Landing our Angel Status on Angels Landing
Angels Landing
Zion National Park [Utah]
10 July 2018
Summary:
The most legendary of all of the legendary hikes at the legendary Zion National Park is Angels Landing.
Only an angel could land on top of it.
In 1916, Angels Landing received its name. Ten years later in 1926, the trail was constructed. Since then, millions of people are now proven to be angels as they landed where only angels could land.
Most of our Zion hikes were overnight trips, but this was the one we absolutely could not leave the park without completing. With our guardian angel looking out for us, we were able to safely complete the hike before landslides and flooding from a huge thunderstorm closed off many parts of the park the very next day, the day we left the park. In fact, the famous tunnel was closed only hours after we drove through it towards Cedar Breaks National Monument and Bryce National Park.
The hike was everything we expected and more. We saw amazing views, got a great workout in, had oodles of fun, and we unexpectedly got to see the fastest animal in the world in action.
 |
| Source |
The Gear:
- Osprey Daylite
- Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z Z-Poles 110cm [Just one for this hike]
- Sony A6300 Mirrorless Camera
The Story:
Getting to Angels Landing
We stayed the night at the Bumbleberry Inn just outside of the park in Springdale, UT. While we could have accessed the park by taking the Springdale Shuttle, we drove into the park since we were arriving early. This shuttle wouldn't start running until 07:00. Parking fills up quickly at the Zion Canyon Visitor Center.
The shuttle system inside the park begins service at 06:00. The queue gets long fast. We arrived before 07:00 and were able to jump on the next shuttle without a wait though. Our stop is #6 - The Grotto. There are a few trailheads at this bus stop. First of all is our morning hike - Angels Landing via West Rim Trail. There is also the one mile 'The Grotto Trail' that connects to Zion Lodge. Additionally, There is the Kayenta Trail, which is a moderate two mile climb to the Emerald Pool Trails, first to the lower and then to the upper. We considered adding this on after Angels Landing, but we also had to eat lunch, drive 45 minutes, and begin our first day of backpacking in Kolob Terrace.
The Grotto shuttle stop has restrooms, which I happily used. Then, we needed to cross over to the West side of the Virgin River. Before crossing, we see our first warning sign of our impending doom. The sign, created and placed at unknown time, speaks of seven people dying from falling off the cliffs since 2004. I doubt this includes the most recent in February 2018, just a few months prior.
The shuttle system inside the park begins service at 06:00. The queue gets long fast. We arrived before 07:00 and were able to jump on the next shuttle without a wait though. Our stop is #6 - The Grotto. There are a few trailheads at this bus stop. First of all is our morning hike - Angels Landing via West Rim Trail. There is also the one mile 'The Grotto Trail' that connects to Zion Lodge. Additionally, There is the Kayenta Trail, which is a moderate two mile climb to the Emerald Pool Trails, first to the lower and then to the upper. We considered adding this on after Angels Landing, but we also had to eat lunch, drive 45 minutes, and begin our first day of backpacking in Kolob Terrace.
The Grotto shuttle stop has restrooms, which I happily used. Then, we needed to cross over to the West side of the Virgin River. Before crossing, we see our first warning sign of our impending doom. The sign, created and placed at unknown time, speaks of seven people dying from falling off the cliffs since 2004. I doubt this includes the most recent in February 2018, just a few months prior.
Once we cross the bridge, we have the choice of turning left or right onto the West Rim Trail. Turning right will take us to Scout Lookout, where we can begin the 1.1 mile round trip to summit Angels Landing.
The 1,100ft Elevation Gain to Scout Lookout
The following photo puts the elevation gain into perspective.
It didn't take long for our Trail Guide to arrive and begin assisting us. This time it was a cute little blue bird, likely a Western Bluebird | Sialia mexicana. We had a bird and frog assisting us when we hiked The Narrows Top Down.
Lots of ground covered!
It's getting wiggly!
Welcome to Walter's Wiggles.
Who is Walter? Why do these wiggles belong to him?
According to hikespeak.com, Walter Ruesch was Zion National Park's first superintendent. In the year of 1926 and with no actual experience in engineering on Walter's part, he kicked off the construction of the trail to Angels Landing.
This section of the trail consists of 21 short and steep switchbacks that were carved onto the cliff. Get excited about the calf muscles you will be developing. If you want to see a picture that was taken from a different perspective, check out this photo on dangerousroads.org - the world's most spectacular roads.
We reach Scout Lookout, where we see a West Rim Trail Sign. Turning right off the West Rim Trail will take us to the out and back Angels Landing hike.
We have new trail guides now, our first mammal guide. This is an Uinta Chipmunk | Tamias umbrinus
Information about Zion's chipmunks: Zion - Chipmunks
The Chains
They brilliantly place another warning sign before we get to the famous chains. Many people stop at this point. Rock scrambling and hanging on for your life to a sweaty metal chain at steep heights for some reason doesn't appeal to a lot of people. There were great views, but not as much thrill as we were about to experience.
This guy is ready to go!
This guy is ready to go!
 |
| Photo Credit: Michael Landing |
I ditched the hiking pole at one point. It was a lot easier for me to stay balanced by having full use of both hands. Also in many areas, it is much easier to scramble on the rocks instead of using the chain. Even so, the chain was almost required in some of the narrow parts with nothing else for balance. The pole was fantastic in helping with the steep ascent on the West Rim Trail earlier.
 |
| Photo Credit: Michael Landing |
Normally I like to say "Don't forget to look up!", but this time it is far more exciting to say "Don't forget to look down!" People afraid of heights would probably prefer "Don't look down!"
Only an Angel Could Land Here
Thank you, dear Uinta Chipmunk, for helping us reach the top. NOW STOP BEGGING FOR FOOD!
Warning - Obnoxiously Cute Couple Photos
Peregrine Falcons in Zion
Peregrine Falcon | Falco peregrinus - The fastest animal in the entire world.
Sources: National Park Service - Zion and National Audubon Society
They dive from steep heights at around 200 miles per hour to prey on other birds. We got to see this in action. At first we only saw the first one, but once he settled into the tree, we discovered the second. Michael had far more superior photos than myself. Some of the pics are his, some are mine.
 |
| Peregrine Falcon - Zion | Photo Credit: Michael Landing |
 |
| Pair of Peregrine Falcons - Zion | Photo Credit: Michael Landing |
The Descent
Going up may have been sweaty and tough on the quads and calf muscles, but I was more worried about coming down because of recent knee and soft tissue injury.
Foot traffic increased as the morning went on. It wasn't abysmally crowded yet and everyone who arrived in the earlier part of the morning was competent in allowing groups to wait and take turns. The areas with the chains are one-way traffic all the time.
We peered more inside a cave we had seen on the way up.
Truly remarkable.
I love this view of the initial switchbacks. They cover a large amount of elevation change in a short amount of time. People at this point in the morning seemed less athletic and more fatigued. Many asked how far away certain landmarks were. Someone even asked if this was Scout Lookout "Nah dude, you haven't even gotten to Walter's Wiggles yet."
Our roundtrip was a little over 3 hours. This includes taking a break at the top for photos, snacks, and water. If you're in good shape, it seems 3-4 hours is standard. The average for everyone is usually 3-6 hours.
Relevant Resources
- NPS - Zion Hiking Guide PDF
- Hike Speak - Angels Landing
- Kat's Zion National Park Guide - Coming Soon
Angel's Landing was one of my favorite adventures! It is so inspiring! Love the blog and photos!
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading and the feedback, Joe!
Delete