Zion National Park | FindPenguins

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Traveler Zion National Park
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- May 18, 2016, 11:34pm
- ⛅ 23 °C
- Altitude: 2,129 ft
- United States Nevada Clark County Bracken 36.112975, -115.18189236°6’47” N 115°10’55” W
Vegas Baby
May 18, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
When I found out that I had to take a work trip to Vegas, I wanted to make sure I made the most of it. I had two days of work before the outdoor adventures began.

I spent days touring models and talking strategy while Dave explored the Vegas Strip. Seems unfair but I did get a free plane ticket!

On the last work night, the group went to dinner and then to a Cirque de Soleil show. I really don’t think that shows are my thing, but I made the best of it in the spirit of team building.

Our last morning together, we took a few minutes to stop by the iconic Las Vegas sign. Dave picked up the rental car and picked me up from the office a few hours later. We got upgraded to a convertible which was awesome!Read more
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- May 19, 2016, 9:03pm
- 🌙 25 °C
- Altitude: 4,127 ft
- United States Nevada Clark County Calico Spring 36.149235, -115.42703236°8’57” N 115°25’37” W
Day 1
Red Rock Canyon
May 19, 2016 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 25 °C
Before heading out of Vegas, we decided to take advantage of world class climbing at Red Rock west of the Strip.

Our guide was a quirky, older man who played a big part in setting and naming routes at Red Rock. He chose a crazy multi-pitch route called Physical Graffiti. It He lead climbed to set the ropes as Dave belayed below. Once he was set, we followed up the wall as he belayed from above. The most terrifying moment was when he clipped us from an anchor 100 feet above as he continued up the mountain. My feet were on a ledge that was about 6 inches wide. He finally made it to the top where he secured the ropes and belayed us as we made our way up. The view from the top was amazing. We spent a few minutes enjoying it before he had us rappel back down to the ground. The climb was rated as a 5.6 but it felt much harder than that. Maybe it was the 290 feet up into the air that we climbed!

We didn’t have a ton of time left before the sun went down, so he chose a relatively a multi-pitch climb that we turned into a single pitch to end the day. Big Bad Wolf was rated as 5.9, but we only ended up doing half the climb and I think it was the easy half. I enjoyed this climb way better than the last monster that we tackled. I scrambled up to the second pitch in less than 5 minutes!

After our afternoon of climbing, we were rewarded with a peaceful walk out of Red Rock Canyon under a moonlight sky.Read more
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- May 20, 2016, 12:17am
- 🌙 25 °C
- Altitude: 1,919 ft
- United States Nevada Clark County Wann 36.239605, -115.1115536°14’23” N 115°6’42” W
Day 2
In-N-Out Burger
May 20, 2016 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 25 °C
After the day of climbing, we needed food! It was an easy decision to stop for an infamous In-N-Out Burger on our way to Zion. I’ve had one of these world-famous burgers before, and I couldn’t deny Dave the opportunity to experience them for himself. I will take mine Animal Style please!Read more
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- May 20, 2016, 1:18pm
- ⛅ 21 °C
- Altitude: 5,282 ft
- United States Utah Washington County Zion Lodge Angels Landing 37.269318, -112.94792937°16’10” N 112°56’53” W
Day 2
Angel's Landing
May 20, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
Good morning Utah! We made it to Zion National Park, and there is no better way to be introduced to this gorgeous place than the infamous Angel’s Landing hike.

Considered one of the most dangerous hikes in the US, this adrenaline packed, 5 mile hike starts at the base of a mountain where you slowly zig zag your way up to the top. Once it flattens out, you feel like you are almost there but you are far from it.

From this point on, the rest of the hike is a series of rock scrambles, traversing across narrow ledges and holding onto the side of the mountain using iron hand rails. I can see why people die on this hike. One wrong move, and you’ll be plummeting to your death.

The most nerve-racking part of the entire hike comes at the very end. You have to walk across the mountain on a very narrow pathway. The wind is gusting and you have nothing to hold on to. I ended up crawling across this section to avoid being blown off the side of the mountain.

Once you finally reach the end, you are rewarded with 360 degree views of the entire park. It’s breathtaking. The only downside is that you have to turn around and go back down the same way you came up!Read more
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- May 20, 2016, 4:21pm
- ⛅ 21 °C
- Altitude: 4,304 ft
- United States Utah Washington County Zion Lodge Mount Zion 37.251092, -112.9591337°15’4” N 112°57’33” W
Day 2
Emerald Pools
May 20, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
We needed something more mellow after Angel’s Landing. We stopped inside the park for a quick lunch before heading to Emerald Pools.

This was supposed to be a scenic hike the offered views of this lush oasis in the middle of the desert. We made it to the lower section of Emerald Pools and decided that this wasn’t the hike for us. It was pretty but way too touristy. We were exhausted and decided to grab dinner and go relax at our AirBNB.Read more
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- May 21, 2016, 5:02pm
- ☀️ 17 °C
- Altitude: 6,135 ft
- United States Utah Washington County Lambs Knoll 37.306618, -113.11077137°18’24” N 113°6’39” W
Day 3
Canyoneering and Climbing
May 21, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C
Today was slated for a full day of climbing and cayoneering with Zion Adventure Company. We drove a few miles outside of the park since there are no guided trips permitted inside ZNP.

We started the day with climbing. Our guide was a typical dirtbag, traveling from place to place making just enough money to move on to his next destination. The climbs he chose for us were challenging but fun.

We did three climbs - one 5.9 and two 5.10s. This was my kind of climbing. The last climb we did was my favorite of the trip. You started about 20 feet off the ground and basically stepped off the ledge to get onto the wall. I came so close to getting it clean and was sad that there wasn’t enough time to try again.

It was time for the second half of our day of adventure. Zion is well know for its cayoneering so we had to try it while we were here. It wasn’t nearly as exhilarating as climbing but still fun. We rappelled into slot canyons and climbed over boulders. It might have been more fun if we were in a different area but we still enjoyed the experience!Read more
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- May 21, 2016
- ⛅ 17 °C
- Altitude: 3,934 ft
- United States Utah Washington County Springdale Blacks Canyon 37.194691, -112.99317937°11’41” N 112°59’35” W
Day 3
Spotted Dog Cafe
May 21, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
After a long day outdoors, we splurged on a nice dinner out. Food options are limited but we found this cute little restaurant offering American fare.

I had one of my all-time favorites, meatloaf. It was pretty good. The real star of the show was dessert. I don’t usually choose this style of sweets but for some reason I was drawn to it. It was amazing, and I still think about how good it was!Read more
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- May 22, 2016, 12:10pm
- ☀️ 16 °C
- Altitude: 4,288 ft
- United States Utah Washington County Oak Creek Residential Area Mount Spry 37.215172, -112.96653737°12’55” N 112°57’60” W
Day 4
Canyon Overlook Trail
May 22, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
Last day in Zion, and we wanted to sneak in a few hikes before heading backpacking to Vegas. I had read about the incredible views that could be seen from this relatively easy trail. Since our time was limited, it seemed like a great option.

The Canyon Overlook Trail is one of the few official trails in the upper East Canyon. The hike to the viewpoint was short and easy. Once we got to the overlook, we were blown away by the gorgeous scenery. This hike was so rewarding an unexpected. For little effort, you could experience the same if not better views than what can be seen atop Angel’s Landing.Read more
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- May 22, 2016, 1:03pm
- ⛅ 14 °C
- Altitude: 5,856 ft
- United States Utah Washington County Zion Lodge Echo Canyon 37.274719, -112.93414337°16’29” N 112°56’3” W
Day 4
Weeping Rock
May 22, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C
Weeping Rock is a famous landmark of Zion National Park and was our last hike in Utah. There is a large bowl-shaped alcove where the lower layer of sandstone has eroded away; water that has been slowly descending within the sandstone formations reaches an impermeable layer of rock and is forced out the side causing the "weeping."

The weeping walls form a beautifully lush hanging garden with a little flowing stream below. It felt like we were in a tropical location. The downfall was the large number of tourists that were experiencing it with us. Definitely one of the more crowded trails that we were on.

It was time to head home via a quick pit stop to Vegas. I will definitely be back here again some day.Read more
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