On Day 1 of my trip I arrived at my first destination, the town of Springdale, just outside the entrance to Zion National Park. It was dark by the time I got there so I had little idea of what the surrounding landscape would look like until the next morning. And what a majestic landscape it was, with dramatic, towering red cliffs all around.

I had only one full day to spend in Zion, so I wanted to spend it doing as rewarding a hike as possible that was within my comfort zone. I decided on the hike to Angel's Landing, which was only 5 miles (return), but had an elevation gain of 1488 feet. It sounded like a highly challenging but extremely amazing experience, the perfect way to start my vacation.

The first 2 miles were a steady uphill climb, ending in a series of tight, steep switchbacks known as Walter's Wiggles. At the top was a plateau called Scout's Lookout, with amazing views. But, the hike wasn't over yet. At the beginning of the last 1/2 mile, a rather ominous sign had been posted to warn hikers to use caution, as people had fallen to their deaths on that trail. I wasn't alarmed, though - I'd read a description of the hike beforehand, so I had some idea of what to expect. But when I actually saw the trail ahead, my knees did feel a bit week. It was steep. And it looked somewhat dangerous. Sometimes the trail went over a very narrow ridge with a sheer drop on either side. And in some sections, there were chains that had been anchored into the rock for hikers to grab on to, for safety. I looked at the narrow ridge ahead, with tiny figures ascending it, and I thought, "I'm going to go up THAT?!"

Once I was actually on the trail and concentrating (on my footing, and on not looking down too much), though, I was fine. And the view at the top was truly awe-inspiring. I was reluctant to leave, not just because of the beautiful vistas, but because I knew that going down that trail was going to be even more difficult than going up. But, here I am today, so obviously I made it back in one piece!

My D80 almost didn't, though, as I accidentally dropped it while descending the Wiggles. I was absolutely horrified. It seems to have survived mostly unscathed, though.

I was almost the last person down the trail. A father and daughter had passed me on the way down, and I caught up with them again later. They lived in nearby Toquerville and did a hike together every Wednesday after work. We finished the hike together and they offered me a ride back to the bed & breakfast in Springdale (I had taken the free park shuttle bus to the trail head). Normally for safety reasons I wouldn't accept a ride with strangers, but I figured a father/daughter couple were safe enough, and the possibility that they were actually serial killers seemed very remote.

After my safe arrival back at the B&B, and a good dinner, you can bet I slept very well that night.