Driving Directions (from Hurricane, Utah)
Traveling east/southeast on Utah Highway 59, turn left (east) onto Utah Avenue (right before Subway restaurant in 2018) in Hildale.  Continue on pavement for ~ 2 miles, then Utah Avenue curves left (north) and becomes Canyon Street.  At 2.5 miles from highway 59, turn right onto Water Canyon Road (road becomes dirt).  Travel  ~ 1 mile to a sign on the right of the road that reads "Squirrel Canyon Trailhead".  Trailhead parking is just ahead.

• Water Canyon Trail is another approach from the south side of Canaan Mountain, trailhead on Water Canyon Road.

Our Adventure
Once in awhile, we spend more time than we would like just trying to find our trail.  It happens to the best of adventurers.  This costs precious time, especially when days are short and the hike to the summit is long.  Fred and I briefly started in the wrong direction, then had to backtrack to the Squirrel Canyon trailhead.  Another look at compass, map, and hike directions to re-orient, then we were on our way, paying close attention to which canyon we were hiking through.  There are no signs or trail markers until the climb up Squirrel Canyon, as this a wilderness area (an advantage:  not many people on the trail!)  We would still make Canaan Mountain, but not the highest point on its summit which is a longer hike.  

We stayed in Hurricane, Utah for Thanksgiving weekend in an old Zion NP ranger's cabin.  Hiking in and near Zion National Park is a great way to celebrate the holidays.  I have been hiking in Zion since the early 1990's.  We avoided crowds this time by choosing hikes outside of the park.  I was very impressed by the Canaan Mountain Wilderness because of its rugged beauty and all of the sandstone features throughout, and the fact that we basically had the place to ourselves.  My kind of holiday!

We chose the Squirrel Canyon Trail instead of Water Canyon Trail, another approach to Canaan Mountain because we read that the hike goes through water in Water Canyon and the temps were only in the 30's and 40's.  There must be neoprene boots for wading up streams.  I plan on doing this hike again via the Water Canyon approach.

The hike starts by descending through deep orange sand, across a wash, and continues on the orange sand straight ahead.  It rounds the red bluff to the left and then drops into Short Creek, ~ 0.5 miles from trailhead.  There were a few people riding ATVs on the trails and washes; they looked like they were having fun.   The steep canyon walls shaded Short Creek and its huge Cottonwood trees in the morning.  This scene looked much different in the afternoon on the way back to the trailhead with the yellow leaves brightly glowing in the direct sunlight streaming through the canyon.

​The brief walk up the creek before the trail scrambles up a small bank under a huge grove of Cottonwoods is beautiful.  Sand ripples alternating red and black lie under shallow water reflecting the sky.  The trail then follows a 4 WD road along the creek, passing by plenty of grey rabbitbrush shrubs whose flower heads glow a cream color in the sun.  Patches of white sand are deposited on the bank above the stream, possibly sediment from the white Navajo Sandstone layer further upstream.

The entrance into Squirrel Canyon, about one mile upstream is obvious, as the ATV/hiking trail crosses Short Creek.  A wide and relatively flat area at the entrance was covered with autumn leaves.  The trail ascends Squirrel via the 4WD road and then a single track trail as the canyon narrows.  Oak and maple trees surround and form an autumn canopy of red, brown and green, while green moss and maidenhair ferns dripped water seeping from vertical sandstone walls.  The trail transitions from the soft tread of seasons of leaves to hard and angular slabs of sandstone to soft white sand as it emerges from the canyon then tops out on a beautiful plateau underneath The Beehive, an ancient sand dune.  In a short distance from emerging, the canyon trail intersects with the Sawmill Trail with a pile of rocks marking this point.  As we turned left at this point (west), I glanced back to make sure I wouldn't miss this intersection on the way down.

An excellent feature of this hike is that it gains enough elevation to walk through at least two  geologic formations.  The top of Canaan Mountain consists of the massive Navajo Sandstone which is also observed in the towering walls of Zion National Park.  The hike appears to be starting in the red cliffs of the Kayenta Formation (mudstone) that lies below the Navajo Sandstone.  The transition I noticed was in leaving the red sands and cliffs behind in Squirrel Canyon and ending up on the white rocks and white sand on the plateau above.

The upper walls of Canaan Mountain are the White Cliffs of Navajo Sandstone, and at the base are the Vermilion Cliffs which can be seen at the trailhead.  These cliffs are widespread throughout southern Utah and Northern Arizona.  At this location, they face southeast, and in the morning sun the walls are ablaze with intense orange, yellow and red (read more about geology of this area below).

The plateau above the canyon is a wondrous world of layered, cross-bedded, curving cream-colored and orange sandstone, with  never-ending examples of eroded Navajo Sandstone features.  Huge junipers make you wonder how old they are.  Dark and light-striped hoo-doos, domes and platforms in all shapes and sizes are so plentiful - I wished that I was camping up there so I could spend more time looking.  Ponderosa pine and juniper contrast against the frozen-in-time deeply angled and curving sand dune cross-beds.  The spectacular dark and forested V-shape of the entrance into Water Canyon looms to the south.  Time was getting short.  We left Sawmill Trail and scrambled up ledges of slickrock to the highest point on the summit north of us, which is not the highest on Canaan Mountain.  We found ourselves in yet another world of a flat-topped forested plateau with soft white sand.  Only a few hours of daylight left - we had to get back.

Sawmill Trail required close attention because it was marked by cairns sparsely at best, requiring us to "hunt" for the trail sometimes.  The trail alternated between soft sand and slickrock, steep in parts.  Tire tread from a recent jeep was helpful to navigate the way.  With each turn, rise and descent, there is almost an overload of beautiful, stark, weird, unusual sights along with the feeling of elevated space and expanse in every direction.

We saw no one else in the canyon and on the slickrock plateau.  It was easy to get sidetracked in Squirrel Canyon while getting almost hypnotized by watching oak leaves floating in clear pools that had ripples on the bottom.  As we made our way back to the trailhead, on the ATV trail that runs along Short Creek, a large group of young backpackers were plodding towards us in the deep red sand, laughing and smiling, silhouetted by the late afternoon sun.  Huge Cottonwoods, strong and rooted along the white-sand bank with leaves glowing yellow lined our way back down Short Creek.  These had massive trunks - the vegetation in this area is so robust and healthy.  I'm going back -  I can see why the party of backpackers looked so joyous!  Next time - Water Canyon!

Geology and History
The age of rocks on Canaan Mountain are Lower Jurassic (201 - 174 Ma).  It  is capped by 1,300-foot cliffs of Navajo Sandstone.  The Kayenta Formation underlies the Navajo.  The Kayenta is then underlain by the Moenave Formation.  The base of the White Cliffs of Canaan Mountain is part of the greater extent of the Vermilion Cliffs, which extend over a large area of Utah and Arizona.

• Navajo Sandstone:  Very uniform sandstone; 90% of grains are quartz.  Large-scale, high-angle cross-beds are typical of this formation.  It was formed as depositions of sand dunes inland of an Early Jurassic sea.  Major erosion has carved the west-facing cliffs of Canaan Mountain.  Navajo Sandstone is wide-reaching, occurring throughout Utah, northern Arizona and extreme western Colorado.  
• Kayenta Formation:  Reddish-orange mudstone that forms ledges and occurs in the Vermilion Cliffs below the Navajo Sandstone.  Formed by accumulation of sediments from point bars of stream channels.
• Moenave Formation:  Near base of Vermilion Cliffs - the upper member of this formation (Springdale Sandstone) makes reddish-brown, ledgy cliffs.  Sources for this layer were energetic streams flowing across alluvial planes from ancestral Rocky Mountains.  It has low-angle cross-beds.
• Structure:  Locally, there are no major faults.  Regionally, the Hurricane Fault, located ~ 11 miles to the west,  produced a massive displacement, with the west side of the fault dropping, forming the boundary between the Colorado Plateau and Basin and Range Provence.   To the east of this area, the Sevier Fault down-dropped rocks to the west of it.  Joints (fractures) have been mapped on top of Canaan Mountain in Navajo Sandstone.  Origins of these joints have been proposed:  stress fields between faults, domal uplift, and east/west compression of rocks.
• History:  A logging operation occurred between 1915 - 1928.  Remains of a windlass pulley system that brought men and equipment up 1,500 feet to the top of the mountain.  Several million board-feet of lumber were removed.  The mill was relocated to Rockville.

Key to stratigraphic units in above photo:  Eroded Navajo Sandstone on cap of Canaan Mountain 1,200 feet thick; Canaan Mountain is ~ 2,000 feet higher than the plain (Jn).   Kayenta Formation (Jk),  Moenave Formation consisting of the Springdale Sandstone member (Jms),  Whitmore Point and Dinosaur Canyon members (Jmwd).  (From Geologic Map of the Smithsonian Butte Quadrangle, cited below).

​​References: 

• Moore, D.W. and Sable, Edward G.  Geologic Map of the Smithsonian Butte Quadrangle, Washington County, Utah and Mohave County, Arizona.  2001.  U.S. Geologic Survey.  Retrieved from internet.
• Utah BLM Statewide Wilderness Draft EIS:  Environmental Impact Statement, Vol. 3, Part 1.  1990.  Retrieved from internet.

Our Adventure
It was the vivid colors in Death Hollow that I remember most when Fred and I hiked the Boulder Mail Trail 18 years ago.  Bright blue skies, red rounded rocks, orange and yellow cut walls, verdant willows:  the whole scene reminded me of the hues on the art class color wheel.  We saw only two other people on the trail that day - two guys swimming and splashing joyfully under steep walls.  So extraordinarily different this hollow was from other streams I had hiked before whose colors, albeit beautiful, are usually various shades of brown, grey and green.  Here, in the middle of an immense sandstone sea, we had color combinations only the desert can produce. 

On a very warm day in June this year, Fred and I hiked this trail again.  The sandstone wall of Death Hollow as the Boulder Mail Trail enters it from the north is bright yellow and grey.  I wondered if that rock surface could really be that colorful, and checked the colors of vegetation in the images I was taking.  Maybe it was a reflection of the sun?  Sandstones can be yellow due to dissolving of calcium carbonate, a common cementing material.  The grey vertical stripes looked like weathering stains to me.

These days, the Boulder Mail Trail trailhead is generously marked.   The first 1.5 miles trek steadily down a bench through a pinyon/juniper/sagebrush forest.  Views suddenly open up as the trail drops down into sandstone hills and gulches of the Sand Creek tributaries.  Rock cairns mark the trail for the remaining trek to Death Hollow (and then on to Escalante), except for a few sandy stretches where the trail is marked initially by a cairn.

The trail zig-zags through a sandy opening of a shelf of eroded orange sandstone layers and deposits you onto the immense slickrock.  As you leave the plateau behind, two and even three cairns can be seen ahead, linking the trail to Sand Creek.  So much to see in such a stark landscape:  grey lichen, aged wood, sand pockets, and water-smoothed channels.

At 2.7 miles, cross Sand Creek, flowing in mid-June.  Walk on right (west) side of creek through willows for ~ 0.2 - 0.3 miles to cairns that climb out of creek bottom and briefly switchback over a knob.  We had to backtrack here because we followed the creek too closely to the shore.  The climb from Sand Creek to the highest point on Slickrock Saddle is ~ 500 feet.  The initial climb out of the creek is steep, then alternates between less steep and steep rises (see profile chart, above), trekking around the northwest side of a large dome with hoodoos on top.

Telephone wire installed 108 years ago runs along the trail as it treks through long stretches of deep sand in a pinyon/juniper forest.  This segment leads to the summit of Slickrock Saddle Bench at 6,600 feet and the first view of Death Hollow.

As you make your way off  Slickrock Saddle Bench, the shadowy chasm of Death Hollow becomes deeper and deeper; you know it's there, but it just won't reveal itself right away.  It's tempting to stare in awe at this unique sight, but stay focused on the cairns, too, because the trail swings south and skirts around a knob at 6,617 feet, heading for the best way off the bench.  Next, the trail switchbacks and treks in a northwest direction.  The steepest part lies ahead, and you wonder how mules delivering mail in the early 1900's walked across this precarious descent.  A passage from the book "Advised them to Call the Place Escalante" reads:

​This trail was known in the early 1900's as the Death Hollow Trail, and it was the shortest route between Boulder and Escalante.  It was the fastest route if one was in a hurry, for the wagon road between the towns was a longer distance.  Parts of this trail were "blasted out" in order for safe horse passage.  Tales of cream cans and eggs being delivered via the Death Hollow Trail among other trail experiences are described in Jerry Roundy's book.  The residents of Boulder and Escalante finally received the mail service they had been petitioning for in 1902 when the first government mail carrier's contract was given to an Escalante resident, who would deliver mail using the Death Hollow Trail twice per week.

I'm more aware of my balance on the steep slickrock; most of the texture of the rock enables my boots to grip well, but there are smoother patches to look out for.  I imagine what it was like to lead horses and mules over this section.  Did they slip?  During the winter was there ice?  What would this place look like with several inches of snow?  Or under a full moon?  I believe the Death Hollow Trail mail carriers were pretty tough, and they got to see some of the most beautiful scenery in the world.

Starting at ~ 5.25 miles, the well-marked trail switchbacks and descends 600 feet in 3/4 of a mile to the thick vegetation of the flowing creek in Death Hollow.  Some moss-covered rocks were slippery to step onto.  There's a sweet tent spot at the terminus, and from the paths seen on the treeless part of the shore on the descent, there are probably more tent spaces available.

This time we didn't hike down Death Hollow as we did 18 years ago, although the water would have cooled us off in the mid-80's temperature.  Vegetation along water seemed thicker this time, but the colors and textures no less beautiful.  The cool shade, chatter of water over rocks, sudden splash of colors and tall vertical walls in Death Hollow contrast with the bright and open, mostly shadeless trek across sandstone country.

After resting in the shade, we started the 6-mile hike back, looking forward to the largest elevation gain of the trip - 1,450 feet. On the way back, we took a break at Sand Creek, near huge rounded basalt boulders, probably from Boulder Mountain, whose basalt age is 6 - 16 Ma, and whose run-off streams  provide water for Sand Creek.

There's always numerous adventures awaiting me, and seeing Fred walk across the slickrock is even more fulfilling than the hike, which is hard to beat.  One of the best parts of life is the hope of future adventures in the beautiful American West.  Next time -  the entire Boulder Mail Trail!

Two days earlier, Fred and I hiked from Escalante to Mamie Creek along the Boulder Mail Trail (the southern portion).  Although we didn't get all the way to Death Hollow, I feel that portion of the trail is even more gorgeous.  We had the Phipps Death Hollow Wilderness all to ourselves that day, as we saw no one else.  It's days like these that I will remember reverently - forever. 

Below are some images of the portion of the Boulder Mail Trail Cross Country Route south of Death Hollow.

References:

Boggs, S. Jr.  2012.  Principles of Sedimentology and Stratigraphy, Fifth Ed.  Pearson Education, Inc.

​Hackman, R.J., and Wyant, D.G., 1973, Geology, structure, and uranium deposits of the Escalante quadrangle, Utah and Arizona: U.S. Geological Survey, Miscellaneous Geologic Investigations Map I-744, scale 1:250,000.

Parry, W. T. 2016.  Geology of Utah's Mountain, Peaks and Plateaus.  Friesen Press, Victoria, B.C., Canada.  

Roundy, J. C.  2000.  "Advised them to Call the Place Escalante".  Art City Publishing, Springville, Utah.  355 pp.

UtahGeology.com.  http://utahgeology.com/bin/formationdescs.php?fm=fm_navajo.  

According to the study A Comparison of a near-relict site  and a grazed site in a pinyon-juniper community in the Grand Staircase National Monument, Utah,​ no non-native species were found on the study plots on No Mans Mesa.  This study compares vegetation species cover and richness, cryptobiotic crust cover and soil on  No Mans Mesa and Deer Spring Point, ~ 2 km southwest of No Mans Mesa.  Deer Spring Point is accessed by a road branching from Skutumpah Road and is grazed in the summer by domestic livestock.  Characteristics for these two study sites are similar:  same geology, elevation, soil, aspect and plant community type. 

Major findings comparing plant communities in the grazed site and the non-grazed, near-relict site:

• Well-developed cryptobiotic crust cover was 60% less on Deer Spring Point than on No Mans Mesa.
• Significantly more shrub cover on Deer Spring Point compared to No Mans Mesa, however, No Mans Mesa had more shrub diversity.
• Consistently greater total vegetation cover and greater native vegetation cover was found on      Deer Spring Point compared to No Mans Mesa.
• No difference in grass cover, but Muttongrass and Needle-and-Thread grass have twice as much cover on No Mans Mesa as on Deer Spring Point:   composition was different.
• Non-native species were not abundant at either grazed or relict site.
• Researchers did not find considerably more invasive species on the grazed site.

References:

Atkison, Ron. Hiking Grand Staircase-Escalante and the Glen Canyon Region.  1998.  Falcon Publishing. pp 288-292.
​
Gregory, Herbert E.  1951. The Geology and Geography of the Paunsaugunt Region Utah.  Geological Survey Professional Paper 226.  United States Government Printing Office.  

Guenther, D., Stohlgren, Thomas J., Evangelista, P.  2003.  A Comparison of a near-relict site  and a grazed site in a pinyon-juniper community in the Grand Staircase National Monument, Utah,​  In book:  The Colorado Plateau:  cultural, biological and physical research.  The University of Arizona Press, pp. 153-162.

Mason, Lamar R.,  Andrews, Horace M., Carley, James A., Haacke, E. Dwain.  1967.  Vegetation and Soils of No Man's Mesa Relict Area, Utah.  Journal of Range Management 20:  45-49.

Trip Stats:

• ​Double Arch Alcove lies at the end of the Taylor Creek hike that goes along the Middle Fork of Taylor Creek in the Kolob Canyons section of Zion National Park
• The hike is listed as intermediate: distance is a total of 5 miles in and out  (2.5 miles to reach end)
• Trail head is 2 miles past the Kolob Canyons Visitor Center and Kolob Canyons Road within Zion National Park 
• Geologic features such as Kanarraville Fold and marine fossils in limestone can be seen as well as the Arch Alcove
• This trail traverses the Taylor Creek Thrust-Fault Zone and goes through 3 geologic formations as you climb.  Some of the features are:  Petrified Forest Member of the Chinle Formation, Moenave Formation (including the Kanarraville fold), Kayenta Formation and ending in Navajo Sandstone               
• 2 homestead cabins are located on this trail - both built in 1930
• Early morning light in this box canyon is beautiful due to sun reflections off towering Tucupit and Paria Points that reflect orange light

​

Taylor Creek Trail to Double Arch Alcove contains a treasure-trove of exposed geologic features in a relatively short distance.  In the 450 feet of elevation from trailhead to alcove, the hike passes through three geologic formations.  Like most box canyons, the hike starts at the lower, wider part of the canyon and climbs to narrower, higher walls on both sides.  The towering wall seen from the north side of the canyon is Tucupit Point, and the wall seen from the south side is Paria Point.  The hike ends at the alcove carved into Navajo Sandstone.

Geology aside, you can enjoy the sheer beauty of this hike because of the creek's waterfalls, the pines and junipers, and the colors and patterns on the rock.  The Larson homestead cabin, built in 1930,  lies at the confluence of the Middle Fork and North Fork of Taylor Creek.  The Fife homestead cabin is located further up the trail.  Both are preserved well, and you can imagine what it might be like living through cold winter nights in this canyon.

Early morning is the best time to hike along the Middle Fork of Taylor Creek to Double Arch Alcove because of the quality of the light.  As the rising sun shines on towering red rock walls along the creek, it reflects an orange glow onto everything in the canyon.  I feel like I'm enveloped in a soft light that relaxes me as I hike further.  Everything is still, devoid of harsh shadows and colors are vibrant.  The orange sand is soft underfoot and the creek crossings don't create an interruption in our stride.

During the Mesozoic Era, Western North America was in a mountain-building phase with compressional forces due to the Pacific Plate sliding underneath the North American Plate.  The rocks of the Kolob Canyons were squeezed, compressed and uplifted.  In the Middle Fork Taylor Creek Canyon, this resulted in the Taylor Creek Thrust-Fault Zone and the Kanarraville Fold.   The photo above  was taken on Thanksgiving 4 years ago when Fred and I first hiked this canyon.  

The scenery becomes more intense as you walk up the canyon.  Then suddenly a wall of orange and red Navajo sandstone with black mineral stains looms above.  The lower arch provides a wide alcove with water seeping from its walls.  This is in fact what probably the impetus for the lower arch formation.  Ground water seepage weakens and dissolves the cement between sandgrains, breaking down the sandstone.  Blocks of sandstone then fall from the arch, accumulating below it only to be carried away by wind and water.

The blind upper arch appears high above the lower arch.

The whole scene is enveloped in a warm orange glow that is a reflection of light from the north canyon wall.  The terrain is devoid of footfalls because of the soft orange sand.  The green trees contrast with the orange and red.  And to have some snow along the way as we did when we hiked this trail on Thanksgiving 2013 was an added bonus.

References:

Biek, R. F., Geologic Trail Guides to Zion National Park, Utah - Kolob Canyon Trails - Middle Fork of Taylor Creek Trail.  Utah Geological Survey
https://www.utahgeology.org/road_logs/uga-29_first_edition/NP_guide/ziontrai.pdf

Website - "Watching for Rocks - Travels of a Sharp-eyed Geologist". Blog post April 21, 2011
http://www.watchingforrocks.com/2011/04/folding-and-faulting-in-kolob-canyons.html

Website - "Zion National Park - Plate Tectonics"
http://zion-gardner-bosch.weebly.com/plate-tectonics.html

Last weekend Fred and I got out of our Boise mountain bike trail comfort zone and rode some Utah trails near Hurricane.  The Boise ride we're used to is a steady gravelly climb up of mostly non-technical trails.  Although this ride was not technical, we found our legs getting adjusted to riding over blocks of limestone and up and down roller-coaster-like arroyos and small hills that ran along the base of towering cliffs and then out into a valley.  These trails were singletrack cruisin' and so fun as to bring a grin to our faces.  Utah bikers must have a "soft tail" or a suspended seat post, we concluded.   But we talked to a few other bikers and they all said they thought their hard tails were actually better.  So, we concluded that our bikes are just fine and we need to get down to Utah for more mountain biking.  The terrain can be challenging and it is so beautiful!

The initial descent down J.E.M. trail that puts you riding alongside a gorge was a little sketchy for me, so I walked a few of the steep switchbacks, while two young and fast kids whizzed past and out of sight (maybe I've seen too many physical therapy patients with broken bones and sprained ligaments as a result of bike crashes!).

It seemed fitting that in a sea of cryptobiotic soil we would be riding on Cryptobionic trail.  We admired the "geology-mindedness" and a play on words that the trail builders provided us.  Cryptobiotic soil crusts consist of soil cyanobacteria, lichens and mosses.  In arid areas,  these crusts help prevent soil erosion, increase water infiltration, and are good sources of fixed carbon.  A large percentage of the soil in this trail system had cryptobiotic crusts.  One source I read said that it takes an estimated minimum of 45 years to for damaged cryptobiotic soil in Southern Utah to be restored if crushed.

The cowbell hanging from a post at the top of Dead Ringer trail is within easy reach as you get to the top.  As we took a break at the top, several bikers hit the bell as they rode past it. The story, we heard is that the cowbell was found on/near a cow skeleton while the trails were being built.  At the cowbell, you can keep going to the trailhead or you can take a left and cruise on More Cowbell trail.  Of course, we opted to keep cruisin' on this great trail that traces the edge of the mesa we had just climbed.

So much to explore in the St. George, Utah area, so little time.  We'll get back on these trails, that's for sure!  Longer loop next time!

​Angels Landing, the summit of a towering slab of orange and yellow Navajo Sandstone rises almost 1,500 feet from the floor of Zion Canyon in Zion National Monument.    At first glance, it looks as if someone took a flat chunk of rock and tilted it up 90 degrees to rest on its side; however, if you study the rock more closely, you can see the relatively horizontal cross-bedding of sand layers that were laid down 180 million years ago.   When you stand at almost the highest elevation in the park, Observation Point, you can look down onto Angels Landing, 700 feet below your boots.  From this vantage point, Angels Landing is a fin of vertical sandstone.  From any vantage point, it seems impossible that there would be a hiking trail to the top, but in fact, people have been hiking Angels Landing since the trail was built in 1926.

Fred and I were fortunate enough to hike Angels Landing the Monday before Thanksgiving.  We were trying to remember how many times each of us had been to the top.  I did my first Angels Landing hike nearly 20 years ago, and Fred the same.  We have done it about 3 or 4 times since, and each time we are reminded what a special and spectacular hike it is.  However, 20 years later, a lot more people know about the trail, and it has become a destination for many a Zion hiker.

At the trailhead, a sign warns hikers of the perils that lie ahead.  The sign reads:  “Since 2004, six people have died falling from the cliffs on this route.  The 1.1 mile round-trip route from Scout Lookout to Angels Landing is a strenuous climb on a narrow ridge over 1,400 feet above the canyon floor.  This route is not recommended during high winds, storms, or if snow or ice is present.”

After hiking a short distance along the Virgin River, the erosive force mostly responsible for the creation of Zion Canyon, the trail ascends steeply up switchbacks to enter Refrigerator Canyon.  I can see how this canyon got its name because even in warmer months, it is still a cool and welcome change from the sun-baked trail below.  While still in this canyon, the next task is to hike up through “Walter’s Wiggles”, named for Zion’s first superintendant, who helped build the trail in 1926.  There are 21 short, very steep, heart-pounding switchbacks.  Upon exiting Refrigerator Canyon and the “wiggles”, the first close-up view of the vertical walls of Angels Landing comes into view.  It is here that your heart pounds for a different reason:  there before you lies a spectacular site of a narrow straight-up trail with lots of people holding onto thick metal chains that have been placed on most of the route.

​Yea!  Look what we get to climb!  This is the turn-around point for many hikers.  
 
The chains drilled into the sandstone make this exposed, dizzying hike much more manageable.  In fact, there was a trail crew working on the chains, replacing some clamps that attached the chains to the poles.  As we waited for them to complete their task, I made sure not to look at the 1,200 foot sheer drop-off just a few feet to my left.

​Oh glorious summit!  The reward is worth the guts, nerves, and courage of the adventurer.  There are about 15 people on the sun-drenched summit, all smiling and taking photos.
 
To the north, the Virgin River snakes through the top of the canyon, and to the south, famous Zion Canyon landmarks can be seen, such as the Great White Throne.

​Zion Canyon is the remnant of ancient sand dunes that covered a huge portion of North America, and formed about 175 million years ago.  It is at Zion that these ancient sand dunes are the greatest thickness. 
 
We head back down, and find many more hikers coming up, and since trail etiquette dictates that uphill hikers have the right of way, we pause a few times to encourage climbers.  At one point, a woman sees what lies ahead of her and wants to turn back, muttering something about just eating lunch.  I tell her that “it’s not as bad as it looks” and she bravely goes on.  Because it’s true, it’s really not as scary as it looks.  We will be back someday.