I have never been to Zion, and didn't know what to expect. I didn't know what Zion was, from the pictures I had seen it seemed to be a hodge podge of stuff. It turns out it is a canyon, with the highest red rock cliffs in the world, some 2,000 feet high.
I was surprised by the number of plants on the canyon floor. For a desert, it has a lush environment. There are over 1,000 species of plants in the park. This is in part because the elevation varies from 3,000 feet on the canyon floor to over 8,000 on the canyon's rim.
One day, we drove on a little-traveled road to the canyon rim:
What the above photo really shows is the Colorado Plateau,a large, flat area pushed up millions of years ago, that covers much of four states. Bryce Canyon and even the Grand Canyon are all a part of this plateau. Zion Canyon was created by the Virgin River, which, over thousands of years, has cut into the plateau. Erosion carves a multitude of shapes.
On another day we hiked to the Emerald Pools. There wasn't much water in the pools at this time of year, but the hike was definitely worth it.
There were a couple of waterfalls, and the path passed behind them. And yes, we got wet:
There were four pools altogether. We had to hike up above the canyon floor. Great exercise, beautiful views!
Do you see the rock in the center of the photo? Those rocks are everywhere. Some are as big as buses, some as large as houses. I would hate to be underneath one when it breaks loose! They are part of the continuing erosion process, a very dynamic part of the canyon.
At the top, above the fourth pool, is what they call "weeping rocks". When it rains, water trickles down through porous rock. When the water reaches an impenetrable rock, it finds a way out and drips. All kinds of plant life grows in these areas, including ferns, algae, mosses, and columbines.
More views on the trip down:
To be continued...
