Canyons in COVID
Jason and I were supposed to take a trip to the Caribbean with his parents in June. That didn’t happen… you may have heard of this COVID thing? Since our sanity was borderline after months of homebodyness, we opted to at least take a little break in Zion National Park and its surrounds. COVID had created a little chaos down there but had also disrupted Zion’s regular crowds. That worked for us. Frankly, we probably would have been happy going to the world’s most exotic toenail collection- heck, maybe even its least exotic one- as long as it got us out of the house for a few days.
In keeping with the contemporary confusion, even prepping for this trip was slightly chaotic. After months of journeying nowhere, an abnormality for us, I kind of forgot what I usually pack and my packing process. It’s funny how quickly routines get erased. Good thing I have a packing list, or who knows what I would have missed- underwear, toothbrush, camera, deodorant… husband.
Springdale, the gateway to Zion, is usually overrun with tourists in the summer. It only had a fraction of its normal throngs during our stay. It seemed a little uncanny to have the sun blasting there without the people blasting; the town felt half-awake. Don’t mistake my puzzlement for a complaint. You will get no grumbles from me on this.
Zion Canyon, where the majority of Zion’s attractions are located, has been closed to private vehicles for years due to congestion. Shuttles are typically the only way to access it during all but the winter months. However, the shuttles were not operating when we visited because of COVID. What did this mean? Vehicles were only allowed to enter the canyon until available parking filled up. Parking opened at 6:00 AM and filled up… oh, a few minutes later. Okay, maybe 43 minutes later on a lucky morning. We avoided this headache by only going into Zion Canyon later in the day. We hiked elsewhere in the park and outside the park the rest of the time and kept our heads comfortably on our pillows past 6:00 AM.
Our first evening in the area, we took the Kayenta Trail to the Upper Emerald Pool. We made it back just before it got dark and only saw a handful of people along the route. It was great to see nature instead of folks when visiting nature. We also heard nature. Canyon tree frogs serenaded us at the pool. They sound like goats, so that’s what we thought we were listening to. Also, the idea of the noises originating from a mountain lion was tossed around. Grrrr!
The next morning, after enjoying an outdoor breakfast, we headed up the Watchman Trail, which leads to views of a stone pinnacle looming more than 2,000 feet above Springdale. This trail was hot, especially on our windless ascent. I asked myself many times, How did I get so much sweat there? Alas, the universe had no answers for me, but the vistas were fantastic.
Angels Landing is a Zion classic Jason and I hadn’t done in nearly 20 years. Another 20 would have been an inexcusable shame, so we opted to make that trail the focus of our evening. While the final chain section past Scout Lookout was closed due to COVID concerns, the rest was wide open. Apparently, the crowds on this trail alone can become a safety hazard in the middle of tourist season. We encountered a few groups but had most of the path to ourselves. As we passed through Refrigerator Canyon on our hike back, we came across a fluffy Mexican spotted owl, a threatened species that has found a home in Zion, making a contact call to its mama. Even in the near dark, that owlet was so cute this sentence needs a few exclamation marks!!!
Our last day in the area, we explored some lesser-known trails and interest points between Zion and Kanab. Red Hollow, a small slot canyon near Orderville, was our first stop. This hike is short and clambers through a portion of the canyon that is usually dry. While definitely a slot for beginners, the scrambling was still fun. Somewhere in the middle of the canyon, a dry fall with a flimsy rope halted the upward progress of everyone but Jason. As he is part monkey, he made it all the way to the end.
After getting some grub in Kanab, we headed to the Sand Caves. The Sand Caves, really one cave with multiple openings, are the remnants of a sand mining operation that briefly took place back in the 70s. This cavern is up on a cliffside but can be reached with some quick scaling. While the cave’s soft stone has unfortunately made it an easy target for graffiti, its swirling deposits are still enthralling.
Our last stop of the day was Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. This park encompasses nearly 4,000 acres of sand hued by Navajo sandstone. While the ATVs on the dunes were a bit distracting at times, the terrain was beautiful. It looked like a giant flag of tangerine silk billowing in an undetectable breeze.
We left Springdale on a Friday morning just as the area was ramping up for the weekend. Since our visit, Zion National Park has resumed its shuttle services. I’m guessing that means Springdale and Zion are now humming along in a much more normal fashion, though some swarm reduction can probably still be achieved during the week. I’m glad we were able to visit this region in its more disorganized but less crammed state. What a lift this break was to our shut-in spirits!
On a side note, southern Utah is hot. Although it was only early June, Zion was already cooking. The first day of our trip had a pleasant high in the low 80s, but for the duration of our visit, 90 and up was the forecasters’ accurate prophecy. If you go to Zion anytime during the summer, expect to scorch. And on a final note, I want to extend a big thank you to the rangers who were directing confused sightseers all while wearing masks in the swelter. Under the circumstance, these stewards did a remarkable job.
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