Hoping to grab a site at the first come first serve campground in Zion, I packed up camp around 6am. I was in line by 6:30 and there were already twenty vehicles in front of me.
Snapping photos, waiting in line
I waited about an hour, the ranger was handing out slips for sites, and I was guaranteed a site. But you have to wait for someone to leave before they'd let you in. With checkout being 11am, that could take a while.
In line, I met another cyclist, Travis, hoping to grab a site for his party of six travelers. Not up for waiting a couple of hours, I gave my slip (and spot in line to Travis). I'll find someone tonight who is up for sharing their site.
I found a place with coffee (and free refills) and warmed up. From there I rode as far as I could into the park.
Zion is stunning!
Perfect day for riding, especially because cars aren't allowed on this road!
I met a park ranger / biologist at the end of the road with a spotting scope on a tripod. He was looking for Periguin Falcon nests. Once the park determines where the nests are located, they'll open other rock faces for climbing. A bit deep in the season, they haven't found the nests yet, and the rock climbers are getting antsy.
This ranger is a wealth of information
He explained a little crane on the top of one peak (they used to log up there...) and suggested some great hikes. The one I chose is going to be closed in June, and he figured it would be worth seeing while still open.
I parked my bike and started up a trail - nothing serious, but an expected three hour round trip hike.
The trail was quite arduous in places; a rock ledge on a sheer cliff with a chain to hold on to for support.
Despite being terrified on parts of it, the views were breathtaking.
The photo does no justice to the view.
Not for those afraid of heights.
Heading back into the camp area of Zion, the day was starting to get later and I looked for spot. I passed a motorcycle tourist, started chatting and he readily offered to share his site.
Daniel and I hit it off quickly and discussed our travels. He is riding his motorcycle from Seattle to New York, seeing the sites along the way. Daniel is also a software developer, so we had a lot to talk about, including a programming language I want to learn - Haskell.
We also have a lot of the same gear - conducting our research using Outdoor Gear Lab. That site is great if you're looking to grab some new gear.
Cooking dinner
Tomorrow, we'll both be on our way to Bryce, although I imagine he'll get there before me.
Joe