Angels Landing

In April 2011, we did a day hike to the iconic Angels Landing in Zion National Park. John was 58 and I was 56.

This was our first hike of the year, and it was a doozy. The trail climbs 21 steep switchbacks known as Walter’s Wiggles before reaching Scout Lookout. From there, the notorious final ascent follows a narrow ridge where hikers use chains for assistance.

This wasn’t our first time to Angels Landing, so we knew it could be crowded. However, we were late enough in the day that the usual crowds had dissipated, so we had it largely to ourselves. Also, the presence of snow and ice may have been a deterrent.

The reward was the view of Zion Valley below.

This is such an iconic hike. The snow made a nice contrast to the red rock and green trees.

The ice and snow made the hike challenging at times, and our late start meant we hiked out after dark. But it was well worth it for the solitude we experienced.

All photos from this trip are on Flickr.