It didn't take Ron Schott and Silver Fox long to figure out that the picture in last night's post was from Zion National Park. The Navajo Sandstone is a distinctive formation however you cut it (in this case, cut by the Virgin River). The trail is indeed the one to Observation Point. The Angels Landing Trail is a fine and spectacular challenge, especially with the chains along the upper ridge, but the Observation Point Trail is longer, and reaches the rim of Zion Canyon, unlike Angels Landing, which is the cliff in the lower right-hand side of the picture.I am tempted to give it another try this year...the trail offers stunning views all the way up, although I need to spend more time in the gym before considering it.
Skip Angels landing and take either trail to the rim. Either is a fantastic walk through the navajo and its many and varied erosional forms. The crowds are all down low as the landing is the premier destination for most visitors, but I enjoy walking from the valley floor to the pine trees on the rim.
ReplyDeleteI might try for the West Rim this year...Observation Point was one of the high points of my hiking life, and I am always anxious to see more!
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