Winter Hiking at Zion National Park: Exploring Nature's Wonder in February
by Naimul Karim (originally posted on naimul.net)
2018 was an exceptionally “productive” year because we hiked four national parks in one year! First, we did a dual trip to Zion National Park and Death Valley National Park. That was in February. And later in June, we did another dual trip to Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park.
ZION NATIONAL PARK
Zion National Park is the oldest NP in Utah and is just a 2.5-hour drive from Las Vegas. The 229-square mile (590 square kilometers) national park is diverse - represented by desert, riparian, woodland, and coniferous forest zones. Its highest point is 8,726 ft. (2,660 m), and its lowest is 3,666 ft. (1,117 m). The name Zion is derived from a Mormon expression.
Our lodging in Springdale was beautifully located with a gorgeous view of the mountains both from our balcony and from the dining area. See the picture below as we were heading to the park on the first morning. But it was February, and the weather could be fickle. Accordingly, we had planned for only three days at Zion. For the same reason, we did not hike the Narrows, a classic Zion trail.
Instead, we went on the Observation Point trail - an 8-mile-long strenuous hike with a steady climb of 2300 feet. It zig-zags up the mountain, the switchbacks getting tighter as you go higher. The entire hike goes along a beautiful trail bordered by yellow and white sandstone rock formations, with occasional patchy vegetation and evergreen trees. The final viewpoint is at an elevation of 6,520 ft. From there, you get a spectacular view of nearly every major attraction of the canyon, including Angels Landing. We were fortunate to have a clear and sunny, albeit somewhat cool, day the entire time.
The next day was different. It was all snowy, cold, and windy. Fortunately, we were well prepared. So, we ventured out to the Emerald Pool trail. It is one of the most popular hikes in Zion and has three pools - the lower, the middle, and the upper Emerald Pool. All hikes lead to sparkling waterfalls and glistening pools. But the scenic beauty, as well as the climbing difficulty, increases as you go higher. On that day, with snow, ice, and slit, it got a bit difficult as we went higher. But we made it safe - and it was worth it. Views of Lady Mountain, the Great White Throne, Red Arch Mountain, and cliffs in all directions were stunning. And the pools were partially frozen and partially covered with snow. At the Upper Emerald Pool, we laid out our poncho on a raised, snow-covered rock, and enjoyed a lunch of sandwich and banana, all by ourselves.
We had learned that in the summer of 2016 five hikers from this trail got lost. They had to be rescued at night. It was late in the afternoon, and we didn’t want to risk anything. Besides, the weather was getting unpredictable. So, we headed back. Down at the visitor center, it was lonely, with hardly any visitors around. The landscape was quiet, and the atmosphere had an eerie, melancholic mood. We drove around a bit more, taking in the mood, and tried to capture it with my iPhone. We finally called it a day, knowing that it was time to move on to Death Valley National Park - the hottest place on earth.
Click here to see Photos in Lr of the ZionNationalPark
