There were two trails must-hike trails in Zion - the Virgin Narrows river hike and the Angel's Landing cliff hike. The sky was perfectly clear and winds were low, so I chose to hike Angel's Landing.
I've seen hikes described as "strenuous" or "very strenuous," but never "grueling." The Angel's Landing hike climbs about 1,500 feet in 2.5 miles. That might not sound too bad to the experienced hiker, but the last 1/2 mile of the trip is along a cliff that at times narrows to three feet wide with an 800-foot drop-off on one side and a 1,200-foot drop-off on the other.
Most people know that I'm deathly scared of heights, but once again I find myself on another white knuckle, teeth-chattering hike.
The first two miles is mostly paved along steep switchbacks. A lot of the day users struggled up the hill, stopping every 20 yards to catch their breath. The switchbacks were so steep that on the way down I had to show three groups of people how to tie runner's knots so their toes wouldn't get crushed in the front of the shoe.
Most of the day users called it quits at the top of the switchbacks. The view from the lookout point was good, but I knew the view from the top of Angel's Landing would be better. Despite what my body and better judgment was telling me, I pressed on to Angel's Landing.
The last 1/2 mile of the hike was hell for me. The trail narrows with drop-offs on both sides and I repeated "oh sh*t" in my head about a thousand times in the first 10 yards. I didn't see much of the trail on the way up. My focus was on my footing and grabbing on to the chains that kept me from falling off the cliff.
To make matters worse, the trail was busy with BYU students (go cougars!) and other tourists. Things got a little tricky when hikers coming down and hikers going up met on the trail. Someone had to let go of the chain to pass. I must've looked like an abandoned child in skid row. Nearly everybody let me hold on to the chain.
I took one hour to traverse the last 1/2 mile, but the view and the sense of accomplishment was worth it. There were about 20 people on the summit. Most of them ate lunch and took photos. I saw quite a few couples spooning and cuddling. I wonder what they would've done if they were alone up there. It would probably be amazing.
Thirty minutes after I reached the summit, it was time to head down. I had nobody to spoon with and there were some nasty storm clouds entering the canyon. I didn't want to risk anything.
The hike down was much easier than coming up. I was comfortable with the heights, the risks and the dangers (plus I just saw the most amazing view of the canyon) so I wore a huge smile on my face and hopped down most of the trail. I probably looked like a suicidal mad man to the people hiking up.
I reached the trailhead at 4 p.m. and I haven't had a single meal all day. Time to grub - hardcore.
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