Zion

March 5, 2021

Finally, after all these years together, Team Anderson is going to Zion.

Rachael was born and raised in Salt Lake City, but has never been to Zion. I’ve been here only once, almost thirty five years ago, on a solo tour from Cedar City to Flagstaff. My ride from Hatch to Zion was one of the greatest cycling days of my life, one I’ve reminisced on and related to others hundreds of times. Best hike, best moonrise, best spot to repair a flat - a day with everything, all memorable.

Today will be nothing like that. We’re just going to ride the Raven to the visitor’s center and bike through the heart of the canyon and back; but it will be spectacular, I know. This wasn’t how the Team had planned our first trip to Zion to go though. Four years ago, just starting out from Saint George on our cross-state tour to Grand Junction, we by chance overheard at breakfast that the road east of Zion was closed indefinitely due to a rockslide. We had reservations to stay at the National Park lodge in Zion, but we hastily rewrote the next four days of the itinerary and rode north over 10,000’ Brian Head instead. We still haven’t forgiven the lodge for not letting us out of the cancellation fee, since we couldn’t travel that direction after all.

We arrive at Zion just at 9. There’s a long, slowly advancing queue at the entrance gate when we arrive, but a sign alerts bikers to take the river entrance instead so we pull off at the village parking lot, leave the car there, and enter the park through the back door over a pedestrian bridge crossing the Virgin River.

The first two miles in the park are a beautiful ride, on the Pa’rus trail - a paved path that starts right from the visitor center and follows the Virgin River into the mouth of the canyon. It is, of course, stunning everywhere you look. We go slowly, stopping often to look around in amazement. And, we get to play the hero when we encounter a young woman biking very slowly and feeling unfit because she’s laboring with tires having about five pounds of pressure each. She’s so appreciative that we’re able to help her out, and it adds a warm glow to an already special day.

Zion is stunning from the moment you enter the park, and just keeps getting more so as you go. It’s funny now to think that I was afraid it might be a bit of a letdown after just experiencing the beauty of Snow Canyon.

Image not found :( — On the Pa’rus Trail.

At the end of the Pa’rus trail we merge back onto the Zion Park Boulevard, the dead-end road that runs through the heart of the park. We’re here on an uncharacteristic day, in that there is automobile traffic. For most of the tourist season, private vehicles are not allowed in the park except for overnight guests at the lodge. In their place, shuttle busses run up and down the corridor, dropping off and picking up passengers at a few key points.

Today is the end of winter season, and shuttle service starts tomorrow. Probably not the strategic choice to ride today,but the weather conditions made it the right choice for us. The car traffic is light, slow moving and considerate, and not really a problem anyway, so we’re fine with our decision.

We ride to the end of the pavement at the entrance to the famous Narrows, where the canyon walls converge and the Virgin River threads through a deep, narrow slot canyon. The ride is jaw-dropping the entire way to the end of the road.

We meet up again with our new friend, who’s happy to report that the air is holding in her tires quite nicely.

Ahead, the two walls converge at the Temple of Sinawava, the huge amphitheater at the entrance to the Narrows.

The road ends at the entrance to the Narrows. A paved walkway extends through the gap for another mile, before finally ending at a spot where the river fills the whole narrow canyon. Biking isn’t permitted on the path and we didn’t bring a lock, so we walk our bikes along the path to its end and then back again. It’s a busy trail, with mostly unmasked walkers as well as adventurers with soggy galoshes coming back from an expedition upriver - if you don’t mind wading in the river, or swimming in it in spots, or risking being swept away in a flash flood, it must be an incredible adventure to walk through and come out the upper end.

We unfortunately forgot our galoshes too, so we content ourselves with sitting on the rocks beside the river and having lunch before backtracking to the car.

Back through the Temple of Sinawava again.

Video sound track: Gnossienne No. 1, by Eric Satie

We make it back to the car at 2, with just enough of the day left to take the short Watchman Trail hike. It’s another one that starts right from the visitor’s center, so it works well for us. We lock our bikes in the car, change shoes, and head to right back into the park.

It’s only a 3.5 mile hike round trip, but it’s a great walk that gives you a much different perspective on the park. Following the wall of a small amphitheater, we gradually climb above the valley floor to a plateau six hundred feet above it - high enough to enjoy fabulous views across at the southern peaks. Along the way, we’re lucky enough to see a big horned sheep hiding deep in the shade beside the trail - near and clear enough to be thrilled by the sight, but not clear enough to bring back anything but a very blurry photo.

It’s not the famous Angel’s Landing hike that I took 33 years ago, but it’s much quieter; and nothing could ever come up to my memory of experiencing it at sundown anyway, when I saw only a single other walker on his way out. I’ll never forget peering down over the top of the precipice down at the headlights of cars streaming out of the park at dusk, and then walking back down in the dark. Now, you have to compete with crowds and queue up at the top waiting for your chance to scale up to the top.

Ride stats today: 23 miles, 1,100’; for the tour: 3,231 miles, 133,200’; for the year: 46 riding days, 1,966 miles, 76,200’, and 3 flat tires

Today's ride: 23 miles (37 km)
Total: 3,231 miles (5,200 km)

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