Where: Zion National Park - The Lodge to Lee Pass
When: 2021/04/04 - 2021/04/06
Distance: 39 miles. Full traverse cannot be completed currently due to landslide on the trail leading to the East Rim out of the main valley. I walked up from Springdale and started before The Grotto to pad my mileage a bit
Conditions: clear skies. warm days and cool nights. 75/45 with light winds. I can't imagine having had better weather conditions.
Lighterpack: https://lighterpack.com/r/jz8qky
Useful Pre-Trip Information or Overview: I was able to snag a permit online in a fairly straightforward manner. No major surprises there. Water sources are well-marked, but unreliable. This is my first trip to the zone so I do not have much to offer. I will say that arranging a shuttle to drop the car off at Lee Pass so that it was there when we finished was challenging. It seems that many shuttles are not currently running to the west end because they are taking up slack in town and the main canyon for the shuttles that have stopped running through Springdale (hearsay). I recommend calling the hotels and see if they have contact information for any individual drivers willing to take the fare. We got hooked up with a guy who made that bit of the logistical puzzle easier.
Photo Album: https://imgur.com/a/dbSa97W
I had phone AND camera issues on this trip and so I missed out on pics from the second half of day two onward which is a bummer because the last day through Hop Valley to Lee Pass is unreal.
The Report:
Day One - no one opens early for breakfast in Springdale except for one spot which was zoo'd...so we got a somewhat slower start. Fortunately, backpackers get free access to the shuttle service so we were up and in to the park early enough.
We got out and started at The Lodge to get a little warm up before heading up Angel's Landing. Emerald Pools was awesome. I dropped my camera getting my rig fitted correctly and broke my new UV filter which was not awesome. The crowd at Angel's Landing is fkn gross and lame and full of derps...we pushed right on through.
Water was low coming out of the canyon so I was looking for snow melt...this led to a little off-trail fun. I left my sunglasses in the car and was having issues with the bright light off the bare rock and white sand trails...I rigged up a ninja mask with my bandana.
The spring at the top of the rim was a trickle, but did the trick. We ate, napped, and pushed on. The views during the second half made the Angel's Landing queue look even more ridiculous...the main event is the West Rim Trail.
We ran in to a couple named Bobby and June and chatted for a bit...upon departing Bobby asked if we needed anything and I joked that I could use a pair of sunglasses...June laughed because she had been making fun of Bobby for having two pair on him. I gave them two beers and some whiskey for the pair and decided that forthwith I now call sunglasses Bobby'n'Junes.
Example: I bought a new pair of Bobby'n'Junes to replace the Bobby'n'Junes I lost on the trip.
It was a very eventful first day!
Day Two - We were out of camp by 8a and got some good miles behind us before watering up at Sawmill Spring. We had a picnic overlooking the western park of the park, took our time to Wildcat Spring, and generally relished the flat to downhill pitch of the day's miles.
Nothing interesting happened; great success.
Day Three - Hop Valley is hard work, but damn it is something else in there. I hiked barefoot through a lot of it...the sand is so soft and brutal on those glutes! Lots of water crossings all the way down the valley.
There were very few people on this side of the park except for hikers coming in to the La Verkin Creek sites. We had a great chat with a Ranger and ate up all the amazing views. I am very disappointed in my lack of photos through here.
Gear Notes:
First time with a bivy and I LOVED it. I get it now. Holy shit...I did not expect that.
I'm bringing cooked bacon on all trips now. It works in everything throughout the day. I put bits of it in to my trail mix. Try it!
Dehydrated broccoli is better than dehydrated broccolini...unless you like chewing on twigs, I guess.
Dehydrated watermelon really is all it is cracked up to be.
The Chicken Pho by Good to Go was really good; I like these guys.
The BlackRapid strap is better than the Peak Design clip. A Canon 7d even with a pancake 24mm is too much weight...I can wear the strap on my body with the pack over that and have my camera centered on my chest securely and quickly accessible. Sometimes the sternum and right shoulder strap restrict the range of the camera, but it is workable (and secure)
That said, this setup has got to go...I am looking at a mirrorless with 2-3 prime lenses for landscape, but I need my bitcoin to moon super fkn hard to come anywhere close to being able to afford that...
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