Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Angels Landing... or Bust...

Uh... maybe I shouldn't put it that way... 'cause if ya "Bust" on the way to Angels Landing... you... Uh... meet up either With the Angels... or.. the Devil! :)

This is a poor picture... with the setting sun washing everything out... but... you can see Angels Landing... It's the Middle Rock on the left side... just in front of the white canyon wall behind it... You scale up its razor back, coming up behind it from Walters Wiggles... hanging on to a chain hung down the middle... :) ... and parts of you, which for the moment shall remain nameless... blow kisses at the world! ... as you stumble along... leaving finger prints in the steel chain!

Made it 'bout half way a couple years back... but... decided it was Too Late in the Day... right... so... this time, we're taking off earlier... and see if I can move a lil' quicker... and make the top...

Walked up to the Weeping Rock area last evening... a perfect example of the water falls in this place. There, the water just weeps out of the rock wall that hangs out over your head... it drips down on you like a never ending rain...I tried to get the camera set to capture that... and apparently... still have some learning to do :) ... so I guess you'll have to go there to see it for your self.

Early summer, in spite of there being more people along with you, is likely a pretty awesome time here... everywhere we go, there are wet walls of rock, that just now are showing the sproutings of Columbine...

My guess is... in just a few weeks, with all the water and sun... those walls are going to be pretty amazing...

Except for the falls at the Emerald Pools... the water falls here all seem to come directly out of the wall... Like someone ran a pipe to it... they just shoot out eight or ten feet and come down in a misty spray that drifts off with each breeze... at the Upper Falls of Emerald Pools.... you get pretty warm climbing up...

*Upper Falls at Emerald Pools Drifting Away to Almost Nothing*
... then you turn a corner around a big rock... and it's like you walked into a cooler... in the height of the summer, I'll bet it's really appreciated... if... the falls are still flowing then... We've already seen a few disappear after last weeks rain...

*The Falls over Weeping Rock*
*The Big Bend from Hidden Canyon Trail*
 Walking through this place... you feel like you've gone a lot farther then you have. Everything is straight up here... so the trails all look like a can of worms, switchbacking back and forth to climb each rock face. But they do give you some awful nice views...

At times people seem to compete for THE picture taking spot... Why bother... six steps up the trail is another... of an equally sweet, and inspiring view...

*What is it about silhouettes?*
From the spectacular... to the quieter... more serene kind of scenery... it's really fine... Sometimes... it's like you're walking in a painting... yeah that's it... I'm a Disney Character... jumping into a picture...

*Ya Gotta Save Your Sunglasses...... Don't You?*

The strap of my camera, snagged my high dollar sunglasses... and sent 'em flying... sliding down that rock slab to oblivion... except... they hung up... right on the edge... gotta go get 'em! :) ... the picture don't show it real well... but... I kinda wish that stone weren't so steep! :)


Good thing is...there's always another View... to calm you back down a mite.

Heading Out to Conquer Angels Landing... We'll see who wins...
Brian

Return to the main site of goin' RV Boondocking or Visit my Sister website Motorcycle Touring on Freedom Road

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Better you than me at Angel's Landing. I'll never get there. Acrophobia gets in the way. When I can see the canyon below from that knife edge that is no place for this human. Perhaps I could find an angel to get me there...

Unknown said...

Do you know more men then women suffer from Acrophobia. Its a weird fact. I am not!! Maybe onto something here.. Sunglasses?? too cute and too funny... Would love to see Angel's Landing..

Brian said...

you will! with tomorrow's post :)

Brian said...

you will! with tomorrow's post :)

Gaelyn said...

Even though I've hiked rim-to-rim several times, I've passed so far on Angels Landing. Walking the Virgin River is awesome though. During summer I've not seen so many waterfalls. With all that rain the wild flowers should be Great. Look forward to you showing me that high hike.

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About 20 years ago I took my ffamily to the big SW loop GC, Navajo NM Zion Brice etc. We arrive in the valley in Zion after an overnight drive. The 2 boys 13/21 and I followed the Virgin several miles uo that gorgeous canyon in the AM while DW and our 18 year old Norwiegian exchange daughter slept. We returned for lunch and they were upset that they didn't go. My boys immediately said lets go. All of us were deeply impressed the he awesome trek. I would reccommend it for all.

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