Road Trip Report #15, August 13, 2010 Zion National Park

Road Trip Report #15
Zion National Park, Friday, August 13, 2010

Departure from Park City was later than anticipated. Duh. The ride out of town was spectacular. We called the restaurant at Sundance Resort for their address which was not on the website, but the hostess gave us the wrong town. We lost an hour but it was worthwhile to backtrack both for the lunch and the drive (scenic) along the American Fork Canyon and Alpine Loop after lunch. The Alpine Loop is within a national park and we used our annual pass again. Once in the park the switchback road narrowed barely wide enough for two cars to pass each other but traffic was light allowing us to stop on the roadway for quick photo ops while I watched for traffic in both directions.

We were disappointed with our photos because the actual scene was so spectacular. Some annoying drivers behind us actually wanted us to keep moving! They had no consideration and didn't care that we were busy taking pictures.

The rest of the drive to Zion was on interstate highway but still beautiful. The speed limit topped at 80 for "speed test sections" which were flat and straight ensuring that the test would succeed and maybe 80 could be posted more widely. My speculation. Those bikes are hanging on.

We had to cancel our dinner reservations at the Zion Lodge due to late arrival. No biggie, we were still stuffed from lunch and had a veggie platter and spicy hummus with us. Our cabin is very cozy and has a fireplace, wifi and outlets all over the place for all of our gear. No cell phone service though.

Last night we enjoyed the remnants of a meteor shower. The sky is very dark and we saw some good ones. I'm going to experiment taking pictures tonight with a tripod, which is impossible on a sailing catamaran, but may yield results on land.

We decided to sleep in and hike later so we could take full advantage of the mid-day sun (94 degrees). We had a very pleasant hike on the Watchman Trail (moderate) and could take pictures standing still.

The trails here are well maintained with rock "steps" conveniently placed where you need them but no water or facilities along the way.

We found a shady spot for lunch on the trail and did not leave a trace. There are no bears to worry about in Zion.

Down hill is definitely easier than up and our packs were lighter with less water. Zion is beautiful, but no Yellowstone. It is very much like the Red Rock in Sedona.
I finally took my mini tripod with me.

Tomorrow we are in Zion for another day then it's off to Bryce Canyon. The plan is to put our bikes on the front of the shuttle bus (no cars allowed) up to the top of the canyon road then roll downhill all the way through the park. Bikes back on the shuttle for the ride back to the lodge (middle of the park). Downhill the whole way, my kind of ride.

Regards,

Steve & Laurie