I’m addicted to internet news reports; almost every day I read articles from many different U.S. and foreign sources. For the most part, I find it to be a positive experience. But sometimes never-ending news reports drag me down. That was the case in late March, when I watched, transfixed, the destruction being played out in Iraq. Before long I felt a little overwhelmed, almost claustrophobic, and I decided it was time for an escape.
I was literally born and raised among the fortress-like cliffs and secret canyons of Zion National Park, and it has always been my place of refuge. I become an optimist when I visit Zion and see delicate wildflowers growing out of crags and pine trees clinging to sandstone ledges. I love to hike the park’s trails. The rhythmic motion commands my attention but the simple activity gives my subconscious freedom to wander... to process.
Zion seemed particularly beautiful on my March trip. A storm had just ended and an orphaned cloud was lost against the cliffs, which were shimmering with red as light rays broke through the clouds.
Recent storms have been generous in southern Utah – after three years of serious drought – and nature is responding. This could be the best spring in a decade for wildflowers, and the show will be very impressive in April and May.
I enjoy bringing people to Zion and I’ve developed an itinerary to help them discover its wonders. We always hike the Narrows and Angels Landing. The Narrows hike is exciting because you wade right up the river, with towering cliffs closing in all around you. Angels is fun because it does things to people — particularly young people. When they have to scamper up ledges and across narrow ribbons of sandstone, 1000-foot drop-offs on both sides, they often discard pretense and discover they have more internal fortitude than they realized.
From the top of Angels you can see where the Virgin River breaks free from the Narrows, winds through the Temple of Sinawava, and then continues past Weeping Rock (where water trickles from the cliff face and falls as individual droplets across a cavern’s mouth). The river continues down the canyon, past the majestic Great White Throne and down into the Court of the Patriarchs.
How many hundred thousand years has it taken the river to carve Zion Canyon? The water continually gnaws at the rock but a thousand years from now it will have made scant noticeable difference.
The cliffs of Zion are massive, solid, enduring. I like the perspective they provide.
A thousand years from now humans, if we survive that long, will continue to seek solace behind the veil of tears at Weeping Rock.
I’m home now, trying to concentrate, fighting the compulsion to check the headlines ever few minutes, longing to get lost in Zion’s backcountry. I have a feeling I’ll spend a lot of time in Zion and our other parks this year. Come join me if you’re looking for adventure or sanctuary.
Zion is my park, but I’ll share.
– Dave Webb
Reprinted with permission from The Utah Office of Tourism
www.travel.utah.gov
Activities to Enjoy: |
| Hiking |
Golf |
ATVs |
Boating |
| Camping |
Ice Skating |
Biking |
Rafting |
| Hunting |
Wildlife |
Fall Colors |
Scenic Drives |
| Museums |
Lakes/Rivers |
Snowmobiling |
Dog Sledding |
| Horseback Riding |
Fresh Water Fishing |
| Climbing/Canyoneering |
Festivals/State Fairs |
| Alpine & Nordic Skiing/Snowboarding |
|
