Angels Landing
July 13th, 2007
As I said before, our day at Zion was my favorite on the trip. The Narrows stole my heart, but the Angels Landing hike after lunch was amazing on its on.
Starting at the valley floor, Angels Landing is two and half miles one direction, and it feels straight up. There is an elevation gain of a little more than 1,500 feet. The park map list the hike as “strenuous.” With mid-afternoon heat, that seems very accurate.
Beginning The Ascent
Our group at the Angels Landing trailhead, with the goal towering above us.
Scott found a rock to wiggle into along the trail.
The hike has two very distinct parts: the first two miles and 1,000 feet to Scout Lookout, and the last half mile and 500 foot ascent to Angels Landing. The Scout Lookout trail is a seemingly never-ending, but pretty typical, set of switchbacks in full view of the hot Utah sun. The final push to Angels Landing is a very steep climb along the spine of a very thin rock ridge, which would be incredibly difficult without the chains that line the trail that – at times – is only about three feet wide.
My fear of heights kept me on the verge of a minor panic attack for the last half mile, but I was able to work through it with the encouragement of my mates (Later in the trip, no amount of encouragement would help me overcome another hike).
Are We There Yet?
The second major set of switchbacks on the trail are known as “Walters Wiggles,” and they’re much harder to go up (left) than down (right).
Despite the heat and steep incline, we were determined to make it to the top. From Scout Lookout, there’s a great view of the spine to Angels Landing. Use the magnifying glass to find people along the trail. If you look closely, you can even spot the chain.
I wish I had more photos, especially of the hairy parts of the trail, but I was a little preoccupied with my death grip on the chains to really take photographs. I relaxed a bit on the way down (which I incorrectly thought would be mentally harder, as I’d have to look down) and took a couple of photos. I could probably take pictures more leisurely the next time.
The two hikes probably totaled around 10 miles and wore us out, so we scrapped plans for yet-another-camp dinner and rewarded ourselves with a trip into town for cheap Mexican food.
Finally!
Dave sits atop a boulder on the Angels Landing peak. Click the magnifying glass to view the entire scene. Notice the thin ridge on the bottom right leading back to Scout Lookout.
Dave and Meredith slowly lead our descent from Angels Landing.
For more drastic photos, check out Joe Braun’s guide to the trail. He used a very wide-angle lens to get stunning images.
