Zion National Park is by far the most awesome place I have ever been too. We did so many amazing things while we were there that I may have a few blog entries about Zion. The absolute highlight of Zion for me was hiking Angel's Landing. This hike is exciting, a little intimidating, and totally exhilarating - all at the same time. Even though the Angel's Landing hike is short - only 2.4 miles each way, it's the ascent from Scout's Lookout to the top that really gets your heart pumping. The hike begins with a series of long switchbacks that eventually lead you to Refrigerator Canyon and then onto Walter's Wiggles, a series of 21 steep switchbacks.
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| Walter's Wiggles - Angel's Landing, Zion National Park |
Here's a short video that my wife took while we were hiking Walter's Wiggles.
After Walter's Wiggles, Scout's Lookout is a good place to catch your breath and make a final commitment to push on to the summit. The last half-mile is strenuous and exposed to sharp drop offs and narrow paths. Chains are provided on some parts of the trek to the top, which sits at 5,790 feet. There have been deaths on Angel's Landing, so there are signs at Scout's Lookout that warn hikers of the cautions of continuing on.
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| photo by dturner |
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| photo by dturner |
The picture below is my wife and my father-in-law at Scout's Lookout just before we started hiking to the top. Ready or not...here we go.
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| photo by mrbturner |
The chains give you some security while
climbing.
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| photo by s.cook |
My wife said she never looked down
while we were hiking/climbing to the top.
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| photo by s.cook |
The picture below gives a really good perspective of how steep it is.
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| photo by s.cook |
Making it to the top of Angel's Landing was one of the most exciting accomplishments of my life. The hike is both physically and mentally challenging - two of the reasons that we wanted to do it. The view from the top is unbelievable. Seeing Zion National Park from this perspective is a must-do.
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| photo by dturner |
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| photo by mrbturner |
| This was the third time that my father-in-law hiked to the top of Angel's Landing. It was the first time for me and my wife. I can say with 100% certainty that it won't be the last time for any of us! |
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| photo by dturner |
This is a good post. I thought the video you added was a great feature!The hike looks super scary.. Are you even connected to anything? It looks like you just have the chains for a little bit of safety. Keep up the work!
ReplyDeleteThe hike does have some pretty intense spots. You are never hooked to the chains along the trail. You just hang on to them.
ReplyDeleteVery exciting hike that tests both your mental and physical toughness. The overwhelming feeling of accomplishment and self-satisfaction are just a couple of reasons to climb Angels Landing. You'll find many other reasons deep within yourself. Thanks for the great post on such a wonderful place.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading this post. It sounds like a very challenging hike from how steep it looks. Thank you for sharing all the photographs you took it helps us see what you saw. The video was also a nice add to your blog. Im looking forward to reading more of your posts
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