Friday, March 28, 2014, Hike To The Top of Angels Landing, Zion National Park, UT

Joani wanted to see if she could make it to the top of Angels Landing and I was happy to go with her for my second climb. The peak in the center of the picture below was our goal. There were a few people visible at the very top. 

See the tiny people on top of Angels Landing?  Three hours and we will be among them.

This is a "strenuous" trail and here's a guy pushing a baby stroller. I think I mentioned the 1,488 feet you climb on this trail - it was steep! Joani was catching her breath as they breezed by. The baby made it to Scout Lookout before we did!  

That's all on me!  David could make the climb without stopping, but not me.

Once you reach Scout Lookout, the paved trail ends and the real workout begins. Usually, you can see where the trail is by spotting the chains. When there were no chains you had to follow footprints in the sand or note where others were hiking.

Oops! Don't look down!

Looking south down the canyon...

A young lady from Florida was kind enough to record our ascent to the top of Angels Landing with this picture.

We made it to the top in about 3 hours! The view was unbelievable.

The lady below had an apple in her hand resting on the rock to her side when one of the chipmunks took it as an offer. He climbed right over her hand to take a bite of the apple giving her quite a shock.

This woman was very freaked by the critter. She had no idea he was eyeing her peanuts.

Joani had been pretty focused on the trail on the way up, but at the top, she was free to snap away.

Looking north, you see the end of the canyon road and the beginning of the trail to the Narrows.

If heights mess with your head, this hike is not for you!

See the hole under the trail? Me too!

This trail is not recommended for children, but this 4-6 year old said he did it for the t-shirt he was promised.

Several huge boulders (4 feet in diameter) like this were sprinkled atop Scout Lookout. The small round nodules of its makeup were about 1.5 inches across.

Time to head back down Walters Wiggles into Refrigerator Canyon. The sun is getting low and the jacket stays on!

The sandstone walls in Refrigerator Canyon deserved another examination on the way down the trail. This is a closeup (maybe 10 inches tall) to show some of the detail that easily goes unnoticed.