and plan to visit this park again when we get near Bryce in a few days. It is a really big park! The Navajo, Ute, and Piute tribal peoples all live in this area. The mountains came into view as we drove closer to Zion National Park. The purple hues of the mountains, the pale green grasses, the bright blue sky, and dark green trees brought spontaneous praise to my lips. God created all this – and it is very good.

Hiking the Narrows

Day Fourteen - We spent the day at Zion National Park. Zion has over 4 million visitors a year and in an effort to help decrease traffic congestion the only way to travel within the park is by shuttle. We found a place to creatively park inside the park just as the ranger hung the sign indicating the parking lot was full. I had read about a hike called the Narrows where one actually hiked in the river between two towering canyon walls. We grabbed the free shuttle and took it to the last stop. A 1 mile easy riverside walk took us to the beginning of the Narrows. The trail suddenly ended and we noticed people entering the water. We changed into our water shoes and joined them. The Virgin River was low and thankfully the risk for flash floods was also low. The clear water was a chilly 50 degrees but after a short while it didn’t bother us. We were thankful for our hiking poles as we navigated in and out of the knee deep water for about 3 miles. We couldn’t believe we were actually doing this! At one point in the hike we took the road less traveled which led up a slot canyon. We were required to walk in the river and scramble over some boulders and hike up some small waterfalls. This will make our top 10 all-time favorite hike. We hiked as far as one can go up the narrows before you need a backcountry permit. We had lunch while enjoying the breathtaking panoramic views of the sheer rock walls. We headed out of the water, changed our shoes, and grabbed the shuttle back to our car. We traveled up State Route 89 through a one mile tunnel to get to the Canyon Overlook Trail. The parking lot was immediately on the right as you exit the tunnel. The trail was great, the view breathtaking, and we even spotted several Bighorn Sheep as we hiked out of there. 

Day Fifteen –We had only one hike planned for today- a 5.4 mile round trip hike to Angel’s Landing. The trail is called Angel’s Landing because in 1916 Frederick Fisher looked up at the monolith exclaimed, “only an angel could land on it.” He helped forge the trail with the help of the CCC. It was listed as a strenuous hike, but it only had a 1,488 foot elevation climb and I knew we could do that; plus it was the only one for the day. I had read somewhere that this hike is world famous and one of the most memorable hikes in all of the National Park systems so I was up for it. It may or may not have said something like it wasn’t for the faint at heart, but I quickly read over that part. Yesterday we heard people talking about Angel’s Landing and the fact that you had to hold onto chains to reach the top of the hike. Doug thought he might stay at the Lodge to drink Expressos while I climbed the mountain, but in the end he decided to keep me company. The park was really busy yesterday and Doug had to creatively park the car in the parking lot so today we wanted to get there a little earlier to snag a real parking spot. We also realized yesterday that it was a good idea to remember which row we parked the car. Today we entered the lot and found a spot in row 5 and we were good to go. We jumped on the shuttle when it arrived and got out at the Grotto stop. This hike has 6 distinct phases and I had given them each a name. Phase 1 – paved, phase 2 – switchbacks, phase 3 – monolithic area, phase 4 – Walter’s Wiggles, phase 5 – rest, and phase 6 – chains. We easily found the trail across the street from the shuttle stop. I looked up and saw tiny ant-like people scurrying back and forth near the top of the mountain. That was where we were headed. Phase 1 was fairly easy with an incline that got our hearts pumping. The river started to recede from our view and then phase 2 began. The switchbacks were steep and quite impressive. I looked up and could see the switchbacks because the people kept walking back and forth right above my head. The switchbacks were carved out of the face of the cliff and as we got higher and higher the views were breathtaking. We knew we had reached phase 3 because it leveled out some and I was glad as it was a chance to catch my breath. The view below reminded us of how far we had already climbed. Then we got to Walter’s Wiggles. I couldn’t understand what they were until I saw them. It was a terraced series of 21 tight switchbacks that had been carved out of the side of the cliff - and the sides of the cliff were sheer. I had never seen anything like it before and it was quite a climb. But we hadn’t seen anything yet. Phase 5 was at the top of these switchbacks and it was a large area that offered a great view. There were a lot of people standing here and we realized that for many people this was as far as they were going. Doug and I looked over at the next phase and saw the reason why they were stopping. This last ½ mile was where the hike changed to mountaineering. I mean like serious mountain climbing. We were so thankful for the chains that gave one something to hold on to. After a few pictures we were ready for phase 6. And they were right – this is not for the faint of heart or for anyone with a fear of heights, or mobility issues. We found the foot holds, the steps carved out of sandstone, and the chains that helped you stay on the mountain. We have never done anything like this before in our lives and kept saying this was a once in a lifetime experience. We climbed up, around, and over the rock until we turned the corner and saw the final destination. I had no clue it was so high and so precarious. I was thankful the winds were light and the path was dry. I was using the 3 points of contact at all times rule and feeling the need for 6 points of contact many times along the trail. People were coming down from the top while we were going up, but the trail was only wide enough for one person. We found creative ways to get around each other. Everyone was encouraging and cautious.

"Where angels trod"

We slowly climbed to the top – it took 45 minutes to climb ½ mile. And it was so worth it. I can’t believe we did it. “Only angels could land here” – and with the help of chains Doug and I could too!  At the very top we walked across the sandstone peak and sat down to enjoy the accomplishment. Lunch was delicious and the experience was unforgettable. The ½ mile climb back down was just as difficult as the way up. Each footstep was slow and deliberate. Relief and exuberance flooded over us as we touched back at the lookout point. High fives all around. The climb to the bottom was easy from here. The temperatures were increasing and there was a gentle breeze. As more people were climbing the trail in the afternoon sun, I was glad we had chosen to climb earlier in the day. It was time to head to the pool at the campground.

Day Sixteen - It was another beautiful day in Zion National Park. The temperature was cool (mid 50’s) but rose to mid-80 in the afternoon. We had signed up for a ranger-led tour to learn more history and background about the park. We were told to meet at the flagpole at 8:45 am. Doug began talking with the people waiting and we laughed as we discovered almost half of the people on our tour lived in Ohio. Ranger Kelly was so animated and a great storyteller as she shared a few things about Zion. We learned the original inhabitants of Zion canyon were the Paiute Indians. Then some Mormon missionaries took up residence for a while. The constant flooding of the Virgin River made life difficult at best until most of the homesteaders moved a few miles out of the canyon. She pointed out the various sandstone rock formations that towered over us. The Patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Great White Throne, and Angel’s Landing all received their names from the Mormon pastor who resided here in the 1800’s. After our tour we enjoyed hiking to the Emerald pools. The ranger said the water we saw in the Emerald pools fell as rain water over 4000 years ago because that is how long it takes for the water to seep through the Navajo sandstone. We were thankful the Emerald Pool trail was easy to moderate as we were still recovering from the Angel’s Landing hike we had experienced. At the upper pool the water flowed out of the sandstone, created a small pool which fed the Middle pools. We walked down to the Lower pool are and discovered a 30 foot waterfall flowing over the sandstone. It was a beautiful hike with all the green vegetation surrounding us.