Adventures of PrincessNg

WELCOME to UTAH

The snowcapped mountains that were enveloped with cotton-candied clouds.. This view sprawled in front of us as we were crossing the state line. It was a sight for eyes that were blinded by the bright lights! I couldn't wait to see what Zion National Park has to offer!

It was a rather unnerving drive, and somehow the winds were ridiculous! (It was very scary to have winds going at that speed and having the car you're in swerving from being blown) So there we were swerving away, hoping no trailers were near us! (It was later that night that we saw trailers being overturned by those winds)

We reached the gateway town of Zion National Park is Springdale. It is a quaint little village (I call it village because it is really our there in the mountains and you could walk one end to the other end of what I think is the "bustling town centre").

We had to stop. For one, I was HUNGRY!! And next I saw elks and buffalos.. You see, I am but a girl who predominantly grew up in the tropics of Singapore (albeit that short stint in California when I was young). And as a typical girl who grew up in Singapore, the animals I see are those that are in the zoo! And elks and buffalos aren't any of them. (Though oddly we do have the polar bears in the zoo here..)

So we spent more time again (if you are going there during the winter, don't do what we did.. REMEMBER to take note of the time). By the time we reached Zion National Park, the sky was a pinkish hue. We managed to walk around the Visitor Centre and collected some information about the park.

Then off to the motel we were staying. (Which was an hour away because that was what we could afford) BAD idea... As we were driving in Zion National Park (coz the motel was one hour from the other entrance) we saw the sun setting in the rear view mirror (meaning we were heading East). And you know roads in National Parks has NO LIGHTS!! There we were in the dark.. and there was snow around. And as if that wasn't bad enough, we had to drive through a winding section that had steep cliff-offs with no barriers.

The worst of it was that I, being in the passenger's seat, was on the cliff-off side! The HORROR!! If my friend drove anything more than 30mph I was screaming at the top of my lungs. We didn't have any snow chains on our tires. WHAT WERE WE THINKING!!

But we managed to reach Best Western Red Hills, the most expensive lodging we had for this trip. A luxury if you ask me!! (Dinner was MacDonalds as that was the only thing that was open)

The next morning we were back at Zion National Park! We hiked Canyon Overlook Trail. It was a really short trail. Just be careful of some steep cliff-offs (ok.. I'm a total chicken. But you can't blame me. I'm a city girl who practically lives in a concrete jungle)

Canyon Overlook Trail

Went to hike the Emerald Pool. Beautiful trail. It was lush greenery covered in snow! (I'm a sucker for snow coz I live in a region with 2 seasons Sunshiney or Rain) And to see the waterfall even if it was trickling in Winter. The beauty was astounding.. The tree branch at the bottom of the fall, totally icicled. But do take note that it is VERY icy.. better be careful. I was literally hugging the railings and pulling myself up.

Icicles anyone?

And we had lunch in the Park itself.. EVERYTHING is expensive in the park. Ridiculous!!

We wanted to try another trail before heading back to the motel. We decided to try the Echo Canyon Trail. What scared me even before starting the hike was the SIGN!!

"DEATHS has occured" due to the step cliff-offs. Can you imagine how scary that sounds... Noooooooo..... But I tried to be gutsy and trudged on. Oh it was a bad idea... Before seeing any cliff-offs, I was already falling on my bum as the trails was icy. So after trying for 10mins, we decided to head back before being a danger to ourselves.

I really love Zion National Park. It felt quaint and the views are varied. We have the rocks to see, and the lush vegetation.. Add on the trickling waterfall.

Truly MY WINTER WONDERLAND...

Map of Camelback Mountain

I'm not a fitness-nut. But I have to admit that when I was there, I was relatively fit (running and exercising regularly). But be absolutely prepared for what Camelback Mountain has to offer! I thought it would be an easy hike up. And boy was I proven WRONG!!

The Trail tried: Summit Trail (Echo Canyon Trail)

Directions to the trailhead:

Enter Echo Canyon Parkway east of Tatum Blvd. off of McDonald Drive. Parking is often limited. Trail ascends through spectacular sandstone rock formations and stunning views from the summit into Greater Phoenix.

Trail Length: 1.2 miles

Elevation Gain: 1,264 feet

Summit: 2,704 feet

Difficulty: Strenuous

Open: Sunrise to sunset

** Take note the difficulty, it said STRENUOUS.. If only I came across this info I before I embarked on my "Happy Hiking Day"**

At the trailhead, everything was great. The trail was easy and manageable. There were even wood that cut into the ground to create steps. But that was shortlived! Because I came face to face with a monster! (Yes, I was relatively fit.. But I'm not a seasoned hiker!)

Do you see how STEEP it is!!

That was possibly the worst, but it was relatively steep throughout the entire trail. But there were other sections with the rails, and chains to help poor newbies like me out!

Along the trail, the beauty of the desert can be fully appreciated. There were different cactus to admire, and the view along the way is just spectacular. Here is the infamous Saguaro Cactus that was 3 times the size of me. And seriously it was the only one I was daring enough to go for the photo-op. The rest seemed a little far off the trail.

Look how BIG it is!!

And reaching the top, one can only imagine the wonderful urban+nature view that awaits you.

The escape from the Urban Jungle was GREAT!!

I would definitely recommend just trying the hike because the view is worth all the effort. But be prepared for the strenuous hike! And seasoned fitness nuts using it as a fitness circuit! That means being overtaken tonnes of times by runners (Don't ask me how they run up those steep slopes!).

Check it out if you happen to be in the Phoenix.