April 30th - Hike to Emerald Pools at Zion

​Today is the end of our first week on the road. The fun is just beginning!

Got the valley shuttle at the Visitor Center around 8. Hiked 7.4 miles by noon. Hiked Lower, Middle and Upper Emerald Pools from Zion Lodge. Returned via Kayenta trail to the Grotto. Rode the shuttle further up the canyon to the last stop. Hiked along the Virgin River to the Narrows. Couldn't go any further without waders and walking sticks, which you can rent in Springdale - right outside the South Gate, where all the hotels are.

Saw two Condors - one near the Narrows gliding just above the tree tops and one at The Big Bend soaring a couple thousand feet in the air. Angie learned that at one time there were only 50 of them left in the world. Now there are more than 200. There have been two births in Zion in the last few years. Mostly lead poisoning was killing them, when the scavenge carcuses of animals wounded by hunters.
There are tame black-tail deer around the campgrounds and trails. It's clear why they don't allow dogs on all but one trail. The trails are narrow in spots. Some of the trails are paved. The trails can get quite busy by mid-day, even this early in the season.

We entered the lottery for a permit to Hike Angel's Landing, but didn't win a spot today. We are trying again tomorrow. Plan B is to hike the Narrows and the River - in waders.

It's dangerous to look up when you are hiking, because you want to photograph everything you look at. We need a GoPro, so we can re-live this day, which is easily top 5 ever for both Hank and Angie. But we're just guessing. We will have to enumerate them to be sure, which sounds like a really good exercise to do.

What would really be cool is to have two cameras mounted on a headset so you could create a 3D movie to record and relive the breathtaking scenery. That headgear would cause quite a stir on the trail. You'd look like an alien, or perhaps a human with antlers.

Hank felt like he had enough sun for the day, so we skipped a couple of the shuttle stops on the way down the canyon to enjoy some cool drinks by the Virgin River which runs steady and clear, within 100 yards of our trailer. Angie has a different relationship with the sun. She chose to nap on the sandy riverbank in full sun.

Gonna break out the table top, propane Weber to cook up turkey sausage and grilled brussels sprouts for dinner. Not bad camping food. Have to wait for more shade in our camp site, or erect a dining fly over the picnic table. Forecast was 86 degrees today. Feels like we got all of that and more. The sun is strong here at about 5,000 feet. We find out in an hour whether we won a chance to hike Angels Landing trail tomorrow.
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I'm just looking at a great Gray Heron standing on a rock in the Virgin River in front of us. I didn't know they had those here.