Zion National Park

2009 was my visit official visit to Zion National Park. I'd drive through in 2002 at the end of my initial Grand Circle trip but, by that time, I was tired and not really into what was at Zion. This trip was partly to rectify that, and partly just to go on vacation to a place I really hadn't seen before.

What is there to say about Zion? Well, you can drive there in about 8 hours from San Diego. And Zion has a lot of awesomely colored ROCK! And pretty, awesomely colored ROCK it is! Can't miss it.

I camped in the Watchman campground. I picked a very windy time to choose to camp at Zion. Apparently, it was very windy throughout southern Utah and northern Arizona over the weekend of October 3-4, 2009. I heard from some people I met at the Three Patriarchs that the Park Service had closed the North Rim due to fallen tree limbs, not that the visibility was that good with the wind blowing all the sand around. At Utah, the wind gusted up into the 50-60 mph range. Broke one of my tent poles, just snapped it. A couple of others were severely injured and even split from the strain of the wind. The couple next to me had one of those steel sleeves to repair tent poles with, so I was able to make it through the rest of my trip with that and my one spare pole, but all 3 injured poles were left behind at Lake Powell at the end of the trip. Luckily, the wind died down Sunday evening.

I went into Zion Canyon on both full days. October 4 was a Sunday, and the Canyon was crowded. Monday, October 5, was much better as far as having less people. But the Canyon is only 6 miles long, so there is only so much to do. Given the state of my foot (I would have surgery one month later), hiking and walking were limited.

	The Riverwalk starts at the end of the 6-mile canyon drive....more
	On Monday, October 5, I had just completed a morning ranger tour and departed the tour bus at the Riverwalk.....more
	View some additional pictures. My Zion Picture Gallery.
	I walked the Pa'Rus Trail on a sunny, and less windy, Monday morning..