Day 8 Zion National Park 2nd Day

Got to sleep in this morning and if I had not slapped my phone by accident I may have slept in later. For some odd reason my phone has been jumping between Utah Mountain zone and Arizona Mountain Zone. It is so annoying. I think it happened because I drove briefly into Arizona yesterday. 

Today was get up grab breakfast drive into the park find a place to park and do all the stuff I could. This basically meant all the inner canyon shuttles stops and hikes that i could do.

Videos of pretty much all the hikes are posted on my instagram or facebook if you are any of those. Ill post some of my favorite pictures here.

Took the shuttle all the way out to the Temple of Sinawava stop and followed the crowd down the paved Riverside Walk. It follows the Virgin River. It use to be called the Gateway to the Narrows. It is a 2.2 mile hike out and back. If you go into the Narrows you are looking at another 6 or so miles i think and it is pretty much all in water. I knew this and didnt prepare on purpose. I just didnt want to walk miles in water. I mean it just wasnt on my list. 

On the way back on the Riverside Walk there were a few cool things to see ...

Things get iffy after this and I am not even sure what pictures belong where but will try and explain. I got off the shuttle again at The Grotto and was hoping to take a trail across to the Emerald Pools trails. That didnt work as the trails were closed. So took the short mile Grotto Trail to Zion Lodge and headed over the Lower Emerald Pools. That hike was 1.2 miles round trip. That was pretty neat.

You can almost see the green on the bottom that gives these pools their names.

Wheres Waldo?

After pools, another shuttle ride dropped me off at Court of The Patriarchs. 

Abraham, Issac and Jacob Peaks

Next stop was Canyon Junction for a wander along the Pa'rus Trail it was 1.75 miles from there to the Visitor Center with a pitstop at the History Museum where my car was parked to drop stuff off. 

This is a 360 degeree shot of standing on the Pa'Rus Trail.

After the Pa'Rus trail was over I hit the hardest hike of the day which considering the number of people taking it, it must not really be hard. According to the park it is a moderate hike with a 3.3 mile round trip. So The Watchman Trail it was. With an elevation change of 368 feet. No biggie, wait what that is how many houses stacked on each other? Oh boy.

A lunch of poptarts living on the edge.

I mean just look at that thing... it is pretty much demanding to be pushed!!

After surviving the Watchmen I took a small trail called the Archaeology Trail. To be honest not much of the excavation can you see. BUT on the way back I followed a different trail into the Watchmen Campground and well this happened.

Not to be outdone this here is the Visitor Center deer...

And finally on the way back I got to clear the tunnel!!! Yep the Park Ranger gave me this.

Which I had to give to the other Park Ranger on the other end of the mile long tunnel. It was awesome!!  I think it was awesome!

One final note as I was driving out I saw so many people pull over and do just the pullouts. And I have done the same thing. But remember once in a while if you can. Find a place to stop an explore. I don't know the exact number but i read somewhere that 90% of Park visitors never leave the road, and 95% never go 100 feet past their car. If those numbers are true that is crazy but understandable, But if you can take a chance and explore!

And that is a wrap. Well sitting here typing this up has let my legs recover and now its time for some grub and I need it!  Tomorrow will be a long drive day so no fun stuff unless something happens between southern Utah and southern Wyoming. Should be interesting at least. Well till next time. Remember you are not exploring unless you are lost.