Epic Utah RV Road Trip (part three)
- Kathleen Stanley
- Dec 24, 2021
- 6 min read
Updated: Dec 30, 2021
The Road to Zion
Angel's Landing proved that a fear of heights can have crippling effects on your level of enjoyment as well as your judgement, like when we started talking people out of experiencing the amazing climb for themselves (sorry again!). Our nerves were running high and our next hike that afternoon came at the perfect time.
The Narrows came with a child-like essence that one would only get while splashing through wild waters. Although we came prepared with our own neoprene socks, water temperatures were at 34 degrees so we opted to rent gear from Zion Outfitter. With the very last shuttle making it's rounds back up to the parking lot by 7pm, we had an aggressive goal of 5 miles in 2 hours. We rushed along the mile paved path along the river leading to the start of The Narrows with our hiking sticks in tow. Each time we passed a water-logged group of hikers walking in the opposite direction, we would pick up our speed a bit more. Nearing the thousand foot canyon walls, the excitement of getting in overpowered any fears of the freezing cold water.
Splish Splash
The water came to our chest almost immediately but, the dry suits buffered the cold well. As we stepped along the the rocks we were pleased to find that our rented boots kept us stable. We've read during preparation for the hike that sometimes the rocks below feel like walking on wet bowling balls so to feel stable in our bright red boots was a nice surprise. The heavy shoes splashed through the water as we walked up stream and our feet fished around testing the ground for larger rocks before committing to the step. The Virgin River flows through the narrowest part of Zion Canyon and often holds visitors captive during spring and summer flash floods. October seemed like the perfect time to visit and with it being late in the day, the crowds were at a minimum.
While the river covered almost all of the ground below, a few areas of dryer land remained. We zig-zagged our way to each mini island breaking to climb around and take in the gorgeous striped rock scenery that surrounded us. Going from the high peak of Angel's Landing to the low depths of The Narrows left us feeling balanced and grounded. We were only about a half mile away from The Subway (a section of the hike where rounded walls offer a real subway feel). While we could have pushed further, we began feeling the threat of our rental gear's pricing policy if we were late. High off adrenaline rather than disappointment, we turned back just short of our 5 mile goal.
Zion National Park demands much longer than one day. We were only able to scratch the surface with the limited amount of time we had. Feeling like our trip may have hit it's peak on only day 5, we sadly said goodbye to Zion and made our way to Kanarraville, Utah to sleep for the night.
The Magic of Kanarraville
Red Ledge RV Park was just minutes away from the Kanarraville Creek Trail. Waiting there was a an Amazon package of more macramé string to finish my go-to road trip craft. Staying in a park with water and sewer hookups was a nice escape from sleeping in random parking lots and the occasional shoulder of a snowy mountain's peak. Even with a good night's sleep and a slow start to the morning, we dreaded bundling up once again and adding more miles to our tired boots. A chilling 56 degrees, we wondered how our families back home in Cleveland were enjoying the 80 degree weather. Never-the-less, we gathered our Neoprene socks, winter hats and permits as we headed towards the trail. To be completely honest, after our radical trip to Zion, we weren't expecting much from this Insta-famous destination, despite it's being just outside the Kolab section of the park.
From the beginning of the trail to it's first set of falls, every turn was a different, surreal scene. The melting snow only added adventure to the streams we crossed and added a welcomed challenge to the dirt turned slippery red mud as well. Being led by the Kanarra Mountain the entire way up teased our climbing spirits. We gripped onto trees and walked along short, narrow sections of the trail on either side of the river, crossing it frequently. Snow piles became the only relief we got from our now cold and purple toes. We quickly learned that our neoprene socks didn't offer nearly as much protection as the ones rented from the Outfitters.
Continuing down the stream, we reached canyon walls that engulfed us on either side. Layers of stone and water erosion created perfectly sized foot holes for us to climb.
Wondering when the canyon would open again, we were met with the 15 foot Kanarraville Falls. Due to recent flooding, the rickety old ladder that typical paves the way up the falls had been washed out and wasn't scheduled to be rebuilt until the following week. The second portion of the trail would have lead to an additional waterfall about .4 miles up and though this hike was one of the most magically stunning hikes we've done, we're not sure how much longer our freezing cold toes could bear anyways.
On the Road Again
With 2,000 miles left on the road and only 3 more days left of our trip, it was time to make our loop back towards Cleveland. We always seem to pass by Colorado on our road trips so we like to stop in a different spot each time. Rocky Mountain National Park was number 6 out of the 7 National Parks we had planned for our trip. We traveled along Peak-To-Peak Highway as we swerved our way around mountains and zoomed up and down the rolling hills. We passed through enough National Forests to convince us that Colorado is just one big forest. It's clear to see why Colorado is considered to be the adventurer's dream. River rafting, snow boarding and trails galore, the state offers plenty to leave you satisfied.
Brutally Dressed Mountains
While Colorado is a prime destination for the outdoor lover, driving through the relentless mountains got the best of us. Being a rock loving type of person, I now know that I'd prefer to look at naked mountains rather then mountains that are fully dressed in trees. Brent loved seeing the snow-covered peaks blanketing the rich green shades while my brother, Bobby, and his girlfriend, Amanda, we're sick of the mountains all together- in a very literal sense. As motion sickness (or possibly elevation sickness) found it's way in, we found ourselves feeling as if we've been swallowed whole by the peaks around us. After seemingly driving in circles around our destination, we decided to pull over and take a much needed break.
We were way past our schedule when we finally got to The Rockies so we weren't able to hike for very long. We stopped at an overlook that lead to a small path through the forest towards the river. We walked, laying out the first human footprints in the snowy path. The snow muted our sounds as we were enlightened with a pressurized peace. All was quiet aside from a distant trickling stream. We were guided by animal tracks that lead us to the stream and feeling like a hunter without the kill, we followed them.
Mirrored Lake
With an eagerness to find reflective waters, we made our way deeper into the park to search for Bear Lake. The very short, paved path to the lake was welcomed. While the reflection of the lake wasn't as glassy as we would have liked, the scene was breathtaking. Mountains circled the small lake while the mirrored reflections doubled their existence. A photographer was taking photos nearby so we snatched his spot after he left. In traditional tourist manner, we took a few selfies and left.
A Sandy Ride Home
Indiana Dunes National Park was our last and final stop before we made it home. While we're not sure why, signs that reminded us to keep off the sandy hills flooded the park. It's hard not to wonder how we would manage to destroy a self-preserving land but as disappointed as we were, we made our way up several sets of stairs traveling over the sand and around the dunes.
The end of the trail came as a surprise as it opened up to a beach area surrounding Lake Michigan. We played in the sand for a while, listening to the deafening sound of never-ending waves as we soaked in the bittersweet thoughts of our trip coming to an end.
Bricks and Sticks
Coming home from a crazy, wild road trip through 9 different states, 7 National Parks, countless forests and adventures that are now memories of the past is far from easy. Each trip comes with the nagging desire to create a home in a different state. Sometimes we have to fight the urge to swap our bricks and sticks home for a never-ending traveler lifestyle and live life from our RV. Whatever the scenario that tempts us may be, our thoughts always end up right back in Cleveland, our home.
Miss the beginning? Read them here!
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