In April 2011, we did a three-day, two-night backpack trip on the East Rim Trail to Deertrap Mountain in Zion National Park, Utah. John was 58 and I was 57.
We headed up through Echo Canyon.
The trail then climbs steeply out of the canyon. Fortunately, there were great views, which provided opportunities for John to stop and take photographs and an excuse for me to stop and catch my breath. It was our first backpack trip since fall, and I was out of shape.
We camped the first night on Cable Mountain.
Cable Mountain got its name from the cable works once used to lower timber from the mesa to the valley below. We read that occasionally people used it as a quick way down. I think I’d rather walk.
Cable Mountain provides great views of the valley, including a view down on Angels Landing.
The next day, we headed to Deertrap Mountain. There was still snow on the mesas above the canyon, but warmer temperatures had begun melting some of it. As a result, the trails were quite muddy in places. It was slow and messy going at times. Deertrap is unusual for a mountain because it has a long, narrow, flat top. After setting up camp on the north end …
… we hiked out to the southern end for views back down the valley.
By exploring toward the eastern side, we got views of Zion Valley that you can’t get anywhere else.
Once back at camp, we enjoyed yet another view of Angels Landing in the valley below.
When we hiked out, we weren’t too surprised to discover that all of the snow had not magically disappeared.
As we descended, we got a good look at the Observation Point Trail across the canyon. It is always fun to see trails you have done from a distance. It gives us a great sense of satisfaction.
The recent snowmelt created higher water levels through Echo Canyon, so some chilly wading was necessary.
This completed our first backpack trip of what we hoped would be a big year. We could have done with less snow and mud, but Zion National Park is a beautiful place, and we enjoyed our time there.
All photos from this trip are on Flickr.
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