Zion National Park
My experience in Zion National Park, Utah .
A Trip to Zion
Sensorial Observations
Visit #1
I made my way into Zion National Park around 11 AM and parked my car near the visitors center. The parking lot was absolutely overflowing with people, but I guess that is to be expected considering it was Labor Day Weekend. I grabbed my pack and waited for the shuttle to take me to the base of Angels Landing, a popular hiking trail in the park. Upon arriving at the trailhead I was required to wait in an hour and fifteen-minute line of people before beginning my hike. Once I finally got onto the trail and started my ascent I quickly realize that this would be a reasonably arduous endeavor. I climbed switchback after switchback and passed droves of people along the way. The other hikers taking on the challenge were of all ages from around eight years old to as much as sixty. Upon conquering the switchbacks on the trail I found myself at a large flat landing. This landing served as a turnaround point for those not interested in making the push to the summit, and a location to rest for those prepared to push onward. At this point, I sensed a variety of different emotions from those at the landing. the feelings ranged from that of excitement for the adrenaline-fueled climb ahead to disappointment from the realization that some would not be making it to the top. After gathering myself briefly I began the final portion of the hike. A mixture of fear and excitement flowed through me as I skirted the side of the mountain. As I clutched the chain rails that had been installed by park officials in the past, I was tasked with not only conquering the difficult hike but also managing the severely overcrowded path of Angels Landing. By this point, I was completely in agreement with the park's future plans to implement a lottery and fee for those interested in climbing the rock formation. The hike in itself was already dangerous, but the massive amount of people flocking to the trail made the whole hike feel like a bit of a death trap. After completing the slow climb to the top I was met with an absolutely surreal view of the park. When the vast expanse of Zion Canyon came into view I was in absolute awe. I sat up on the summit for a couple of hours taking in the view and getting myself a gnarly sunburn in the process. there was a large chipmunk population on top of Angels Landing, probably because of all of the hikers that were more than willing to provide them with tasty treats to snack on. I snapped a few photos of the area as well as a few group photos of hikers that I met along the way, then made my way down the rock.
Visit #2
Not a Holiday, but somehow the Angels Landing trail was even more crowded than the last time I visited. This time I elected to take my brother along with me to the top. While this made for a much slower trip up the trail due to my brother's lack of cardio training, the slower climb wasn't necessarily a bad thing. While taking our time we had multiple opportunities to take in the pristine views of Zion from the trail, and also get some close-up views of the wildlife along the way. After ascending the first set of switchbacks my brother and I stopped to rest on a small bridge that crossed a creek bed between two rock faces. At this time my brother attempted to give up multiple times, but after much persuasion, we pressed onward. When we finally reached the landing at the top of the initial climb we stopped to eat snacks and hydrate. my brother was eating trail mixed and was quickly ambushed by critters looking for an easy meal. Finally, we made our way up to the summit of angels landing. For the entirety of the ascent, we followed a couple that was completing the hike barefoot; I could never. This climb was much the same as the first, but somehow even more crowded. Upon successfully negotiating the rocky terrain and crowds of hikers we celebrated our successful hike with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. My brother was quickly swarmed by chipmunks to the point that they were crawling all over him in search of a snack. It was reminiscent of a Disney princess' interactions with woodland creatures in animated films. I was proud of my brother for having the perseverance to finish the arduous hike, and even more grateful for the opportunity to share a memorable experience with him.
Visit #3
I completed my final trip much later in the day than the previous two and found that my biggest challenge was a race against the sun rather than a battle with my own cardiovascular system. I quickly raced up the trail passing mostly people on the way down from their morning hikes of the massive rock. I reached the flat landing spot at around 4 PM and discovered that it was far less crowded than usual. I could actually hear my surroundings and examine the area in its more natural state without the chatter of individuals conversating with their companions. Without much time to rest, I continued onward with the summit in my sights. With the trail being less crowded I was able to make great time, scaling rocks and using the constructed rails to propel myself toward the top at a significantly faster pace. The vast expanse and sheer cliff faces on either side of me had me feeling a mixture of fear and appreciation for the landscape that planet Earth had created through its own natural processes. I couldn't help but think about how fragile my own life is and how appreciative I am that I exist in the time that I do. I reached the top of Angels Landing with a reasonable amount of time left before nightfall and sat down in my usual spot at the tip of the rock. There were a few stragglers here and there still enjoying the views and tranquility that standing on top of the world has to offer, and I was fortunate enough to be doing the same. There is a certain sort of peacefulness that comes at the end of conquering a challenge in which the cost of the challenge can very well be my own life if I make even one wrong step.
Key Observations
Overcrowding
- The amount of people present on the trail far exceeds what I can imagine was intended for the park. With over four million people visiting each year, portions of the park often feel like more of an urban amusement park than a preserved piece of nature. I feel like this is true for most popular national parks in the United States. Park officials have future plans like fees and lotteries to control the flow of people into the park's points of interest, and I believe that this will be a welcome change to the park for both the natural beauty and the safety of those visiting Zion. Nearly every time that I felt I was in an unsafe situation while on the Angels Landing trail it was because I needed to get around clusters of people clogging the more dangerous parts of the path.
Rock Formations
- I've traveled to dozens of countries over the course of my life and I have never encountered canyons and rock formations as jaw-dropping as these. The size combined with the abnormal patterns and angles of the park create a visual experience that is unlike anything I have ever witnessed. The fact that wildlife and vegetation can thrive in such an adverse landscape is also a testament to the resilience of organisms on Earth.
Danger
- The natural danger and difficulty of the hikes is significantly higher than other parks I have visited. Since the year 2000, nearly twenty people have fallen to their death on the Angels Landing hike alone. It often baffles me that a hike that is often considered one of the most dangerous in America is open to the general public with no regulations on trail traffic. Still, in my mind taking a significant risk like this only enhances the experience. The excitement generated by the danger is not something that I have often experienced on other hiking trails that I have finished.