Road Trip 2025: Day 12

We were up early this morning for a day trip to Zion. It’s great—and worth a longer drive—waking up and not having to break camp. Yesterday, I entered the daily lottery to get timed entry passes for Angel’s Landing. It’s supposed to be the most amazing hike in the park. It’s also the most popular, which is why passes are required this time of year. It’s an attempt to control the crowd. Luck is not generally on my side, so I was pleasantly surprised when I got an email granting me three passes. Once again, Dad must have been looking out for me and G3, knowing we’d enjoy the trip to Zion that much more if we got to do the most adventurous hike.

I already dislike this park. (My cousin warned me that the crowds would be miserable, but it’s worse than I imagined—even with the warning.) We arrived at the visitors center shortly after nine, and already the parking lot was full. We circled for at least a half hour and no spots opened up. We’ve never had this much trouble finding parking. Frustrated, Kati pulled into a  ‘15 minute only’ spot so we could stop into the visitors center. No cars are permitted on the scenic drive, which contributes to the overcrowded parking lot. In order to access most of the park, one needs to take the shuttle. At the visitors center, when we inquired about which stop on the shuttle would take us to Angel’s landing, the ranger suggested that we might find parking at the museum—stop number 2 on the shuttle. We took her advice and got lucky. We got one of the last spots available.

Twenty-nine years ago, the same cross-country trip that brought me to Rocky Mountain National Park for the first time also brought me here to Zion. I don’t remember there being a crowd. I don’t remember which hike we did or if we did a hike. In fact, I remember absolutely nothing, except sitting on a rock somewhere in the canyon with Steve and Rob and looking out at the mountains while they sang “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina.” Why? I have absolutely no idea. My memory has deleted that detail. The singing seems so weird and random, which is probably why I probably remember it.

Thank you Dad for securing us those timed entry permits. Angel’s Landing was incredible. A highlight of this trip so far. It was by far the steepest hike I’ve ever done, but it was also the most rewarding. From the top of the mountain, the views of the canyon were spectacular. The round trip hike was 5.4 miles and it took is four hours and forty minutes. The first two miles—the West Rim Trail—was a paved trail. I have never traversed so many switchbacks on one hike in my life. They were never ending, and by the time we walked half of them, my thighs were burning. But with each step, each grade in elevation, the views became more amazing. The last half a mile was the fun part. Pure rock scramble. So precarious that a metal chain was embedded into the mountain to aid tourists in the assent. It was not a hike for anyone who gets paralyzed by fear when it comes to heights. Nor was it a trail for anyone with physical ailments or pains. Yet, Kati conquered the mountain. G3 and I were proud her perseverance. While we were hiking, and talking about people who are afraid of heights, G3 commented, “It’s not the height that scares me, it’s the voice in my head telling me to jump.” Needless to say, I may think twice next time before taking him on a hike or other adventure so high up off the ground. Mom, I finally understand your fear at the Grand Canyon all those years ago.

From the moment we entered the park, I was intrigued by the mountains. So many times, we’ve watched videos demonstrating how various layers of sediment pile onto each other. The pressure of the layers eventually form sediment rock. Then, when the mountains formed, the layers pressed upward. The mountains in this park very clearly depicted this geological history. I could plainly sees the different layers, separated by various subtleties in color and lines marking one from another. The visual texture reminded me of the lobster tail pastry. I will never again walk into an Italian pastry shop, see a lobster tail, and not think of Zion. When we reached the Angles’ Landing part of the trek, we got very intimate with the rippled, layered rock face. In some places, the layers looked like frozen waves. As we scrambled up, using hands nearly as much as feet, not only could I see the layers, I could feel them. And at that point, I was so hungry, all I wanted was a lobster tail, and I don’t even like them. The scramble was definitely intense, although going up was much easier than going down.

Ultimately, the delayed start may have worked to our benefit. Sure we got started at 11:30–the hottest part of the day—but by the time we reached the scramble, the crowd was already thinning out. Fewer people made for a more enjoyable climb. Plus the sun had moved high enough that after an hour of hiking we were in and out of shade provided by the mountains. The summit—Angels’ Landing—was also more pleasant with fewer people. From there could see the whole canyon, and the thin stream of the river that was once mighty enough to carve the canyon. We took pictures and then rested for nearly a half hour. The cool breeze felt refreshing.

When we returned to the car, we were tired and famished and Kati’s knee and my ankle were throbbing. We ate dinner at a cafe in Springdale. Either the food was one of our best meals on the road or we were so hungry that our hunger enhanced the flavor. Since Kati was wiped out I drove and she and G3 napped.

Back at the campsite we ended the day with a campfire. Last night, it dropped to the low 50s. And right now, the temperature is dropping again. Without the fire, we’d be cold.