June 11, 2019
The final chained ridge at Angels Landing is the part I remember most clearly: the narrow route, the sheer drop-offs on both sides, and getting to do it with my son.
On June 11, 2019, LEGOexplorer and I climbed above Zion Canyon during our family vacation through the Southwest. There were six national parks on that trip, with plenty of remarkable places to see. This hike was my highlight.
A Virtual With a Very Real Climb
The geocache was Angel’s Landing (GCG2ZP), a Virtual placed in May 2003. There was no hidden container waiting to make the trip worthwhile. The destination was quite capable of handling that responsibility.
Getting there involved about five and a half miles round trip. I hike often, but that does not mean a climb like this happens without some effort. I am not saying I did not get winded. There was a very good reason to stop and admire the scenery, and occasionally a very good reason to keep admiring it for another minute.
The West Rim Trail climbs out of the canyon, eventually reaching the switchbacks known as Walter’s Wiggles and then Scout Lookout. The park’s trail description makes the route easy enough to summarize. Walking uphill adds rather more to the experience.
The photographs from our climb show the bends in the trail and the canyon falling away below. They also remind me how much of the view we earned before reaching the final ridge.
The Chains Along the Ridge
Beyond Scout Lookout came the section that stays with me: the chain handholds along the ridge, with steep drops on both sides. It is a very different sort of trail from a comfortable walk through the woods back home.
The chains are an obvious part of the experience, but so is the setting around them. With that much open space beside the route, there is no difficulty understanding why this hike has such a reputation.
What made it personal was sharing that part of the climb with LEGOexplorer. We were out there together, working our way toward the top of a place we would both remember. That is the part that matters most to me now.
Worth Getting Winded For
The views from the top made the effort worthwhile. Zion Canyon spread out below us, with its green valley floor between the sandstone walls. After looking up at those cliffs from below, seeing the canyon from that height gave the whole place a different scale.
I was happy we had made the climb. I was even happier that I had done it with my son. The photograph of the two of us on the hike is one I am particularly glad to have.
My original geocaching log put it plainly: “This was definitely the highlight of the trip for me and my son!” LEGOexplorer’s log records his find on the same day, during our vacation with bapierson. His account is brief, as mine often are after a busy day. Fortunately, the photographs have a little more room for the view.
We still had the hike back, more parks to visit, and plenty of vacation ahead of us. But Angels Landing had already given me something special from the trip.
A good climb, an incredible view, and time with my son. Yes, I got winded. It was worth it.
Field Notes
- Adventure: June 11, 2019
- Location: Zion National Park, Utah
- Hiking companion: LEGOexplorer
- Geocache: Angel’s Landing (GCG2ZP) — Virtual, placed May 12, 2003
- Distance: about 5½ miles round trip
- Part of our June 2019 six-national-parks family vacation
- All photographs: Steven Pierson
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