Canyonlands - Part 2

See Canyonlands - Part 1



As we continued following the winding Colorado River we made our way to Page, Utah and the stunning slots of Antelope Canyon. Another amazing natural wonder formed over time by flash floods from the plains below. A few hours north of Page we came across our first glimpse of the beautiful clay hoodoos of Bryce Canyon, also known as the ‘Valley of the Standing Man’. We enjoyed some spectacular hikes here, on the rim and down into the canyon, climbing through narrow gaps between these standing men. Once again the varying colours of these wind eroded land forms was a camera buffs dream!





Zion National Park, a few hours south of Bryce, was our last stop and also our lowest point so hardly any snow! Zion is quite a contrast to the other two parks as you are actually driving into the park through desert terrain and looking up 3000 feet at towering sandstone walls, monoliths and sculpted rock. Once again the most wonderful shades of red against the deep blue skies.



There are lots of hiking options of varying degrees and a few of us challenged ourselves to attempt Angels Landing - this is not for the faint of heart! This is one of the most thrilling hikes that takes you up the stunning switchbacks known as Walters Wiggles to a rock face with a narrow trail and chains to hang on to. Its best not attempted at the time of year we were there as ice and snow make the rock face very perilous. Needless to say after going a few hundred feet along the face we decided Angels Landing was just not worth the risk. Instead we sat at Scouts Landing, still enjoying a magnificent view, as our heart rates slowly returned to normal!





And then it was back to the glitz and glam known as Las Vegas all too soon.



This was a fast paced trip with an awesome exposure to the Canyonlands of Utah and Arizona. It really left you wanting to explore more. Hotels and lodges were all moderate with a great degree of comfort and all just outside park entrances, so very convenient. Although hiking was all optional this trip is really geared towards hiking but the hikes are at your own pace and level so ideally suited for anyone who enjoys walking.



This adventure for me can be summed up in miles and miles of 'oohs and aahs'.