Christmas in Zion

A white Christmas in the high desert

Por Steven Yan

26 de December de 2018

Christmas Firsts

This year, Cec and I found ourselves celebrating Christmas alone for the first time...well, ever. What's a couple of avid roadtrippers to do when coming to this realization two weeks before Christmas? Dress warmly and head to the high desert.

Complicating matters was the Trump Shutdown which landed a few days before Christmas and severely restricted availability at all national parks. We decided to make the leap and head to Zion National Park, which, as the third most visited national park in the United States, is a complete zoo in the summer. If there ever was a time to experience the beauty of this place sans crowds, this was our chance.

Peace and quiet sometimes comes with a price, and sometimes you have to pay up front. We had to run the gauntlet that is the I-5 S and I-15 N corridor on Christmas Eve. Lines to get into the rest stops. Lines to use the bathroom at said rest stops. Hour-long traffic jams heading into Vegas. It was a spectacle.

We rolled into Springdale, UT around 10 in the morning. Due to the government shutdown, there was no park ranger to take entrance fees. Only Loop B at Watchman Campground was open -- first come, first served. We scored a great spot at the back of the campground along the Virgin River. Our gamble had paid off.

We took Neska for a walk along the Pa'rus Trail. Mule deer were out and about. Low clouds shrouded the upper canyon, which sits over 2,000 ft above the canyon floor. Snow began to fall.

Walking the Pa'rus Trail on Christmas Day

The Watchman got a little bit of alpenglow in the evening

Powdered Sugar

The next morning we awoke to a healthy dusting of snow along the upper canyon, with the red peaks and cliffs thrown into sharp relief by the fresh snow, pale morning light, and blue skies. The day looked promising.

The canyon shuttle, which normally shuts down for the winter, was running during Christmas week. Ice had formed on the road deep in the canyon due to the near freezing temperatures the night before. The shuttle stopped at Zion Lodge, miles short of some of the most scenic parts of Zion.

How many times do you get to walk down an empty road through a freshly snow-capped canyon?

Once every 38 years, by my count.

Eat your heart out Bob Ross. Nature is the best painter.

Our mule deer friends accompanied us on the hike

Snow-dusted, towering peaks over an empty road through Zion Canyon. You can't predict these kind of conditions.

ALTERNATE BEGINNINGS

Two miles in, the day could have taken a much less interesting turn. Cec isn't much of a hiker, and we had started late in the morning and were planning on taking it easy by exploring a few of the shorter hikes, starting with Weeping Rock. Unbeknownst to us, we ended up on the Observation Point Trail, which takes you to the highest point overlooking Zion Canyon. On a day like this day, what's a couple thousand feet of elevation in exchange for some serious Narnia vibes?

Standing in a painting. Angel's Landing in the background.

About those Narnia vibes. Every time we turned a corner, it was like entering a different world.

After the first set of switchbacks, you turn the corner and enter this giant ravine. About 6 inches of snow fell overnight.

Despite the vertical height of the hike along with snow and ice, people had all sorts of footwear on the trail. Hiking boots with built-in spikes. Dress shoes. Sneakers. Cec made the ascent in Nike Frees and a pair of Yaktrax, which turned out to be the key purchase of the trip.

With the last shuttle departing Zion Lodge at 5:30 pm, we had to turn back just before the final set of switchbacks to Observation Point. Celebrating Christmas with nine unexpected miles through a quiet canyon and up a snowy trail, epic lunch views, and a tasty salami sandwich was better than anything we could find under a tree.