Bob's Mom and Dad came to visit so we took advantage of them and asked them to watch the kids so Lisa and I could spend some time together alone in one of our favorite places, Zion National Park. We were planning on doing a little canyoneering but it was a cold fall day and we decided to do one of our favorite hikes instead. We were reminded of the first time we'd done the Angels Landing hike almost 20 years earlier and the great time we had and all the other spectacular outdoor adventures we've had since then. Like then this day's hike was just as much fun and beautiful.
This is a view of the Angels Landing trail we'd come up and the main Zion Canyon below just before going into refrigerator canyon.
Some of the beautiful scenery in Refrigerator Canyon.
Although we'd missed the prime fall colors in Zion there were still many left.
Lisa hiking up the famous "Walters Wiggles" section.
Above Walters Wiggles and Scouts Lookout the hike to the top of Angles Landing is fairly exposed. The Park Service has placed chains to give hikers something to hang on to.
The views are just a spectacular as they were 20 years ago.
Lisa coming across one of the most exposed sections soon after leaving Scouts Lookout.
The view of the upper ridge line to the top of Angels Landing.
Bob leaning against one of the summit "hoodoos".
Zion Canyon stretching out below us. There are few other places in Zion where the views are better than those from the top of Angels Landing.
The two of us on top. Click here for a similar picture taken of us almost 20 years ago.
While we were loitering on the summit we were treated with a special visitor, a California Condor. According to Wikipedia this is only one of 172 living in the wild. We've seen them before in the Grand Canyon but never in Zion, so this was a special treat.
I was thankful to have taken my big camera with a zoom lens so I could get close-ups of this spectacular bird. If you click on this image you can clearly see that this is one of the reintroduced birds, bird 31.
With a wingspan of 8-10 feet we enjoyed a spectacular view as number 31 circled higher and higher above us soaring up on the morning thermals.
Lisa have a fun day.
No, make that a great day!
Looking down off the steep cliffs of Angels Landing to the road and valley floor below.
Lisa, bounding off the lower part of the steep section on our way down. Obviously she doesn't need the chains.
We were commenting how 20 years earlier this sign seemed a whole lot more intimidating than it does now. By no means should the Angels Landing hike be taken lightly, but after 20 years together enjoying some spectacular outdoor adventures we sure were a lot less nervous than the first time we hiked it.