
So we wake up before the sun rose, and we drove about 15 minutes to the first town outside of Zion. There we ate at the Thunderbird restaurant until around 10:30 when it was starting to get a little warm outside. Joe put together his new outfit of a bandana over his face, goggles, and his moose snow hat, and I got to wear his helmet with the good visor as we drove to Zion.















Then we hit a 1.1 mile tunnel! I video tapped it again, which seems to help with my claustrophobia. This tunnel was really freaky though because there were no lights at all, just a few view ports (about 4 over the whole tunnel).
After that we drove those squiggly roads down the mountain almost all the way to the campgrounds.






We picked out a site and set up the tent (during the day!). Then we left a lot of our stuff in the tent and drove up to Canyon Junction (one of the bus stops in Zion) and parked the bike. For whatever reason there was a section of road that only busses (or trams) could drive. So we hopped in the bus and Joe was not happy about it (you couldn't tell from this pic though).

You’d think he’d welcome having someone else drive him around for free. But he missed his bike, and he didn’t like looking at the sites out of the huge bus windows (it even had skylights, but Joe just said that they should make the entire roof out of glass).
We got out at the first stop, but the walk wasn’t very long, and it didn’t really give you a better view of the mountains.


Then the second time we got out, a couple told us that the first part of the trail wasn’t all that good, and the first of 3 Emerald Pools wasn’t anything either. So Joe took that to mean we should make our own path to the pools. We started by crossing over the river without their silly bridge.



Then we started to climb up their sandy mountain sides that fell beneath my feet like, well, sand. Then when it got a bit rocky, there were cactus (cacti?) and very high climbs. At points I got a little worried that we would have to just climb back down and cross back over the river (not easy). My left foot was already squishing every step I took, I didn’t want to add my right foot to that sensation.


Now I was getting really worried that we would never find the path, and Joe said he heard voices. Well, that’s good enough for me, and so we started climbing a bit faster to make sure that we didn’t loose where the sounds of people were coming from. And we made it! Joe asked the people on the path which way the Emerald Pools were, and they told us left, and then asked us where we came from that we didn’t know where the trails led. I pointed to the river, and the woman opened their eyes wide “From the river! Where did you cross?” I told her over the rocks, and then realized that she was still looking for the bridge we must have used. Now they were really shocked. It made me feel a little good to know that I’ve done something pretty fantastic, but I was still glad it was over and that we were back on a path to somewhere where we didn’t have to climb rocks practically one handed, and where cacti don’t exist right where you want to go.




At the first little pool we found (not one of the three) I brushed aside some leaves to open up the waterfall, and Joe got really excited about this, and said in about a half hour everyone at the lower pool is going to open their shinny eyes at the magnificence that was just opening up to their eyes because I opened the “chakra” above. I said that a little old lady is going to say “She should get the death penalty!” like the woman did at Arches about the rock graffiti.




Then we made it to the 2nd pool.


And then, after a pretty good climb, the 3rd pool.










Then on the long walk back (down the path we never came up) Joe found a shower (with my video camera in his hand!)


Then we made it back to where we could see the river, and beyond that, the lodge (civilization).

And, our camera died.
At the lodge we warmed up and asked where the posters being sold in the lobby were taken (we were under the impression that the "Wave" was at Zion from an art dealer we had spoken to in a town a few weeks ago. The wave is that canyon that looks like someone painted it with God's paint brush. It was not here, but in Arizona. Then the caves called the "Narrows" were there, but it was a 2 hour hike up the river to get there, and just getting off of a 4 hour hike/ rock climb, we weren't up for it. Plus, it was getting late. I looked around in the gift shop and found this great belt, green with bamboo design shoots, and a black plastic belt hook! You never find quality plastic belt loops, so Joe convinced me to support American and pay the $20 for the belt b/c it was made in Colorado. Then Joe checked the weather, and a cold front was coming in for the evening and next few days that was not predicted before. So rather than sleeping in 44 degree weather, we would be sleeping in 30 degrees. It was time to go! So we got back to the tent, made some quick tea and concqueso oat meal, then winterized the sleeping bag (stuffed it with out dirty cloths) and we went into hibernation mode till the next morning.