Angel's Landing, from the beginning of the hike
Hikers start up the last, toughest section
On top: That's the road running behind my right shoeCopyright 2008 Lydia Hinshaw
ROCKVILLE, UT -- I first visited Zion National Park in 1992 on the first day of a five-week bicycle tour of the West.
I wasn't into hiking then. In fact, I wasn't much into anything that didn't involve two wheels and two pedals. But we had several hours to spend in Zion and someone found out about this hike called Angel's Landing. Several friends I'd just met (I don't even remember names or faces now) decided they wanted to try it. I had some running shoes strapped on my bike's rack, so I changed out of my bike shoes and joined them. I was in cycling clothes and probably didn't even carry any water or food with me.
It seemed like we went up this steep, switchbacking trail almost forever. Finally we came to a spot where chains were bolted into the rock and you had to climb up these rounded, smooth-looking rocks with an 1,100-foot drop on one side.
At that point I decided that hiking was not for me. I turned around and headed back down, absolutely certain that I would never do anything this crazy again.
But such experiences have a way of haunting me. In the ensuing 16 years I've become less and less a biker, and more and more a hiker. I've often thought of Angel's Landing and wondered if it would still be as intimidating it was then.
Sunday morning, Prince Charming and I set out to go as far as we could get. What I remembered as an endless uphill slog along a wide, safe and often paved trail was over in no time. The whole hike is only five miles round trip, and in the past few years I've done a couple of mountainous day-hikes three times that long.
The chained part didn't seem all that scary either, although at the beginning a near-hysterical woman was being helped down from the first section. We went up for a bit and pretty soon I noticed the Prince wasn't behind me anymore.
There was no easy way to turn around, and in any case I wanted to avoid one of his have-you-lost-your-mind lectures, so I kept going.
It was daunting and occasionally scary, but quite doable at my current experience level, though I was in better physical shape 16 years ago. After a half-hour rest on top, I picked my way down to where the Prince was waiting and snapping pictures.
He wasn't even mad.
We headed back to the bed & breakfast where we're staying and cooled off in the pool before dinner.
I wasn't into hiking then. In fact, I wasn't much into anything that didn't involve two wheels and two pedals. But we had several hours to spend in Zion and someone found out about this hike called Angel's Landing. Several friends I'd just met (I don't even remember names or faces now) decided they wanted to try it. I had some running shoes strapped on my bike's rack, so I changed out of my bike shoes and joined them. I was in cycling clothes and probably didn't even carry any water or food with me.
It seemed like we went up this steep, switchbacking trail almost forever. Finally we came to a spot where chains were bolted into the rock and you had to climb up these rounded, smooth-looking rocks with an 1,100-foot drop on one side.
At that point I decided that hiking was not for me. I turned around and headed back down, absolutely certain that I would never do anything this crazy again.
But such experiences have a way of haunting me. In the ensuing 16 years I've become less and less a biker, and more and more a hiker. I've often thought of Angel's Landing and wondered if it would still be as intimidating it was then.
Sunday morning, Prince Charming and I set out to go as far as we could get. What I remembered as an endless uphill slog along a wide, safe and often paved trail was over in no time. The whole hike is only five miles round trip, and in the past few years I've done a couple of mountainous day-hikes three times that long.
The chained part didn't seem all that scary either, although at the beginning a near-hysterical woman was being helped down from the first section. We went up for a bit and pretty soon I noticed the Prince wasn't behind me anymore.
There was no easy way to turn around, and in any case I wanted to avoid one of his have-you-lost-your-mind lectures, so I kept going.
It was daunting and occasionally scary, but quite doable at my current experience level, though I was in better physical shape 16 years ago. After a half-hour rest on top, I picked my way down to where the Prince was waiting and snapping pictures.
He wasn't even mad.
We headed back to the bed & breakfast where we're staying and cooled off in the pool before dinner.
End of the hike: Ah-h-h-h-h!
No comments:
Post a Comment