Sunday, November 6, 2022
Angel’s Landing is probably THE HIKE of Zion. It is so popular that one needs to be selected in a lottery to have the opportunity to do it. My brother Richie and I had done the hike in May. We entered the lottery each day we were there, and Richie “won” the opportunity to go on his birthday! We said Mom in heaven played a role in this fact. Anyway, Laura and I both entered the online lottery and, fortunately, Laura was selected! So, we were all set to hike Sunday morning.
Angel’s Landing is about 5.5 miles round trip with an elevation gain of about 1,500’. The trail has a longish section completely paved with concrete. They used mules and wagons of some design to do this many years ago. The trail gets steepish with switchback soon on, but the real show starts when you reach the narrow ridged “chain” section. From there on, it is only about another half mile, but that half mile is along cliffs with very steep drop-offs. A majority of this section of the trail has chain support, so one can hold the chains to pull oneself up (or lower oneself down later on) along the way, and of course another purpose of the chains is simply safety. The hike is special. It is a physical, adrenaline infused, emotional experience.
Back in May, my brother Richie and I had a great time doing this hike, and it would not have been the same without him. Doing the hike with Laura was special, too. It was fantastic. Exhilarating. Magical. The combination of the nature of the hike, being very strenuous, having an added intensity due to the steep drop-offs and chains, each section being an exercise in concentration, the beauty of the park, the views are out of this world, the sunshine and the blue sky, and doing it with her, all resulted in an energizing experience.
Another thing we both noted was the friendliness and comradery of those on the hike. There are several sections where one way traffic is the only way to go. People were always kindly patient waiting for others. They were supportive, encouraging, and nice. There were times on the hike when it felt like a “meet and greet”, stopping to talk with people, find out where they were from, and get a few tidbits about their lives. In addition to being a great hike, it was an interesting humanistic-social activity.
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