4/12 Hike to Angel's Landing

​Having done this hike before, we knew it could be very slow due to several one-way sections of the climb where you had to wait for oppossing traffic. We resolved to catch the first shuttle bus up canyon at 7 am. We rose at 5:30 am, drove to the Park at 6:50 am and got two of the last seats on the first shuttle at 7. We got off the bus at The Grotto at 7:15, crossed bridge over the Zion River and turned right onto the West Rim Trail along the Zion River. We quickly started climbing on a rough paved path along shorter and shorter switch backs. After passing through a flat quiet zone where spotted owls nest, we started up Walter's Wiggles - "a set of 21 short, steep, stone-walled switchbacks carved into the cliffs in the 1920s during the tenure of Superintendant Walter Roesch," according to Park literature.

At the top of Walter's Wiggles lies a saddle named "Scout's Lookout," where rangers check permits to restrict traffic on the narrow trail to the summit. From here, the trail features chain link handrails over much of the challenging terrain. There are a couple of 10- to 12-foot high nearly vertical walls where you needed to have two feet on the wall and two hands on the chain to ascend. There are also traverses with steep drop-offs, barely wide enough for one foot hold. You needed to have two hands on the chain and step one foot over the other. We welcomed a solo climber, Jeff, who asked to tag along with us for moral support. We summitted at 8:55. Angie was very proud to complete the climb, because two-years ago, she had gotten psyched out by the steep drop-offs and stopped just above Scout's Lookout.

The view from the top was stunning, with dramatic vistas across the canyon to Observation Point, Cable Mountain, Canyon Junction and other East Rim features. The descent took three times longer due to waits at one-way bottlenecks. The total distance was 5.4 miles with 2,600 feet of climb.

We couldn't resist the opportunity to have another of those sensational Reuben sandwiches at Zion Canyon Brew Pub. Pool time at the campground was a great way to cool off after another spectacular day in the Park.