Last night I was sure there was going to be no sunrise expedition in Zion for me tomorrow. I'd become strangely zen with the idea of a mediocre hotel breakfast and a slower start. A relaxed final day on vaca.
But at 5:30am I found myself with new energy for the new day and waning enthusiasm for that extra time at the hotel! Up and at 'em!
Almost impressive. Until you factor in that I'd done no planning. I inputted Zion National Park to the nav system as I exited the parking lot and gave it no more than a moments curiosity that today's route to Zion was looking different to yesterday's route from Zion.
.... And that's how I found myself at Kolob Canyon - technically part of Zion but for all practical purposes, about 30 mins from where I thought I'd be when the sun peaked over the horizon. Shoot!
Parking at Canyon Overlook was easy today. Still early of course but also it was now Monday. The hike warmed me up and I did get a few post-sunrise pics.
Perhaps the highlight of this hike was a very beautiful Japanese couple and their 8 year old daughter. He carried his daughter over a particularly narrow and icy section with dangerous drop-off. I said "Me too. I want to be carried!" His wife giggled but his look was of utmost discomfort. He was caught between a rock and a hard place; Carry me (rock) or say No to me (hard place). I wish I was this polite! Many people do. LOL
The second lesson from them came when I descended back to the trailhead. I actually don't remember passing the narrow, icy spot - so no feeling anxious about it or watching anyone else squirm at the thought. That 8 year old with her powers of persuasion!!!
This was a good reminder of something I already knew. "Be careful who you surround yourself with and how you let them influence you!" For better or worse, we are all a little bit emotionally absorbant.
I guess today was a hiking day despite figuring out that my glut-hamstring pain was definitely in the category of injury. I guess the stiffness had been masking that for a couple of days. Ibuprofen and soldier on, baby! I was literally told by two young Rangers that there was no parking left at the trailheads and hiking was not in the cards for me and then as I arrived there, a car pulled out and let me have his spot! It was meant to be.
I hiked to Upper Emerald Pools. All up, about 3 miles of temperature-regulating challenges; up and down, sunny and shaded, windy and calm. It was still pretty bustling here but less frantic feeling - Or perhaps my reintegration into 'normal' levels of human interaction was just going really swimmingly.
A family of 6 followed me the first mile. The parents were giving First Aid lessons to their littles (6-10 year olds) as they hiked uphill. The kids were NAILING the 'how to stop bleeding with pressure' quiz! Gosh I was impressed. Faith in our survival might have just been restored.
I gave up my valuable parking space at the Grotto trailhead and headed off to the Visitor Center to talk to myself about tomorrow's plan. That's when I discovered, to my own delight, that I get back an hour when I cross into Nevada to catch my flight home. (Discovery happens when you try to checkin for your flight tomorrow and Southwest tells you you're too early - come back in an hour!)
The next day I beat a path to Vegas and gave Beast the spa treatment I had promised him all across the southwest. Red dust flowed in a river from his body and everything from Death Valley sand dune to rice cake crumbs got vacuumed away... like I had never been there.
It was bittersweet to hand his key fob back to Fox Rental Car and walk away. We shared many a fond memory these past two weeks and 3000 miles... But it was time for me to go home.
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