October 23, 2009
We didn't get up terribly early the next day because it usually ends up hurting us in the end if we try pushing everyone too hard. We took advantage of the hotel's Continental Breakfast (they had bread for making toast and 2 cereals to choose from...) and then headed back to Zion Canyon. We took the shuttle up to the last stop in the park which drops you off at the start of a very easy walk along the Virgin River (it was so easy that I can't even really call it a hike). Before we got on the trail we walked the other direction to get a closer look at some mule deer that we could see from the bus. We also saw some wild turkeys in the park that day.
After observing the deer and using the restrooms we headed off on the Riverside Walk trail which is about 2 miles roundtrip and a very easy, wheelchair accessible trail. This trail actually takes you to the start of the Narrows which is where you have to get in the river and hike in the river to get farther up the canyon. The Narrows is a dangerous place to be in a rainstorm.
After the Riverside Trail (and a quick rush to the restroom for Blondie), we got back on the shuttle and made a quick stop at the Court of the Patriarchs. It is a short climb up to an overlook spot where we took a few pictures and then headed back down to the shuttle again.
Our next stop was at the History Center to watch a 20 minute movie about the history of the park. During the movie Kitty and Baby K both fell asleep - but unfortunately they woke up once we got back on the shuttle bus. Next we headed back to the Visitor's Center and our car to eat some lunch - at about 2:00!!
After lunch we went got into the car to drive to the eastern side of the park - which is accessible through a 1.1 mile tunnel through the mountain. The tunnel was pretty cool and before you get to it there is a huge arch visible called The Great Arch - it's not freestanding though. We didn't get any good pictures of it because there was a huge shadow over it when we went past it. The tunnel had huge viewing windows cut out in a couple spots where you used to be able to stop your car and look out - not anymore though.
Just past the tunnel is the trailhead for the Canyon Overlook Trail. It actually takes you to a spot above the Great Arch - but you can't see the arch from it. The trail is 1 mile long and described as "Moderate with long drop-offs, mostly fenced." All I can say is that we were so glad to have Baby K on DH's back so that we could concentrate on helping Kitty and Blondie. There were MANY sections where there was no railing whatsoever and a steep drop off to the side of the trail. I think that several people we passed thought we were a little crazy for bringing such young kids on the trail but we survived.
If you look closely in this picture you can see the bridge that is in the previous picture. Most of this hike felt like we were on the edge of a cliff!
After this hike we got back in the car and started heading back home. Along the way we stopped at Kolob Canyon which is a newer extension of Zion Canyon and has it's own entrance. We got there just before dark so we just drove in, took a few pictures and then left for home again.
We got back late that night and then Luke had an 8:00 game the next morning with M&M's game immediately following. All in all we had a lot of fun and I was impressed with how well the kids did on the hikes (aside from the frequent trips to the restroom!!). It was absolutely beautiful down there at the park and we had perfect hiking weather!!
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