This morning we all set off in the shuttle again. This time we went to the Grotto stop, the starting point for the hike to Angels Landing. This peak was named in 1916 by a Methodist minister after one of his traveling companions remarked, "Only an angel could land on it." After taking pictures of Dennis and Ken and me at the beginning of the hike, Cheryl boarded the next shuttle for Zion Lodge where she planned to have coffee and "poke around" a bit.
The rest of us started on the hike, known for its steep switchbacks, including "Walter's Wiggles," a series of 21 steep zig-zagging switchbacks up the back of the monolith, carved out of solid rock in 1926. After two miles, we reached Scout's Lookout, a relatively large area that offers great views. Many hikers make this their destination, as the remaining 1/2 mile is along a fin with sheer dropoffs on both sides. Ken brought along his camera and book to keep him occupied while Dennis and I hiked to the summit.
The "hike" is more a rock scramble and an exercise in death defying balance, with the aid of some chains and shallow steps carved in the rocks in places. This hike is definitely not recommended for anyone afraid of heights, and many people turn back after attempting the first 30 feet or so and finding themselves holding on to the chain and cantilevered over the 1,200 foot drop.
Dennis and I were very careful--and very glad that we had brought hiking sticks to help with the balancing and pushing up the steep places. The rewards were fantastic views, a sense of being on top of the world, and the feeling of hard-won victory when we finally reached the summit.
When we got back to Scout's Lookout, Ken was waiting for us, and we all sat down to eat lunch, rest, and tell tales.
Ken used a 30x zoom to capture this photo of Dennis and me at the summit. He wasn't sure it was us until he saw the photo on the computer.
This was a thrilling experience, but we did notice some negatives. The trail was crowded, and many parts were one-way, so we had to wait for others coming down when we were going up, for example. Too many people added to the risks that someone would be jostled at an inopportune time. It also made for a crowd at the summit, as hard as that is to believe with such a difficult trail.
We saw some unsafe behavior, as impatient people took shortcuts and didn't use the chains. We saw some very small children. One little boy was jostling Dennis from behind as he tried to hurry. We of course stopped to let folks pass rather than hurry ourselves, as soon as we could find a safe place to step aside.
I've got to say I'm happy we had this experience, but also relieved to have completed the hike safely. It took all our energy and stamina to make it down the steep trail to the shuttle stop. If I had it to do over again, I'd have started earlier to miss some of the crowds and stay a bit cooler.
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