Into the Mystic: River Hike

Currently In: Bryce Canyon, Utah
Next Up: Moab (near Arches National Park) after a quick stopover

We saw several other beautiful points in Zion and hiked a bit as well.
First, we took a close up look at the Virgin River early one morning.

Then we admired the Court of the Patriarchs - 3 large peaks that were named by the early Mormons. That's Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (the white peak in the back) left to right.

Zion Lodge was the next stop. Original Zion Lodge was built in 1924, but experienced a fire in 1966. It was rebuilt, but lost some of its rustic look until a remodel in 1990.

It was a bit chilly and I was hungry. Breakfast, anyone?

Then we took a quick hike to the Emerald Pools. The hike itself wasn't too hard.

The reward was pretty special.

I tried to capture the water dripping from the walls which eventually makes it's way into the pool.

We also did a quick hike to Weeping Rock. The water trickling from this rock results in the hanging gardens of moss and ferns.

There are a couple of other rock formations that we decided to check out next. First, The Great White Throne.

People hike up to Angel's Landing. But it's not for those of us suffering from issues with heights - there are hikers at the top of this mountain!

There were a couple of other more challenging hikes we did before we left Zion. In the morning we did the Watchman Trail. The Watchman rock formation is so named because it watches over the south end of the Park.

It was a moderate hike, with an elevation of 360 feet. Luckily, we did it early in the day before it got too hot.

The view from the top of the trail was worth the climb!

So Johnny and I have hiked in the desert, the forest, in a canyon, in a cave, and in snow among other places. The highlight of our time in Zion was hiking in the Virgin River in a section known as the Narrows. First, we took a walk along the peaceful Riverside Walk to reach the Narrows.