11/7/11
12:00 pm - Feeling rejuvenated and full of such life that only a bed, shower and Target can bring you, we set off back to Zion National Park, with the sun shining on us.
2:00 pm - We have entered Zion, secured a campsite and arrived at our first hike, a trek into what has been dubbed, Hidden Canyon.
2:05 pm - This hike is insufferably steep. It is mind-boggling to me that nobody has yet to install escalators onto mountainsides.
2:44 pm - Steve jumped down from a step on the trail, raising the furor of a passing woman who warms him not to "poopoo the danger" while hiking these trails.
2:45 pm - We begin poopoo-ing the danger by any and all means necessary.
3:02 pm - Using the chains set up, we finish hiking the literally cliffside trail, but we don't see the canyon. It seems to be living up to its name.
3:07 pm - After a bit of scrambling, we make it into the canyon. We walk between the plant-covered canyon walls until we reach a seemingly impassable rock wall. Steve and Dan concede defeat.
3:10 pm - I am at the top of said wall, urging them upward. We continue on.
3:22 pm - Another wall, another concession, another victory for Seansquatch. We could keep going, but our hands are growing numb and the sun is retreating to the horizon. We turn to head back.
5:02 pm - We take a small detour to Weeping Rock. We are unable to determine the causes of this rock's melancholy, but it seems to have something to do with the waterfall constantly pouring over it.
5:45 pm - Back at camp, we eat a small meal, decide its unnaturally cold and opt to retreat to the safety of a bar for some Monday Night Football, warmth and alcohol.
9:30 pm - After a disappointing loss for Dan's Eagles, we reluctantly return to the cold night, immediately trying to fall asleep after taking a few shots of rum to warm our insides. The temperature is 33 degrees.
11:22 pm - 27 degrees.
11/8/11
2:56 am - In case you were wondering, it is still really, really cold. I haven't felt my toes in hours.
8:12 am - The sun is up, though the temperatures have not gotten that memo yet. We are driving to the Middle Taylor Creek trailhead, with the heat in Appa set to the surface of the sun.
9:08 am - We begin the trail, but the snow on the path gives an ominous sense of foreboding.
9:40 am - The trail has crossed the creek several times already, and we have now come to a crossing that doesn't seem to be passable without moistening our already snow-covered toes. However, within minutes, I have successfully fashioned a stepping-stone bridge, making our crossing manageable. I'm a problem solver. I ask questions.
10:03 am - The snow is getting progressively deeper. Dan seems unconcerned as he is wearing boots, but those of us in sneakers are growing wary.
10:07 am - My calf is fully submerged.
10:52 am - We have made it to the end of our trail- Double Arch Alcove. It is a beautiful cave-like rock formation, with a (mostly) frozen pool in the middle. The rock forms a sort of natural dome formation, where shades of brown, red, and white swirl majestically. A look back towards Taylor Creek reveals a great view of the sun washing over the cliffs of the valley we've just hiked. We decide to have a bit to eat here before heading back.
12:07 pm - We are nearly back to the trailhead. Steve has miniature ice-balls clinging to the heels of his sweatpants, a true testament to older generations' diatribes against baggy pants.
12:28 pm - Steve has abandoned his sweatpants for the rest of the trip, and is now whipping them against any large rock we pass by in an attempt to break the ice off the pants. He just stumbled while crossing the creek, nearly submerging his foot.
12:37 pm - His foot went fully in this time. He is having a rough morning.
12:49 pm - Finally made it back to Appa. Steve attempts to defrost his pants.
1:17 pm - We've climbed to a lookout of Zion, persevering a squishy and muddy trail. The view is equally split between a massive wall of red cliffs topped off in snow, and a panoramic look out at miles and miles of rolling hills, covered in both trees and snow, flanked with Zion's typical red mountains. A delightful group of older ladies who have also made trip ask if we'd like our picture taken, and we oblige, of course repaying the favor. Not only did they not lecture us on poopoo-ing danger, I believe Steve may have gotten some digits.
2:45 pm - We make it back to the main section of the park and decide upon the Riverside Walk for our next hike. It is supposed to give a good view into the Narrows, a popular area of the park. We should be able to get some good intel for our superiors.
2:53 pm - Finally a hike with an incline grade bordering on zero. This is something I can get behind. While this trail is not so challenging, it doubles as the beginning of a much more serious trek, which wades through the river several times.
5:45 pm - Back at camp. The sun is setting fast and the temperatures faster still. Lows tonight are predicted to drop below 20 degrees. Time to layer up and take some shots.
6:57 pm - Thermal underwear, shorts, two pairs of sweatpants, under armour, t-shirt, two thermals, two hoodies, four pairs of socks, gloves, and a delightfully fashionable hat. Bring it on, cold.
8:22 pm - Bring it on a little less, please.
11/9/11
1:03 am - It is epically cold, and moral is low. There is talk of mutiny amongst the men.
6:47 am - I have never been so happy to see the sun at such an ungodly hour.
8:00 am - After eating breakfast and thawing out our extremities, we have arrived at Angel's Landing trailhead, for what will be the most difficult climb of our excursion. It is still quite cold, so we decide to keep on several of our layers.
9:58 am - Halfway there and quite possibly several pounds lighter. We were forced to take off several layers as to not sweat out our internal organs. The final leg of the trail is a treacherous climb to the summit along the edge of the cliffs. Game on.
12:22 pm - The three of us spend about an hour on the landing, essentially the culmination of our expedition to these three national parks. The panoramic view of the Virgin River carving its way through the soft red walls of Zion Canyon is stunning, and we are sure to take copious amounts of photographs. Command will be most pleased with this informa…wait…what was that? Oh god, they are everywhere…
12:55 pm - We just survived an ambush from a ravenous brigade of chipmunks, but barely. They seemed to be attracted to our eclectic assortment of Clif bars and fruit snacks, but we were able to defend our rations by flailing our limbs and yelling obscenities. I saw one bite the head off an innocent passing cricket. They were vicious hooligans. They may be gathering reinforcements for a second wave, so we don't stick around to find out.
2:35 pm - Back in Appa we deice we still have enough energy to do one final hike. We settle on a route up to Upper Emerald Pool.
3:37 pm - We arrive at Upper Emerald Pool, a peaceful, little pond nestled deep in the canyon. We sit down to relax with our feet in the ice, blue water, enjoying the silence and serenity that is broken sporadically only by the chirping of the birds or the rustling of the wind through the trees.
4:18 pm - The silence is broken abruptly by the voice of a woman from Alaska. She truly lovely to talk to, but borders on too friendly. She turned the entire area into a social hotspot, with all of the previously quiet enjoyers of nature chatting to each other as if at a potluck dinner. It turns out that she and her husband sold their house and and are traveling the country by RV. Also, they do not like Obama at all.
4:40 pm - She is going still, showing substantial endurance. It seems she has three daughters, all adventurous in their travels. She has sparked a curiosity within Steve and I as to whether any of the three are spicy.
4:52 pm - We say our goodbyes and begin heading down. Mrs. Alaska gets one more shot in about how Obama has ruined our lives. I'm tempted to ask her of her views of fellow Alaskan, Sarah Palin, but I think better of setting her on another tangent. The sun will be down soon as it is.
7:30 pm - Back at camp for our last night. Luckily, we are incredibly exhausted from quite a bit of hiking, so hopefully, we will sleep through the cold. The 17 layers I just put on certainly won't hurt either. Good night, Zion.
9:48 pm - I guess we were not tired enough to sleep through it. It is getting nippy out here…
Several entries between the times of 10:00 pm on 11/9/11 and 6:30 am on 11/10/11 could not be transcribed because they were highly illegible, possibly due to excessive shivering and teeth chattering.
6:37 am - Cold, tired and sore. But alive. Time to break down camp.
7:30 am - We are leaving Zion National Park, the mission a success. We are en route to Las Vegas for debriefing and to pick up the newest addition to our crew - Alana "Grandma" Richards. Finally, a feminine touch in Appa.
This post has been brought to you by cliffside chains, snow-covered cabins, and cold soup.
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