First stop on our trip was Zion National Park. While Steve and I had been to Zion several times, it was Norah's first visit and we planned to do the classic hikes: Angel's Landing, The Narrows, and Observation Point.

Saturday morning we picked up our campervan from Escape Campervans in Las Vegas and were on our way. It took longer than we expected to get on the road and we didn't arrive until mid afternoon. We thought if we hustled, we could still squeeze in Angel's Landing. Luckily it did not take long to check in at the Watchman Campground and catch a shuttle from the visitor's center. Fear Factor: Angel’s Landing version - here we come!

If you are an experienced hiker, Angel’s Landing is not that physically challenging of a hike - it’s five miles round trip with 1500 feet elevation gain and much of that is on paved or very well maintained trail - but it can be challenging if you don’t like exposure (*raises hand*). The last half mile is either exhilarating or “oh hell, no!” depending on your comfort level with heights and some choose to end their hike at Scout’s Lookout. For those that are up for it, the trail continues over a narrow rock fin with sheer drop offs on either side. There are chains bolted into the rock, although I find these to be more about psychological support than actually needed. While the drop offs are huge and the trail looks intimidating, it’s actually wide enough to be comfortable and isn’t so bad when you are actually hiking it. Mostly. ;-) Those that brave the final half mile are rewarded with fantastic views of Zion Canyon. Easy to see why this is one of the classic, most popular hikes in the national park system!

On our second day we were up early for sunrise at Overlook Canyon, but were shut out from any stellar skies or light from all the clouds. Still a nice view though. Then we headed back into the canyon for a hike to Observation Point. Angel’s Landing gets all the hype, but we think Observation Point is ultimately a better hike - we think the views are better (it is 600 feet higher than Angel’s Landing), we like hiking through Echo Canyon, and there are less people. The rewards come with increased effort however; the hike is eight miles round trip with 2100 feet elevation gain. The trail is nicely graded and maintained and although there are some spots where the trail hugs the cliffs, there is nothing like the exposure on the final hike to Angel’s Landing.

We had nice, long break at Observation Point and on our way down decided to make the side trip to Hidden Canyon. Hidden Canyon is a hanging canyon accessible on a spur trail, about 1.5 miles from the Weeping Rock Trailhead. We ascended a series of switchbacks to a small saddle. From here the trail has some exposure; the trail hugs the cliffs and there are chains bolted into the walls to aid hikers. It doesn’t take long to get to the mouth of the canyon and while there is an option to explore the canyon, we didn’t venture very far in. Maybe next time.

On our third day in Zion we had planned to hike the Narrows, another classic Zion hike, but had to change our plans due to rain. The Narrows is a hike in the North Fork of the Virgin River through a canyon and is only allowed when the flow rate is below 150 cfs (and even that is high and presents a challenge for the hike). The historical median for this time of year is 50 cfs. On the day we were supposed to hike it peaked at nearly 900 cfs. So yes, the Narrows would definitely have to wait! Luckily our itinerary allowed some wiggle room and we decided to hike it the next day before we drove to Snow Canyon State Park. In the meantime, we found ways to entertain ourselves on this rainy day. Norah and I dropped off Steve at the East Rim trailhead and made plans to pick him up later at the Weeping Rock Trailhead. While Steve was running Norah and I visited the rock shops in town and played Exploding Kittens in our campervan (I thought we might make the short hike to Emerald Pools to see the waterfalls in full effect, but by that time it was raining pretty hard and we decided not to). And we were obsessively checking the USGS webpage for the latest Virgin River discharge readings and were happy to see it steadily declining after peaking around noon. We were optimistic we were going to be able to hike the Narrows the next day and went to Zion Adventure Company to pick up our gear for the hike. With cold water and air temperatures, we rented full dry suits, neoprene socks, and canyon shoes.

The next morning we woke up early for sunrise and were happy to see the flow rate was around 75 cfs - the Narrows was a go! We watched a beautiful sunrise behind the Zion Museum and continued to Temple of Sinawava at the end of the canyon to gear up and start our hike. The first mile is on Riverside Walk, a paved trail that ends at the river and here is where the fun begins. We tentatively stepped into the water, which was certainly cold, but our layers and drysuit kept us dry and warm, and off we went. Because it had rained the day before, the water was muddy and we could not see where we were stepping, which slowed us down. We found our rhythm and made our way upriver. We planned to hike to at least Orderville Canyon and Wall Street, roughly 1.5 miles/2 hours from the end of Riverside Walk. With the breaks and stops for pictures, it took us around three hours to reach the end of Wall Street. We walked a little past Wall Street, but decided to turn around when the canyon opened up and the water was rougher. The hike back went more quickly and we stopped to explore Orderville Canyon. When all was said and done, we got back to the parking lot six hours after we started.

There are pros and cons to hiking the Narrows different times of year. In November the water and temps are cold and there is less daylight, but the chance of flash floods and the crowds is less too. Hiking upriver we leapfrogged with only a couple of other hiking groups and were mostly alone in the canyon. We encountered more people on our return trip, particularly towards the trailhead, but by that time we didn’t care. The Narrows is simply stunning and was definitely a highlight of our trip.

We had a terrific time in Zion and were reluctant to leave, but St. George was calling. Next up - Snow Canyon State Park and Yant Flat!