WE DID IT!!!!! A popular refrain as Annette, Linda and I traversed the winding roads leading to the top of Angel's Landing at Zion Nat'l Park. Or should I say to Scouts Lookout just below climbing the chains of Angel's Landing. It was WAAAYYY too windy to go out on the fin. Anyway, here's some pictures of our AWESOME adventure today.
The anticipation at 7am of the mountain to climb (behind us)and the enjoyment of the beautiful green trees.
Here's some of what we climbed just to reach 'refrigerator canyon' where the cold wind began to chafen our cheeks! Some of the switchbacks were covered in red sand, others with gravel, yet others with cement with grooves in them to keep your feet from slipping.
Here we are after traversing 'refrigerator canyon' on our way down - the results showing on my cheeks as well as the hair standing straight up! Just had to laugh...and was quite grateful to have chosen to wear a long-sleeved shirt over my short-sleeved one.
Here's a great shot of what 'Walter's Wiggles' looks like. Twenty-one switchbacks climbing up a steep side of the cliff after coming out of the cold, windy, beautiful fridge canyon. Honestly, they weren't so bad going up. You certainly used a different set of muscles coming back down, though! (see me enjoying my stroll down!)
Just in case you didn't appreciate the...did I mention TWENTY-ONE switchbacks towards the end of our trek, here are some more. They were totally awesome!!! We kept looking for the spot where the famous pictures of them was taken, but to no avail. This look from above will have to do.
SO, were the views WORTH the climb??? Absolutely! How beautiful as the sun was finally coming over the peaks. It had taken us 1.5 hours to climb the 2 miles uphill and the views were breathtaking. My foot was proof that I didn't download the pictures off google!
I know, I know... the question on everyone's mind...did I make the scary 1/2 mile climb, using chains of death in many areas, out the fin to the end called Angel's Landing? The answer is... I gave it my best shot (here's proof). But the wind was SOOOOO bad and the climb was SOOOOO scary 1600 feet above the canyon floor, that I declined the challenge. A wuss? A chicken-liver? A big baby? Sure - whatever. I'm proud of what we did. Linda, however, went out all the way to the saddle where the chains ended and left you with a 3-feet wide path with sheer drop-offs on each side before calling it "chicken's end" and turning around. The wind was just too much.
Our victorious picture. We had a goal, we hiked steadily, and enjoyed some time "on top of the world lookin' down on creation." The hike back down took us only 1 hour and we were pretty darn proud of ourselves. I enjoyed this challenge with my co-worker friends and we look forward to doing it again next month with Carolyn and Kim (who got sick this weekend.) It was a FANTASTIC day and so far tonight...I can still walk! Now tomorrow may be a very different story.......................
The anticipation at 7am of the mountain to climb (behind us)and the enjoyment of the beautiful green trees.
Here's some of what we climbed just to reach 'refrigerator canyon' where the cold wind began to chafen our cheeks! Some of the switchbacks were covered in red sand, others with gravel, yet others with cement with grooves in them to keep your feet from slipping.
Here we are after traversing 'refrigerator canyon' on our way down - the results showing on my cheeks as well as the hair standing straight up! Just had to laugh...and was quite grateful to have chosen to wear a long-sleeved shirt over my short-sleeved one.
Here's a great shot of what 'Walter's Wiggles' looks like. Twenty-one switchbacks climbing up a steep side of the cliff after coming out of the cold, windy, beautiful fridge canyon. Honestly, they weren't so bad going up. You certainly used a different set of muscles coming back down, though! (see me enjoying my stroll down!)
Just in case you didn't appreciate the...did I mention TWENTY-ONE switchbacks towards the end of our trek, here are some more. They were totally awesome!!! We kept looking for the spot where the famous pictures of them was taken, but to no avail. This look from above will have to do.
SO, were the views WORTH the climb??? Absolutely! How beautiful as the sun was finally coming over the peaks. It had taken us 1.5 hours to climb the 2 miles uphill and the views were breathtaking. My foot was proof that I didn't download the pictures off google!
I know, I know... the question on everyone's mind...did I make the scary 1/2 mile climb, using chains of death in many areas, out the fin to the end called Angel's Landing? The answer is... I gave it my best shot (here's proof). But the wind was SOOOOO bad and the climb was SOOOOO scary 1600 feet above the canyon floor, that I declined the challenge. A wuss? A chicken-liver? A big baby? Sure - whatever. I'm proud of what we did. Linda, however, went out all the way to the saddle where the chains ended and left you with a 3-feet wide path with sheer drop-offs on each side before calling it "chicken's end" and turning around. The wind was just too much.
Our victorious picture. We had a goal, we hiked steadily, and enjoyed some time "on top of the world lookin' down on creation." The hike back down took us only 1 hour and we were pretty darn proud of ourselves. I enjoyed this challenge with my co-worker friends and we look forward to doing it again next month with Carolyn and Kim (who got sick this weekend.) It was a FANTASTIC day and so far tonight...I can still walk! Now tomorrow may be a very different story.......................
5 comments:
Way to go! Those switch back pictures were making me dizzy - I couldn't look at them.
Looks like you had fun.
That's AWESOME Rob! Yeah I can see how the wind would be scary. Luckily we didn't have that when we went. Way cool! -Paula
I have to comment and not just lurk on this one. Way to go!!!! So impressed!! and maybe a little jealous. Love devo
Great pictures! What an exciting trip! Perfect music too ;-)
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