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May 2011 Road Trip (trip index)
VLA/Pie Town: [Day 1]Tue May 10Drive day
Drive day · 7 videos
[Day 2]Wed May 11The Very Large Array and Pie Town, NM; on to Grand Canyon Village
The Very Large Array and Pie Town, NM; on to Grand Canyon Village · 38 videos
Grand Canyon N.P. (South Rim): [Day 3]Thu May 12Grand Canyon South Rim
Grand Canyon South Rim · 16 videos
[Day 4]Fri May 13South Kaibab hike
South Kaibab hike · 22 videos
[Day 5]Sat May 14Bright Angel hike to Indian Garden
Bright Angel hike to Indian Garden · 13 videos
Grand Canyon N.P. (North Rim): [Day 6]Sun May 15To the North Rim; Bright Angel Point
To the North Rim; Bright Angel Point · 27 videos
[Day 7]Mon May 16North Rim: Walhalla Plateau
North Rim: Walhalla Plateau · 27 videos
Zion N.P.: [Day 8]Tue May 17To Zion; Observation Point hike
To Zion; Observation Point hike · 19 videos
[Day 9]Wed May 18The Narrows
The Narrows · 12 videos
[Day 10]Thu May 19Angels Landing and Kolob Canyons
Angels Landing and Kolob Canyons · 21 videos
Great Basin N.P.: [Day 11]Fri May 20To Great Basin National Park; Lehman Caves
To Great Basin National Park; Lehman Caves · 14 videos
[Day 12]Sat May 21Bonneville Salt Flats and Great Basin
Bonneville Salt Flats and Great Basin · 9 videos
Zion N.P. (II): [Day 13]Sun May 22Second visit to Zion, then on toward Bryce Canyon
Second visit to Zion, then on toward Bryce Canyon · 25 videos
Bryce Canyon N.P.: [Day 14]Mon May 23Bryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park · 29 videos
Arches N.P.: [Day 15]Tue May 24To Arches via Capitol Reef
To Arches via Capitol Reef · 22 videos
[Day 16]Wed May 25Devils Garden and Delicate Arch
Devils Garden and Delicate Arch · 14 videos
[Day 17]Thu May 26Fiery Furnace and Dead Horse Point
Fiery Furnace and Dead Horse Point · 8 videos
Canyonlands N.P.: [Day 18]Fri May 27Canyonlands: Island in the Sky and the Needles
Canyonlands: Island in the Sky and the Needles · 22 videos
Monument Valley/Mesa Verde N.P.: [Day 19]Sat May 28Monument Valley and Mesa Verde
Monument Valley and Mesa Verde · 16 videos
Great Sand Dunes N.P.: [Day 20]Sun May 29Great Sand Dunes: Star Dune hike
Great Sand Dunes: Star Dune hike · 11 videos
[Day 21/22]Mon May 30Great Sand Dunes backup day, then the drive east
Great Sand Dunes backup day, then the drive east · 4 videos
Route Map: [Route][all maps]

Day 10 (Thu May 19, 2011): Zion National Park

Day's Summary: Angels Landing and Kolob Canyons. Overnight: Oak Tree Inn, Milford.

Zion Park Motel (Springdale, UT)

Notice that greenish steeple at the end of the video? That's the Zion Pizza & Noodle Company. I kid you not.

Zion National Park: Near Visitor's Center

Really awesome relief map of Zion Canyon and the vicinity. You can hear buses in the background.

Zion National Park: Emerald Pools Hike (But No Angel's Landing?!)

Here, I'm at the Zion Lodge shuttle stop. I had planned to hike to Angel's Landing on this day. However, it was threatening to rain. In lieu of my first day at Bryce Canyon (Day 13), I came back to hike Angel's Landing. It was well worth it to come back, but it was also smart NOT to hike it when there was a possibility of rain.

Go to Day 13, and you'll see that you can literally fall to your death on that hike, and guess what? Water makes it slippery and extremely treacherous. That's not to mention the elevation and the possibility of being struck by lightning.

Zion National Park: Lower Emerald Pool

Instead of Angel's Landing, I decided to hike trails in and around the Emerald Pools. There are two major ways to access the Emerald Pools: downcanyon (southwest) at Zion Lodge, and upcanyon (northeast) at the Grotto.

My hike went like this: started at Zion Lodge shuttle stop as shown in the previous video, took (1) Lower Emerald Pool Trail to (2) Middle Emerald Pools Trail to (3) Upper Emerald Pool Trail, THEN backtracked (4) down Upper Emerald Pool trail, (5) down Middle Emerald Pools Trail, then took (6) Kayenta Trail to end at the Grotto shuttle stop.

Zion National Park: Lower Emerald Pool

There are three sets of Emerald Pools in Zion National Park: 1 Lower Emerald Pool, 2 Middle Emerald Pools, and one Upper Emerald Pool. On most of the videos that show the Lower Emerald Pool, you can see the two small streams of water emptying into the Lower Emerald Pool that both arise from the 2 Middle Emerald Pools.

Zion National Park: Lower Emerald Pool

Near the cool of the Lower Emerald Pool. Directly behind the two waterfalls draining from the Middle Emerald Pools.

Zion National Park: Lower Emerald Pool

Getting water on the lens and navigating the slippery walkway behind the Lower Emerald Pool. Still behind the two waterfalls.

Zion National Park: Lower Emerald Pool

Filming behind a small trickle of water.

Zion National Park: Lower Emerald Pool

First I film the trickle of water, then the two bigger streams of water falling from the Middle Emerald Pools. Then the canyon walls.

Zion National Park: Lower Emerald Pool

Similar to the previous video but a little further away.

Zion National Park: Lower Emerald Pool

Even further up the trail, you get a good view of the two falling water streams coming from the Middle Emerald Pools.

Zion National Park: Junction Of Three Trails

This is the location at which the Kayenta Trail, Lower Emerald Pool Trail, and Middle Emerald Pools Trail intersect. To get to the Upper Emerald Pool Trail, the Middle Emerald Pools Trail has to be taken for a short distance. The Kayenta Trail leads northeast towards the Grotto shuttle bus stop.

Zion National Park: Near Middle Emerald Pools

Slippery rocks near Middle Emerald Pools.

Zion National Park: Upper Emerald Pool Trail

Hiking up towards the Upper Emerald Pool.

Zion National Park: Upper Emerald Pool

Filming the waterfall and canyon walls near Upper Emerald Pool.

Zion National Park: Upper Emerald Pool

360 degree pan of the Upper Emerald Pool area.

Zion National Park: Upper Emerald Pool

More views of the Pool.

Zion National Park: Kayenta Trail

Headed back to the Grotto along the Kayenta Trail. View of the waterfalls from Middle Emerald Pools at 0:30.

Zion National Park: Kayenta Trail

Kayenta Trail Bridge over the Virgin River.

Zion National Park: Weeping Rock

How sad! :(

Zion National Park: Weeping Rock

I weep for the rock.


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