A well-fed squirrel along a well-traveled trailCopyright 2008 Lydia Hinshaw
ROCKVILLE, UT -- Saturday was a day for sandal-hiking. That's when you hike in sandals because your feet are still too messed up from two days ago to manage hiking boots again.
We stuck to short distances and flat terrain in Zion National Park, and this put us on trails crowded with families -- infants in backpacks, preteens in enormous clothes, toddlers in fast-forward mode, threatening to concuss themselves on our kneecaps while their parents struggled to keep up.
Because there are so often so many people on these trails, Zion's squirrels have learned to hang around in hopes of collecting picnic crumbs, or better yet a handout.
This is strictly against the rules, but far too many tourists melt at the sight of the cute little things, with their paws just like tiny hands. Sit down to eat, and one of them is likely to hop into your lap.
I couldn't tell what the fellow above was eating, but it's unlikely the tidbit was provided by Mother Nature.
The squirrels only served to distract us from our own feast-for-the-eyes. I've never seen Zion when it was less than stunning. Photographs don't do it justice, but here's a sample anyway.
We stuck to short distances and flat terrain in Zion National Park, and this put us on trails crowded with families -- infants in backpacks, preteens in enormous clothes, toddlers in fast-forward mode, threatening to concuss themselves on our kneecaps while their parents struggled to keep up.
Because there are so often so many people on these trails, Zion's squirrels have learned to hang around in hopes of collecting picnic crumbs, or better yet a handout.
This is strictly against the rules, but far too many tourists melt at the sight of the cute little things, with their paws just like tiny hands. Sit down to eat, and one of them is likely to hop into your lap.
I couldn't tell what the fellow above was eating, but it's unlikely the tidbit was provided by Mother Nature.
The squirrels only served to distract us from our own feast-for-the-eyes. I've never seen Zion when it was less than stunning. Photographs don't do it justice, but here's a sample anyway.
Looking west in Zion National Park
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