Heart of Zion

 

Heart of Zion

The second day of exploring Zion began very, very early.  We got up and were on our way to the Park when it was still dark, just so that we could get there in time to find a parking spot at the Visitors Center.  Now, the Visitors Center has a large parking lot, but there are so many folks who want to see what I call The Heart of Zion, we needed to get there by shortly after 7am in order to get a parking spot so that we could ride the shuttle bus into the Heart.  No passenger cars are allowed.  It was well worth the hassle, as you’ll see!

There are several stops that the shuttle bus makes, but we chose to ride it until the last stop at what’s called the Temple of Sinawava.  This is actually a natural amphitheater and is named for the coyote spirit of the Paiute Nation.  From the number of people who did what we did, it’s easy to see that this is one of the Park’s most popular destinations.  At this point, we accessed and entered the Riverside Walk.  This is a 2-mile round-trip walk along the Virgin River, and takes us into the heart of Zion Canyon. What an entryway!

After walking just a short distance, looking back, I could see how we were being engulfed by the canyon.  Even though it was fairly early in the morning, the walk was a bit dim, as the light from the sun hadn’t quite reached into the canyon walls.

The walk runs along the side of one of the canyon walls, and sometimes, the canyon wall reminds us of this by overhanging into the trail!!  Yes, I did have to bend my head a bit if I walked away from the outer edge of the trail, and was rewarded afterwards by yet another scenic view of the Virgin River.  Even though the walls of the canyon began to close in a bit, claustrophobia is simply not possible, with the feeling of space those 3,000 foot high walls created!

There were so many different peaceful views of the canyon and river, it was impossible to become bored!  The water was incredibly clear and reflected the colors of both the trees and canyon walls.  You can see the scenery beginning to brighten, as the sun of the day seeps into the canyon very slowly.

This area is home to a variety of wildlife, not the least of which are mule deer.  Here’s a little one and Mom (in the background) having breakfast along the river.  Although truly wild, they weren’t terribly afraid of all the people walking by.  Of course, the further we walked, the more spaced out we got, as some were intent on their destination, while others, like Jeff and me, sort of strolled so that we could take it the beauty of it all.  So, the deer got a slow but steady stream of admirers, instead of one big crowd!

At this point, we were fairly close to the turnaround point of the walk, and you can see even more sun making its way into the canyon.  I felt like this was a bit of a magic spot, with the beauty of the canyon walls, the lighting, the trees, and the water of the river all blended in a wonderful portrait of the canyon.

Here we are at the end of our walk into the canyon.  I did capture a number of folks who treated this spot as only the beginning of their adventures, as they were beginning to hike The Narrows.  It is billed as one of the most spectacular hikes in the country, and just based on what we saw, I believe it!  However, one must have the balance and sure-footedness of a mountain goat to tackle this, and I have neither!!  It’s also rated as a strenuous hike, at about 7,2 miles, with elevation of up to 500 feet.  The “trail” at this point, is the Virgin River itself!  I wish them luck!

Enjoy!