Saturday, August 16, 2008

Angels Landing - Zion National Park

At the ripe age of 20 months, Tennyson made his first ascent of Angels Landing, one of the most beautiful spots on earth. Climbing up a sandstone fin to a monolith that exposes you to 1,500 foot cliffs on three sides is exhilarating, and the view is spectacular. Tenny was the perfect hiking buddy: he never complained, he never had to stop for bathroom breaks, and he stayed right behind me the whole time.

Start time: 10:20 am (start earlier than this if you do it in the summer!)
Summit time: 11:50 am
End time: 1:20 am
Distance: 5 miles
Elevation change: 1,488
Temperature: 105 f (no, really)

Angels Landing, from the trailhead

We saw a California King Snake soaking in some rays. We also saw a huge California Condor (one of the largest birds in North America) circling overhead (though didn't get a picture).


The other side of Angels Landing, as seen from the saddle.

Best buds, gearing up for the final ascent (and $1,000 richer).

The view from the top.



Catching some Zs on the descent.

1 comment:

Jay & Pat said...

I'm glad to see that we have one more hiking buddy in the family!
Grandpa Jay