Rivers Run Cold, Cliffs Stand Tall

Three Days in Zion

We came into Zion as the sun fell. The light was golden, warm, and sharp. It cut across the cliffs and threw shadows long and jagged. We walked the Tunnel Overlook Trail. The air was clear, the views good. We saw bighorn sheep high on the rocks. They moved steady and sure.

At Watchman Campground, we found our place. We made a fire. The flames danced low and steady. We ate and drank under a black sky pricked with stars. The night was cold but good.

Angel’s Landing

Morning came crisp and biting. We lit a fire to keep the chill at bay. The Angel’s Landing trail waited. It was steep, a climb to test legs and lungs. My ankle throbbed, but we climbed all the same.

The top was a fine thing. The cliffs fell away, the valley spread wide and green. The air was thin and sharp, and the view made the pain worth it.

We came back down, slow and steady. At camp, the sun warmed us. We ate late, the food tasted better because of the climb. In the evening, the sky burned red and gold again.

In Springdale, we rented gear for the Narrows. Dinner was hot and filling, the town quiet. Back at camp, the fire snapped and cracked. We talked little, the silence of the canyon pressing in.

The Narrows

The river was cold. The walls of the canyon rose high, pressing close. The sound of the water was constant, steady. We waded upstream, the current pulling at us.

At Wall Street, the canyon grew narrow. The beauty was hard and clean, like a blade. There was a woman there, cursing her husband, after falling taking a route he suggested. She was wet and cold, and her words hung sharp in the air. We turned back, the river behind us.

In Springdale, we found coffee and a place to relax. Then headed back to camp where the fire burned bright again. The food was hot, the tea scalded my mouth, but I drank it anyway.

Zion

Zion can be a gentle place or not, the choice is yours. The cliffs are tall and hard. The trails are steep and rough. The water is cold and fast. But there is beauty here. Beauty that stays with you.

In Zion, the sunsets burn. The nights are quiet. The firelight flickers, and the stars keep watch. It is a place for those who seek something real, something that will not bend to them but will give if they work for it.

Zion is a place to remember.