UTAH FALL LOOP 3 (Continued)

Wednesday, looking out the window in the morning, the clouds looked dubiously dark. It was another relax day, with an easy hike to do in Zion National Park. I'd see how the weather went.

Motoring into the park, I left my car at the visitor center parking lot, and took the mandatory shuttle bus. It runs often, so little waiting is required. I figured to repeat a hike up Angels Landing, another highpoint I had counted as a peak. The West Rim Trail offered another new hiking op for me. But, I expected rain. The forecast was worse the next day, but I hoped they would be wrong.

So then, it was the 4 mile trail to Observation Point. This offers incredibly beautiful sights of sandstone and geology. And there are overhangs to get out of a pouring rain. I had done this before in 1978, but it was worth another visit. The clouds offered different light, turning out to be pretty good. It started to rain lightly, prompting me to don my Gore-Tex parka. Other hikers would just get wet. Only a tougher, hardier, bunch do this marked, strenuous, hike, one of the hardest in the park. I snapped away, despite the weather, and the rain stopped. It held off as I came to the cliff's edge, and the panorama down the main canyon was still magnificent. I saw maybe 30 hikers, with most making the point. I recalled bright, cloudless, sun, for my photos in 1978, a bit plain. More drama, today!

I snapped away, changing memory cards and batteries, with the many others enjoying this sight. I did movie clips (320 x 240 pixels, 545 KB, 0:20), and pans, making full use of the photo op. My gradated neutral density filter served well, with my film camera, carried on all this trip's hikes, a remnant from the days of Kodachrome. I really figured on better weather the next day, not realizing what I would wind up doing. The weather just couldn't be that bad, here in the Desert Southwest!

So after an hour, I figured to head down. The photo ops continued to be good, on downward, and then I came to the lower trail junction to Hidden Canyon. Asking another hiker about it, it looked to be exciting. Chains to hold onto, and steep. I found a scary ledge trail, with fearful hikers returning. Holding onto the chains isn't necessary for a good hiker, but I find them reassuring. A careless hiker might bump his or her head against the slightly overhanging rocks, somehow, and lose their balance. Death, then, at a bad spot. I have to watch out for this, with my limited vision and past bad luck.

The route turns into a scramble, and I asked some hikers about a free standing arch. "Ten minutes," I was told. I ambled up wet and sandy rock, getting more slippery in the rain, now. I hated getting my hands dirty, hard to brush the sand off. Water and grit are the two worse things for a camera. I had to reach the arch (third photo down), so continued on. It was easy, flat sand to hike, and then I was there. Not much of a picture, in the deep gorge. My camera flash went off, with the dim light. But, I had done it.

Worried about the slippery sandstone on my way back, the wet chains made to rinse my hands with the collected rain. I eased along, and then made it back to the main trail. A bit of an ordeal, with risk to my gear. Some dirt on my pants.

To the trail start, it was another short hike to the Weeping Wall, an overhang with water dripping from the cliffs above. A tourist sight. Maybe better in the rain, I shot a movie clip of the falling water.

Waiting for the shuttle bus, I chatted with another hiker I had seen on the trail. It was about 5:30 p.m., and time to head back out. I ran to catch the bus, and came back to the main parking lot by about 6 p.m.

Putting away my gear into my car trunk, and changing into a T-shirt, I made the drive back out. In Hurricane, a fantastic sunset (bottom photo), with another rainbow, presented itself, and I shot many more photos. Back to my motel in St. George, I washed up and walked over to a diner for a late dinner.

Well, the forecast was now for flash floods, and more rain. To see what it would do! Waking up later, Thursday, I had to decide. Dark clouds toward the park. Still a TV flash flood warning. My initial plans were to hike another Zion trail, and then do a small peak by Las Vegas. Then it would be home up U.S. 395, to see the High Sierra fall colors. It was forecast to be bad everywhere, but maybe good for the weekend.

Chuck it. I cancelled my motel stay, and would head home. I had my fast food and drink for breakfast, then it was to Interstate 15. With some clearing to the south, I wondered about my decision, but shortly came to more rain as I passed through Las Vegas. Ugly layer of smog. Traffic, and a crazy town. No stopping, this time, not even for a drive up the Strip.

More rain, then a freeway construction work slowdown, marked my drive to Barstow. Fairly clear, there, I had to figure on whether to see the U.S. 395 colors, if any (it may be a bit early), and make my usually minimal, annual drive along my favorite highway. One Doppler TV view had shown deep green over the Sierra, and I had no idea what the weather would be like further north, although it looked O.K. The motel was cheap in Ridgecrest. But it'd be 100+ miles more driving, home, and now I have major conservation concerns, especially for global warming. No one shows much interest in fall colors. I could be home, tonight, back to my computer.

It was settled by Kramer Junction. Home. I had good fuel efficiency, and didn't need much gas. More drink, and one last stop for fuel, and I arrived home by dark.

Hiking some 41 miles with 9,000' gain, I drove about 2,400 miles, using about 57 gallons of gas. I snapped some 1,800 digital images. About a roll and a half of Kodachrome, too. Spending a bit over $530, total, I did well, with no unanticipated expense, or extra driving about. I wished I had done more hiking, with more calories burned and fitness gained, but what can you do about the weather?

I had some register materials, but placed nothing. Always a heavy pack. I wore mainly no more than two light layers, with a heavier jacket at the start of my biggest hike in the morning, and atop Brianhead. Light pants and nylon hiking boots were fine. No lotions necessary. Chapstick was nice to use, though. Picking up only a new, $10 pair of shorts in Reno, I bought nothing else but gas, food, and drink. No mosquitoes, ticks, or snakes. Saw a few deer, wild turkeys, and lizards. Moose at an animal park, and some birds.

Maybe I can bag a few more local peaks in the Sierra, then hopefully enjoy another drier, long, fall, with Coast Range hikes and peaks. Northern California's not so bad. With maybe some new hiking partners, I can get some use out of my bigger car, and save some natural resources. As I motor along at my 40 mpg, with other hikers carpooling, that will help spare the air, and slow down global warming. Not to mention getting some more real hiking fun!

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