Take Me to Church Zion National Park -

Before Zion National Park was declared a national park, it was a national monument–Mukuntuweap National Monument, established in 1909. The words of Mormon bigwig Isaac Behunin appealed to decision makers when it received national park designation. He said, “A man can worship God among these great cathedrals as well as in any man-made church–this is Zion.” It became Zion National Park rather than its original Paiute tribal name, which translates to “straight canyon” or “straight river” or “the place where the Great Spirit dwells.” Now, as Utah’s oldest national park, it is one of the busiest. I entered for the Blue Hour, because my Interagency Annual Pass allows me to come and go as I please–and not pay the $35 each time my Zion should strike.

Flash forward to sunrise the next day. But first, a pre-dawn coconut milk latte from Deep Creek Coffee for the show.

Now I wasn’t ready to explore a hike in the dark, so I watched the sun rise from behind the Zion Human History Museum, a tip from the interweb.

And now that the sun is up, it was time to go deep… But I’d have to ditch the car. It’s so busy in the summer months that the park no longer allows private vehicles on its main drag–the only way to get in the canyon–Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. It has implemented a shuttle system to alleviate the impact of traffic. But given the health pandemic, you must reserve your place on the shuttle bus, which runs at a reduced capacity. So rather than be at the mercy of those shuttle buses, I secured a bike reservation from my couch in Brooklyn before my arrival.

I biked the entire Canyon without pedal-assist… from the bottom to the top and back. I was quite proud of myself in the end. This was before. I wish I had taken an after shot. I was in a sorry state.

Intimate views from the bike.

Here is a small portion of my journey. Plus I had to test this bike phone mount before I get to the Grand Canyon.

It is Zion’s geology that is cathedral-like. The biggest draw are its sandstone palisades. Some towering over 8,000 feet, they are the tallest in the world. At the intersection of three geologic provinces: the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert, the park’s rugged wilderness brings plenty of thrill seekers to the park. Though I am not too much of a physical thrill seeker, I partook in some hiking. First to the Lower and Middle Emerald Pools.

Special lizard buddy

Do you see the gushing waterfall?

Well it was powerful enough to make cool stripes on the rock.

Refreshing

Since I biked all the way up to the Temple of Sinawava, I got on the riverwalk… which was way too crowded, making it clear I was done for the day. But some nice river views… though it was contaminated with a toxic Cyanobacteria Bloom. Signs posted everywhere not to avoid contact, yet still people frolicked in it.