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ZION + BABY

Hiking Angel's Landing, The Narrows and The Emerald Pools with an 8 week old.

By Tommy Nagle

ATL ✈︎ LAS

The English translation of Las Vegas is 'The Meadows'.

A less meadowy place I don't think you'll find. We stayed for a night, if only to witness how simultaneously wonderfully odd and peculiarly awful the town can be.

But a three hour drive north-east in a small RV, inhabited by our little family (we were new parents to an exactly two-month old baby) took us to a place far more meadowy.

Utah's first National Park:

Zion

"Follow the paths where ancient native people and pioneers walked. Gaze up at massive sandstone cliffs of cream, pink, and red that soar into a brilliant blue sky. Experience wilderness in a narrow slot canyon. Zion’s unique array of plants and animals will enchant you as you absorb the rich history of the past and enjoy the excitement of present day adventures."

- National Park Service

Zion was our first stop on a month-long parental leave road trip in an RV through National and State Parks of the American west. Phew. That was a mouthful.

But what to do with yourself if you've got a two-month old baby and find yourself in Zion National Park? (Aside from question your sanity?)

You start with one of the easiest hikes they have, the Emerald Pools.

⪖ ⪚ ⪜

There are three pools of the emerald variety (no, they're not green, sorry). At the risk of sounding obvious, the further you hike up, the more demanding it becomes. We seemed to find that the strenuosity (is that even a thing?) was generally overstated by many of the websites and guidebooks though, so don't worry toooooo much.

LOWER POOL | Easy | 1.2 miles round trip | 70ft elevation change

MIDDLE POOL | Moderate | 2 miles round trip | 150ft elevation change

UPPER POOL | Strenuous | 3 miles round trip | 350ft elevation change

I wouldn't say we're super-fit by any means, but we're not massive couch potatoes either. I just strapped the wee man to my front in the baby carrier and got to it. He only weighed about 10lbs.

⇡ Lower Emerald Pool, looking into Zion valley past young quaking aspen ⇡

⇡ Spin around and pretend you're there! ⇡

I was going to write something about the October colours, something like:

"Vivid lemon leaves erupt from amid clumps of green, set against the bright azure sky and the blood red rock." But not that shitty, because that sounds like something a particularly uncreative eight year old with access to a limited thesaurus would write.

So I'll just leave it.

⇡ More quaking aspen, I think? Feel free to correct me, arborist nerds ⇡

Whatever it is, the colours are really striking in person.

🌲

Rollo's first al fresco diaper/nappy changing experience.

A bracing waft of Utah's freshest air on one's nethers.

DESERT VARNISH

All around this region you'll see interesting streaks of varying dark colours on exposed rock surfaces. This example is from the Emerald Pools.

It's a complicated bacteria/minerals/oxides relationship that I'm not going to explain here, but suffice it to say it can look jolly dramatic.

⇡ Keep an eye out, you'll see desert varnish on most of the rock in this photo story ⇡

∆ ∆ ∆

COURT OF THE PATRIARCHS

Abraham • Isaac • Jacob

Named in 1916 by Frederick Vining Fisher, a Methodist minister, the Patriarchs go by the names of three famous Old Testament father type dudes:

If you're not crazy about the idea that everything's named after religious guys, then may I propose using Google autosuggest to come up with some last names and give you some alternatives. Thus we have:

Abraham...

...Lincoln [16th President of the US] Yep. Know him.

Isaac...

...Newton [Discovered gravity] Of course.

and Jacob...

...Latimore [American singer, rapper and actor] You wot mate? Who? Yeah, me neither.

Temperatures in Zion in October were fantastic. Warm enough for t-shirts in the daytime and cool enough to require snuggling under a light blanket around a campfire in the evening. Perfect.

With Lucy only eight weeks out from giving birth, a baby that needed all the attention babies need, and my propensity for naps, naturally we took it easy for our first proper day in our RV.

• Feeding •

• Changing •

• Cooking •

• Sleeping •

• Relaxing •

• Life in an RV •

We made a calculated decision not to take the whole of Rollo's pram / stroller / pushchair with us, which worked out just fine. After the month long trip, I can recall perhaps three occasions on which we could have used a pram, but really we didn't need one. We managed just fine.

Instead we just took the bassinet / cot thing from the pram, which folded down flat and fitted into a suitcase with no problems at all. He slept in that at night, placed on top of one of the seats or the dining table in the RV.

Leaving the pram behind meant one less thing to take on the plane, one less thing to get in the way inside the RV, one less thing to lose and/or break. At two months old, Rollo was small enough to carry pretty much all the time in the baby carrier, which was light and easy to store. It did get a little sweaty though...

The Narrows is the aptly, though not terrible creatively, named narrowest part of Zion Canyon, carved over thousands of years by the Virgin River.

As long as it's safe to do so, 'hiking the Narrows' means walking up river, literally in the river. You can go for a couple of minutes, hours, or even a couple of days.

The canyon walls rise up hundreds of feet on either side, affording impressive views and a "lets just see what's round the next corner" experience.

⇡ The height of the canyon walls means it can get pretty chilly in the Narrows ⇡

So make sure to take plenty of layers, just in case.

🚌

Zion has a free shuttle bus that runs all day, stopping at the nine major points in the park, from the Visitor's Centre to the Temple of Sinawava, where The Narrows begins.

While taking the shuttle bus on the first day, I noticed that an inordinate number of people were wearing the same distinctive boots. Bright neon yellow, black and blue Adidas boots, to be precise.

I thought everyone in Zion must be:

a) super trendy,

2) going to the same discount shoe shop, or

d) doing something else I hadn't quite thought of yet.

⇡ The Temple of Sinawava, the start of the Narrows ⇡

There's a paved path about a mile long from the bus stop up to the start of the Narrows, where you'll find folk wearing sandals or going barefoot, pottering about in the water, taking selfies and having a good time.

Those of you who want to press on further up the Narrows can do so wearing your own shoes, but unless you're wearing some crazy drysuit thing, your feet will get wet. You're generally picking your way over slippery rocks, chugging along in ankle-to-knee deep, very cold water, so even a couple of hours wading can be strenuous.

Some venture further with what they have on, but if you want to go any proper distance, for any length of time, and do it safely, you'll need to rent appropriate footwear.

Thus the trendy Adidas boots that I'd seen everyone wearing the day before. They're actually made for canyoneering, and are available from a couple of places in Springdale (the nearest town to the park).

We rented ours from Zion Outfitter, for around $25 per person, and they came as part of a "warm weather package" complete with neoprene booties and natty hiking stick.

" The canyoneering boots are specifically designed for slippery conditions that maintain grip while wet and provide proper ankle support. The boots are worn with neoprene socks which insulate the foot and prevent the blistering and discomfort accompanied by hiking in wet boots. This package also comes with a wooden hiking stick for stability and balance; these hold up much better in the Narrows than regular trekking poles."

- Zion Outfitter

⇡ The further you get in to the Narrows, the more climbing you'll have to do ⇡

It's a fun experience, trying to pick your route through the water. Much of the river is totally clear, and you can see right to the bottom, but there are more turbulent areas where the water churns up silt, so it can be almost impossible to see what you're stepping on.

As we walked upriver, the crowds thinned out.

Occasionally we were left alone, just us and nature.

Generally it seems, when it doubt, people stick to the sides, but sometimes we saw brave souls strike out into the wilderness of the middle of the river, only to fall over or lurch wildly and then decide it isn't worth it and come back to the fold.

⇡ Indiana Jones fedora optional ⇡

It didn't even cross our minds to throw down the ten bucks to rent the waterproof backpacks, so with every minor wobble we were risking a wet lunch or a wet camera.

In retrospect, it's not worth the gamble, so we would probably get at least one if we were to do it again. That said...

🐞

...it's just crossed my mind that we were also risking a wet baby, but in all honesty that was really really unlikely.

I'm the proud owner of two dodgy ankles, having torn ligaments in both of them multiple times. So to say I was cautious on the river would be an understatement. Lucy was more than happy to carry Rollo, and didn't have any such reservations at all.

As long as you take your time and are sensible, it's totally doable to carry a sproglet.

Plus, a baby wouldn't really fit in a waterproof backpack.

He was snug as a bug in an ergonomically cut infant transportation garment.

Some slick sections of the canyon walls appear gold when the light hits them just right.

⇡ Another 360° panorama, mid-Narrows ⇡

The size of the debris that the water can throw down when the river is in flood is really impressive. You don't want to get caught down here when that happens.

🤚

From time to time, we came across large rocks on which folks have decided to leave a little temporary mud-graffiti.

You can't help but think about human connections in the face of a sight like this.

Hundreds of generations ago, people would have done the very same thing.

Leave a mark. Discover a bond. We're just points in time.

We decided that lunch would be our mid-point. We ate our sandwiches and Lucy fed Rollo on a small sandbank in the depths of the Narrows.

It's not as if you can remember every nook and cranny, every wonky rock and hidden deep pool, so the only reason the way back took slightly less time was because I was taking fewer photos. But what a relief to get those boots off after a day in the water!

We drove back out of the park in the evening to get to our campsite, but that took longer than planned because I had to stop every mile or so. Everything was so photogenic. I couldn't help myself.

One can understand geologists getting all hot under the collar about place like this.

ROCK, ROCK, ROCK.

Rocks like piles of plates stacked precariously in a kitchen cupboard:

Rocks that catch the light and glow all different shades of red, pink and orange:

Tunnels that are straight out of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner cartoons:

Giant chunks of rock that look like crumbling sandcastles:

Rocks with huge mysterious cracks down the middle:

Rocks that lie like abandoned packs of playing cards:

And amongst it all, vibrant pops of colour:

Finally, rocks that stand sentinel in the distance:

⇡ Looking out west from the eastern edge of the park ⇡

And with that, our second day in Zion was complete. The following day, we planned on doing one of its unmissable hikes:

ANGEL'S LANDING | Strenuous | 5.4 miles round trip | 1500ft elevation change

If you're not familiar with Angel's Landing, it's a hike that leads you along a steep, narrow ridge with sheer drop offs either side, up to a summit that has 360 degree views over Zion Canyon. It's not for the faint-hearted, people have died doing it (at time of writing, eight since 2004), but is nonetheless Zion's most popular hike.

What with carrying the baby with us, we reserved our decision as to whether we'd tackle the tricksy last section until we got up there and scoped it out.

⇡ The rock formation, at the right hand end of which is Angel's Landing ⇡

ProTip for expectant parents: If it wasn't already obvious, when there's a baby involved, everything takes longer. Much longer.

We were up relatively early, around seven o'clock in the morning, but only got to the bottom of the Angel's Landing trail at around half past nine. By then it was already fairly busy. We chatted briefly to a couple who had already completed the hike coming back the opposite way. They got the first shuttle at 7am and said they pretty much had the view from the top to themselves.

But no matter, it wasn't a race. This was a holiday!

We parked the RV inside the park, on a layby on State Route 9 (right here in fact! - that's where the above photo was taken from) then walked the short distance down the road to the bus stop, where we took the free shuttle to stop number 6, The Grotto.

Below you can see the sections of the paved hike that snake up the increasingly steep cliff face, shored up by walls the same colour as the mountain, so they blend in nicely.

⇡ Spot the path and people at the bottom of the photo ⇡

This section of the hike is called 'Refrigerator Canyon'. Later in the day, it's the only really shaded part of the hike, but as you can see from the above, for us it was early enough that almost all the canyon was in shade anyway. By the time you've completed this part of the hike, you've already climbed 1000 feet, so you should have worked up a sweat regardless.

⇡ This critter was just hanging out in the middle of the path on the way up ⇡

Presumably having a breather too.

🕷

After Refrigerator Canyon, there's a section called Walter's Wiggles, named after Walter Ruesch, Zion's first superintendent, who was in charge of the path construction back in 1926. They're a series of 21 switchbacks that lead to Scout's Lookout.

Scout's Lookout is the turnaround point where those who don't fancy doing the most challenging part of the hike can wuss out return gracefully.

There are still amazing views from here, but you can't say you've done Angel's Landing if you don't do the next section over the spine of the rock.

⇡ Looking north from Scout's Lookout toward the Narrows ⇡

Just before we reached Scout's Lookout, a couple of ladies in their mid-fifties saw Rollo in the baby carrier, accosted us and were all "Oooh, what a gorgeous baby" and "Dad, can you carry me?" *Guffaw guffaw, chortle chortle* Then one of them clutched her (figurative) pearls and said "You're not going to go all the way up, are you?"

We said probably not, but that we'd like to look around Scout's Lookout first before making a decision. So we had a drink of water and took stock of the situation.

Our conversation went like this:

Would we be annoyed if we didn't do it? . . . . . . Yes.

Would we be annoyed if we didn't even try? . . . . . . Absolutely.

Can we turn around if it gets too scary? . . . . . . Of course.

Are there loads of old and fat people doing it? . . . . . . Yes.

Screw it, we're doing it.

So we did.

⇡ Looking back across to Scout's Lookout from midway along the ridge ⇡

⨺

The trouble with hiking at at 9:30am was the number of people. There were lines and queues at various points along the ridge, so many that it was hard to take any photos. I occasionally whipped out my phone to snap something, like the above panorama, but I had put away my 'proper' camera so I'd have both hands free, for obvious reasons.

But after another 500 feet incline of steps, chains and vertigo, we reached the top.

What a view.

Rollo deserved a snack at the top, so we duly got out the tiger pattern muslin blanket and Lucy went about her motherly duties while taking in the view of Zion valley.

A couple of women in their early twenties walked past, one called over to Lucy, saying:

"Breastfeeding Mom, you're my hero!"

Right on. She's mine too.

So to answer the question:

CAN YOU HIKE ANGEL'S LANDING WITH A BABY?

The answer is yes. If you're fit enough, and comfortable with carrying your baby's weight on your front and how that adjusts your centre of gravity.

If the baby isn't wiggly. (Rollo slept the whole time).

Much like The Narrows, although this hike does have a much higher chance of death, *nervous laugh* if you take your time and are sensible, you'll be fine.

As for older children, you'd have to use your judgement. Kids can be silly and unaware of the dangers around them. A 13 year old girl died in a fall in 2018. For every Dad with a kid on his shoulders we saw (Yes, really), we saw a more sensible parent and child combo, both wearing climbing harnesses connected by a rope. Then again, if one were to slip, would they pull the other one?

Best not to think too much about these things, I find.

⇡ The return journey, where you can see how steep it is, and the build up of people ⇡

⇡ You almost feel sorry for the folk coming up as you're going down ⇡

We had started at 9:30am and were finished by 1pm. After partaking of an apple and a diaper change in the dappled shade of The Grotto, we packed ourselves into the RV and headed on to the next day's destination: Bryce Canyon.

⇡ On the way to Bryce. The best guess I have for this photo is these paintings are the football jersey numbers for kids at VHS, Valley High School in Orderville, UT ⇡