Canyons, Crevices and Cliffs, Oh My!

Hi! Sorry for the delay but we had no WiFi over the weekend and we're just catching up! It has been a busy week so far and we are tired but loving (almost) every minute! A quick recap of the weekend:

FRIDAY: left Bryce, checked into a fancy camping spot on the Kolob (west) side of Zion. Celebrated the girls official birthday (thank you for all the well- wishes!) and met some new friends over s'mores by the fire

SATURDAY:

CANYONEERING! Our awesome guide, Grant, helped use ropes to scramble up, across (terrifying) and the REPEL DOWN into amazing slot canyons like the one you see here. It was truly a heart pounding, confidence building and unique adventure!

SUNDAY:

Red- tailed Hawk over Wire Mesa/ Smithsonian Butte

- MORNING: Grant (coincidentally our guide again) took us on a much more relaxed but beautiful and informative hike around the Smithsonian Butte on the Wire Mesa Trail. Despite it being a weekend, we didn't see another human but we did see some incredible wildlife like two ravens battling two red-tailed hawks for territory over the canyon. Wire Mesa trail also offers some amazing views of Zion- including both West Temple and East Temple plus the entry of the canyon.

- EVENING: HELICOPTER TOUR! As part of our lodging package, we were treated to a 30 minute helicopter ride over the west and southern side of Zion. It was a quick trip but cool to see barely-touched lands from the air.

ANA SAYS:

Canyoneering was scary at first because we had to walk down cliffs and, at first, I didn't entirely trust the equipment. But then, on the second time I got more relaxed. The third time I got freaked out again but it was a fun experience! On the helicopter I saw huge birds and mountains- it was really different from the air. it felt like only 2 minutes but it was almost 30- I had so much fun!

JOSIE SAYS:

The experience of going down rocks backwards in a harness was pretty freaky but we actually did a lot more than that- we walked sideways over a ledge with harness attached to a rope to make sure we didn't fall and we did a little climbing on our own. I definitely enjoyed climbing by myself. It feels a little uncomfortable having to use a harness- I can't lie- but it was still fun!

From the helicopter we could see great sights- it was mind-blowing to see canyons dropping at your feet! It's way better than seeing it on the ground. This time my mom didn't freak out about heights and us falling off cliffs, haha. It was awesome!

MATT SAYS:

Canyoneering was great to see the girls scale down cliffs like a member of a SWAT team. As we went through the day the girls gained more and more confidence as they did their repelling through the canyons. That night we had a tough time sleeping due to high winds in the canyon (we were in a tent, remember) but it was cool hearing the coyotes in the valley at 4:30 in the morning. The stars were amazing as well, it seemed like we could see the a good part of the Milky Way.

The trip the Wire Mesa was interesting for a few different reasons: 1) we noted that Utah/ BLM maintains their dirt roads worse than Vermont, 2) the wide open spaces in the BLM are as interesting as what you can see in the National Parks but without the crowds and 3.) it was cool to see river rocks scattered throughout the Mesa at over 4,000 feet! Our guide explained how they came from the river floor millions of years ago when the tectonic plates came together.

I have to admit the helicopter was a little frightening for me but after a couple of minutes I was good. The pilot did a nice job of keeping it steady and it was cool to see the southern side of Zion and Smithson Butte this time- but from the air. We also got to see a bunch of the "red-Bull Rampage" (extreme BMX trails) from the air- those guys are out of their minds!

THERESA SAYS:

OK, yes, climbing across the rim of a canyon on slanted rock is terrifying! I actually froze a little in the middle of crossing. but our guide got me through and then... I fell in love with repelling! I know, it doesn't make sense that I'd feel fine jumping down with nothing but a harness and my feet planted on the wall, but I can't describe it-> it was fantastic! The extremely narrow canyon exit was pretty scary for me (I had no idea just how claustrophobic I am) but, again, our great guide got me through... WHEW!

Wire Mesa and the helicopter were both really special. CHECK OUT THE NEW PICS on GALLERY page!!! :)

CAMPSITE AND NEW FRIENDS, CHARLIE & HIS PARENTS