I am speaking today at the Utah Bar Association conference in St. George, Utah. The close proximity to one of my favorite places on Earth, Zion National Park. Yesterday, I drove from Bryce National Park in the snow to hiking in shorts and a tee-shirt in Zion National Park. Few states have such an amazing climate change within just a couple of hours by car. I went from snow showers in Bryce in the morning to 70 degrees in Zion. I had the opportunity to drive through Dixie National Park, which was a bit daunting with the snow flurries but absolutely gorgeous. I then made it to Zion to climb Angel’s Landing and three other trails.
Angel’s Landing was a great hike (this picture is about half way up) but the final stretch is rather terrifying if you are not thrilled by the thought of scrambling up the side of one of the highest mountains with minimal support. Upon reaching the summit after a steep hike, I stopped the final push to Angel’s Landing when it began to drizzle. I decided to eat my lunch near the summit and then checked out whether the rocks were dry to see if I wanted to make the final push to Angel’s Landing. Big mistake. With people behind, it was not easy to turn around even if I wanted to. The view was awesome but something about walking on a narrow ledge with a massive drop on either side was less than enjoyable.
After making it down the mountain, I did a number of other trails including the lower and upper Emerald pool trails. While I have done those hikes before, they remain some of the most enchanting spots in any national park.
I finished by resting shortly before sunset along a river where I fell asleep. I woke up thinking that I was smelling a bit ripe after the hikes only to find about six mule deer walking around me. After watching my river mates, I went back to the car in a light rain. Culminating this incredible day, I found a rainbow that seemed to end right in front of me. No pot of gold in sight, but one of the most beautiful rainbows that I have ever seen. The fact is that man has worked for hundreds of years to create inspiring structures from the Sistine Chapel to Notre Dame to the Blue Mosque. But none of them hold a candle to places like Zion National Park.
