There comes a time in every pandemic, or maybe 10 times, when you need to get out of the house. In January, Jason and I reached another one of those gotta-get-out moments. Luckily, we already had a plan to get out to two national parks, one of which we had never visited. Here’s how our indispensable travels to the Joshua Tree and Zion National Parks led to the greatest possible happiness one can receive from roaming a couple national parks during winter in the middle of a pandemic.

While Joshua Tree National Park, a new location for us, was the main focus of our trip, we thought we might as well break up our long drive with a couple nights in Zion National Park. It was our first time in Zion in January, so we weren’t sure what to expect… until the weather forecast told us we should expect bad things. The wind was supposed to remain an unsettled 20-22 mph during our stay. Determined hikers + strong gusts + temperatures in the low forties = an infallible method for making rambling popsicles. Fortunately, we didn’t become an ingredient in that recipe thanks to a slide.

We hiked the Sand Bench Loop, which is 3.6 miles long starting from The Court of the Patriarchs and meanders on top of a massive 2,000-year-old landslide. We encountered virtually no breeze for most of our trek, even though the wind was whizzing outside Zion Canyon. Goodbye 20-22 mph; hello blocking rocks strategically placed 250 million years ago! Apparently, this trail doesn’t get much love except from those taking it on horseback, but we thought the views of The Patriarchs, the rock formations across the canyon, and the valley below The Watchman were striking. Also, we only saw five or six groups during our whole trek, and nothing makes an outlook more appealing than a lack of people.

Afterward, we had just enough daylight, or nearly enough, to hike to the Lower Emerald Pool, which is an easy stroll at just over a mile. This trail had recently reopened after a year-long closure to perform some routine repairs; floods and rainstorms regularly damage this swath of Zion. While this path had more occupants than Sand Bench, compared to its usual masses, it was practically deserted.

On our way out of the area the next day, we stopped at Grafton, a nearby ghost town. It was settled in 1847 and deserted in 1945. Like its inhabitants, we thought we could make this a quick stop… a few hours later we finally made it back on the road. Please note, I am not responsible for the seductive and engrossing nature of historical information.

Next week, or sometime thereafter, I will divulge the details of the second part of our journey. It boulder be good!