Zion National Park: Angel's Landing Hike
As you gaze over the drop-offs, people walking all around you look like microscopic ants going about their daily business. The light and refreshing mountain breezes cool you down from your efforts while you gulp down water and drown your eyes with visuals of every spectrum of red zig zagging all around you. A chipmunk runs across your feet, purposefully unbothered by your company. Trembling in exhaustion, pride, excitement, and fear, you think to yourself, ‘How on earth did my own two legs manage to get me all the way up here?’ I'll tell you exactly how.
Although the Angel’s Landing Trail is ranked as one of the more difficult trails in Zion National Park, most fit and able adults are able to complete this 4-5 hour roundtrip hike without too much of a problem. While I was climbing up I did in fact see children scaling the mountain alongside of me, but that’s at every parent’s discretion, I’m really not so sure that this was the safest family vacation to take, but I guess to each their own, eh?
The first part of the trail is where the majority of the excruciatingly painful and sweat inducing inclines will be found. It’s also the safer portion of your hiking experience, most likely where you’ll find those I’m-scared-of-heights individuals, as well as family vacationers. Despite its safety, it’s also a terribly brutal way to realize that you need to start hitting the gym more, but once you reach Scout Lookout it’s (almost) smooth sailing from there.
I somehow lucked out and reached Scout’s Lookout (the midpoint before the trail becomes increasingly dangerous) at sunrise, and was greeted by dancing sunshine as I lookout outward onto the journey before me. After snapping some pictures and catching my breath, I started ascending the second part of the trail.
The second half is far more mentally challenging than physically. There are several drop-offs located around you, but nothing you truly wouldn’t be able to handle. I do have to warn you that one misstep or blunder could send you spiraling down the hill, but it would have to be quite a difficult mistake to make, although it is still technically possible, so I guess I'm obligated to make that known.
There were parts of the second section that had me clutching onto metal railings for dear life. There were sections that I could look down and see my life flash before my eyes. There were even moments where I thought ‘Man, it would really suck to die right now’. But I survived! And in return for my efforts, I was gifted with some of the greatest views of my life.
I don’t want to say this was necessarily the best of the best views I’ve witnessed with my own two eyes, but that adrenaline rush that was pounding on my temples and the sense of accomplishment for overcoming such obstacles to get here made me never want to leave – and was actually the moment that I realized solo hiking is doable, and for me, much more enjoyable.
I know everyone makes this hike seem beyond incredibly dangerous, especially with 6 people on average falling off of it each year, but if you exert the right precautions, wear a pair of subpar (at the least) hiking boots that will give you better grip and stability, you’ll be more than okay, and will be thanking yourself once you’re at the top.
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