The National Parks are one of America's greatest accomplishments. The grand natural and surreal expanses always leave me in awe. I've been fortunate to run in several of the Parks and there is no better feeling running through remote stretches of some of the grandest places on earth. The perspective gained during these runs can be found nowhere else. All the garbage and noise that we surround ourselves with in our day to day melts away into nothing. We are then left alone with who we are at a core and these places elevate our lives. To share this experience with others is special. There is no need to speak of the experience. Just look around at the smiles and wonder on all of our faces and you realize that this is a special bond we share. The National Parks provide this unique opportunity.
Zion is a mind blowing landscape of forested canyons, unique towering rock mountains, lush and pristine river valleys and impossible rock faces. The Zion traverse starts at Lee's Pass and travels through 48 miles through the heart of the park. It rivals any stretch of trail I've been on in terms of beauty and diversity. It is truly a special place.
I had suffered an injury that sidelined me for 8 days and really left me fairly inactive for 2 weeks just a couple of week's prior to this trip. Fortunately, with the help of therapy from Jyoti at Denver Sports Massage, I was able to rebound in time to make this journey. I can't really explain how happy I was to make this trip. Sherpa John had laid out the route, camping and logistics and brought 13 runners together for this epic journey.We made the hour drive from our campsite to Lee Pass and hit the trail shortly after 5am. The trail dropped into a private valley as we waited for the sun to come up. Around mile 4 we started turning our headlamps off and got a good preview of what was in store for us the rest of the day. This part of the park is away from the main valley. It has no amenities and access is by foot only. This is the most remote and ignored section of the park but it holds one of the crown jewels.
As we worked our way down to the Kolob Arch trail juncture the canyon walls rose higher and higher. We were all looking up and were giddy with excitement. Around each bend there was a view that was better than the last. After working through canyon and rising up our first climb we came across Hop Valley.
We glided through the 2 mile valley and started a climb over the next 5 miles that would offer our first views of Zion Canyon. Despite taking a lot of pictures we made really good time through the first 13 miles. It was about this time when we lost our shadows and began our day in the sun which would play a major roll later on.
At around mile 20 we came to our first spring. The spring produced good water but it still needed filtering. We spent nearly 30 minutes filtering water for the group and this is where I made my first mistake. My bladder was filled 3/4 of the way full and my handheld was not filtered. We had spent so much time at this spring and we wanted to get moving. It was a mistake not to fill up completely. As we continued on we ran through forests, around amazing rock mountains and formations and around deep canyons. We would catch amazing views of the canyon from a perceptive that the majority of park visitors never see. We reached the high point of the run at around 7,400 feet. It was hot and breezy. The wind was drying us out and no one had acclimated to the heat this season. I rationed my water and finally ran out of water 2 miles from the next spring. Many in our group had similar issues. Adam shared some of his water with me which allowed me to continue on but by this point my fate was already wrote. I was dragging a bit behind the group. Adam stuck with me and we caught up with the group at the Canyon Rim Spring. I appreciated his company. They were close to filling up enough to get them to the canyon floor where the only spigot on the trial resided. The Rim Spring was a nasty slow spring that required filtering and still left some sediment in my bottle. I took down 1.5 handhelds before filling it up one more time for the 4 miles down to the canyon floor.
The trail down into the valley follows an exposed and chiseled trail that hugs the canyon walls. Adam and I decided that we weren't continuing past the valley so we took it easy going down into the canyon. The views were amazing. We worked down the trail as we made our way to Angels Landing.
Angels Landing is a tall bluff with a narrow and exposed catwalk. There are chains for support and the footing was very good. I was down to about 4 tiny sips of water at this point and Adam was very low as well. We made our way up Angels landing. About 3/4 of the way to the top I was down to my last sip and felt dehydrated and my mouth felt like sandpaper. I was a little concerned about the exposure on Angels Landing but it didn't bother me too much as the chains added a sense of security. Unfortunately I was concerned with getting to the bottom with no water. Adam continued to the top and I turned around not trusting my strength and ability in my current condition.
Before Adam returned from the top Kurt, Laurie, Val and Sophie showed up. Val was able to offer me a few ounces of water which were very helpful. When Adam returned we made our way to the valley and to the spigot at the bottom. I took down a couple of handhelds before we made our way to the lodge for a beer and some ice cream.
John, Nate and Brett were the only 3 in our group to complete the run that day. They did an unbelievable job. Overall, I was very happy with the day and the amazing experience. I feel if I could have hydrated better I would have completed it. A bigger pack is needed and a more reliable filtering system as well. I love the park and can't wait to go back!
