Because this was going to be a shorter day trip today, we decided to just drive across on Hwy 9 through the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway tunnel and visit some of the scenic points on the east side of Zion. As we drove up the switchbacks toward the tunnel, the beauty of Zion surrounded us.
I almost believe it is impossible to take a bad picture in Zion National Park. It is all so incredibly beautiful! Click on the below picture to get a panoramic view of Zion.
The traffic in Zion was unusually low today and we had just a short wait before we were able to drive through the tunnel. When we reached the end of the tunnel, there were a few parking spaces available in the small parking lot across from the Canyon Overlook trailhead so we decided to park the car and hike the one mile trail.
We had all been to Zion previously and had remembered this as a beautiful but slightly challenging hike. There are railings along much of the first part of the trail which helps a lot.
We could hear people talking in the canyon below us but could not see them. As we walked further around, we saw a group of people that were doing a little canyoneering below us. (They are in the yellow circle.)
We walked around the edge of a bluff on a bridge.
From inside the overhang, the temperatures were considerably cooler but the views were still beautiful!!
There were a few flowers in bloom but not many.
When we reached the overlook, the canyon we had just driven up lay before us.
We sat on the rocks and enjoyed some water and some snacks while talking to a nice couple from Florida. Another of the many blessings besides the gorgeous views and scenery when you take a hike are the very nice people that you meet along the way.
After resting our feet for a few more minutes...
...we began our hike back down.
The trail was actually a little easier it seemed to me this time. I think we all enjoyed it tremendously!
After we got back to the car, we drove back down through the tunnel and the canyon and out of the park into Springdale which is located just outside the park. We couldn't find any picnic tables so we parked the car and ate at a nice shady bus stop.
Nice views here too...even at a bus stop!
We got back to the campground in time for Ken and Bonnie to Skype with their granddaughters, Cali and Bria, who I got to meet also via Skype. They are so cute!
The weather and the humidity is so nice in the evenings that we have been able to eat dinner together outside and we even played our nightly card games outside.
Bonnie and I won the first game we played, Up the River; and Ken and Chuck won the last game we played: SkipBo.
As much as we have enjoyed seeing all that we have seen and doing all that we have done, it's kind of nice to be close enough to the national park that we can get back to our campers and relax a little in the evening. Tomorrow, we are going back to Zion and maybe hike the Emerald Pools trail.
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