Greetings B2B families, what an amazing trip we had this past weekend! Unfortunately, two of our residents were unable to share the same experience; one had an infection in his mouth from his wisdom teeth being pulled and the other from a bum knee. We started off with a 6:30 A.M. wakeup on Sunday morning; vans packed, house cleaned, and we were off. Our first destination was Waweep Hoodoos; however, the dirt roads were unfavorable. The guides took a ‘guide audible’ and took some other dirt roads to the Paria movie set. Hills upon hills of neatly organized colors of reds, oranges, and whites synchronized the windswept hardened sand.
After the brief detour, we drove to our first campsite called Ponderosa Grove to set up camp. We conducted an A.A. meeting (big book study) and then headed to Pink Coral Sand Dunes. At some benches, we ate dinner which consisted of delicious meatloaf we made from a dutch oven recipe. After we cleaned up and put everything back in the van, we started the short trek to the Sand Dunes.
We all took our shoes off and the fine sand melted between our toes. The color of the sand looked like a dirt red with a hint of pink. Several dunes overlapped each other as we trudged to the top of a sand dune ridge. Multiple pictures were taken; some residents were running and jumping in the snow-like sand, while others were at the beautiful sunset overlooking the horizon. A family that joined us during the sunset let us borrow their sandboards; we all took turns riding them down the sand dune. It couldn’t have been a better conclusion to our first night.
We had to reserve a campsite quite early the next day; that meant we all went to bed early. The campsite was filled with hunters; one campsite had a few Mule Deer hanging from a tree. Some of the residents heard some hunters leave really early; as a result, that was our alarm clock. It was pitch black when we woke up and packed up. Doors from the van shut and we headed to our final destination, Zion National Park.
We arrived early enough to secure a camp spot for the next two nights. We unpacked the van, set up camp, and at a hearty breakfast of granola, fresh berries, and yogurt. Next, we gathered our daypacks for the grand adventure of exploring Zion. We walked toward the visitor center not too far away from our camp. Bus shuttles would come every 10 minutes to shuttle people through Zion Canyon to several trailheads and other spectacular points of interest. The shuttle through Zion was like something out of Jurassic Park, cliffs of red sandstone towered throughout the valley. Windswept white caps hover above the cliffs; Zion was truly breathtaking and inspirational to capture the timeless geological landscapes and the spirit of what nature has to offer. Deer were roaming, climbers were seen on 1500 ft. faces and leaves were falling as we drove through the valley. Although it was a bit crowded, this time of year is the best season to go.
We stopped at Stop 6 which was The Grotto. The infamous Angels Landing was the hike we were about to sight see. It started on a paved path with two sections of switchbacks. We took a quick break and it was onto the exposed part of the trail. This strenuous section was about a mile with an elevation of about 1000 ft. On either side of this trail was sheer cliff and drop off. Chains were a part of the trail as a safety precaution.
As we dodged the crowds of people, we slowly made our way up to the top, we weren’t as high as the cliffs on either side of us, but we were high enough to look down into the valley. We took a moment to appreciate the beauty of the natural scenery and carefully made our way down. Near the end of the trail, we all spotted a tarantula crossing the trail, the first for many of us in its natural habitat. It was one of the best trails we’ve hiked so far.
We took the shuttle back, grilled up some pastrami and cheese sandwiches, then went down to the Virgin River to rinse off and hang out for a little. Of course we were still hungry, so we went back to camp and cooked up some ravioli’s. After we got our necessary carbs, we drove to an A.A. meeting at the Bumbleberry Inn in Springdale. One of our very own residents took initiative and read in the Big book and we discussed our thoughts about it. After the meeting, we drove back to camp, made a fire, played some cards, and tried to get some sleep.
When we got up the next morning we cooked up some eggs, Jimmy Dean’s sausage, and grits; chowed down, packed up and took the shuttle to our next destination, The Narrows. It was the last stop on the shuttle ride. There were walls of sandstone elevated high above us, no sun to be seen. As we entered The Narrrows, our feet were drenched the whole time walking up the Virgin River. The water temperature was about 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Every bend we walked was filled with outstretched alcoves, huge boulders, and colorful marbled majestic walls lining the river. There was a confluence at the 3 mile mark and we explored both ways. One way, we ended up at dead end from huge stones blocking the river; the other way, we went upstream some little ways then headed back. There was surprisingly a lot of people walking in the cold, crisp water.
We took the shuttle to the natural museum; watched a historical movie about Zion and the early civilizations that settled in Zion. After the movie, we walked back to camp and dried our soaking socks and boots. We grilled up some more pastrami sandwiches and raviolis; then, relaxed and enjoyed the company and sunshine. Our lazy afternoon was followed by an A.A. meeting about frustrations. To conclude the night, we sat by the fire and reminisced of old times and joked around until bed. The next morning we woke up bright and early, packed up and ate ‘mandatory oats’ and to conclude our four day adventure through Zion National Park.
Wishing all of you a wonderful rest of the week. Thanks for tuning in!!!!!
