At the end of January, we took a trip down to St. George to spend a couple days in Zion National Park. We knew Lance's time with Marriott was coming to a close, so when a great Friends and Family rate popped up at Springhill Suites, we couldn't resist. We arrived in the pitch dark, so imagine our delight when we awoke to this surprise.
Not too shabby.
This is the kind of hotel pool Jason likes best.
Ever ambitious, we decided to tackle Observation Point, an 8+ mile trail with 2200 feet in elevation gain. We opted to get a picture at the beginning while the kids were still happy.
The beginning of the trail was chilly, but with some pretty impressive ice formations.
Science at its grandest.
Plus, popsicles!
Think my hubby enjoys being on the trail?
This narrow slot canyon is my favorite section of this hike. The ice made it extra special.
Frozen mustache, anyone?
Hello to you too, handsome Eli.
I sure hope our children look back on our hikes with fondness. For me, these memories are some of the sweetest.
Halfway there.
Another glimpse of us crazies.
Pausing for lunch.
The final ascent was challenging, but we made it.
Despite being relatively flat atop the plateau, the last half mile of the hike took forever because Annie wanted to autograph every patch of sand we passed.
At last, we made it to the point. The vistas are pretty incredible with the Virgin river winding its way through the main canyon.
Just in case you needed proof as to how substantial the climb, Angel's Landing rests far below.
On the other side, you can see all the way up toward the Narrows.
Lest you mistakenly think it was all sunshine and smiles, the kids got genuinely exhausted.
Eli sulked for a good while because the hike was so long and hard.
Fortunately, the majestic draw of the canyon cheers even the poutiest souls.
Food helps too.
Personally, I could have gone for the piggy back ride, but only Annika gets away with that one.
On the way back, our group got majorly separated because Annika insisted on being the line leader.
Brooklyn and Eli had gone ahead, so the gap kept growing as the rest of us slowed to a five year-old pace.
Fortunately, we were all safely reunited at the base. Famished after our intense climb, we headed out to find some grub. Oscar's Cafe for the win.
The restaurant promise rang true: if you leave hungry, it ain't Oscar's fault. We might add: if you leave the canyon unimpressed, it ain't Zion's fault.
1 comment:
Looks like it was a fantastic weekend!
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