After arriving at the park, it was too early to check in, so we ate lunch at the lodge on the deck surrounded by the awesome beauty of the park. Zion is different from the other canyons we visited in that you are at the bottom of the canyon looking up, instead of on the top of the canyon looking down as was the case with Bryce, Mesa Verde, Canyonlands and Grand Canyon. After lunch we headed out for our 1st hike of the day - the "Emerald Pools", which were directly across from the lodge. During the hike I was busy trying to video the yellow warbler which was prevalent in the park. Unfortunately, warblers don't hold still for very long so it proved to be a very frustrating experience.
After the hike to Emerald Pools we took the shuttle bus to "Weeping Rock" where I was able to get a picture of a Black Headed Grosbeak.
Continuing on the shuttle bus route we got off at several scenic stops for pictures, ending at the River Walk, the end of the line. This is the trail to the "Narrows" where one could walk in the river with the canyon walls soaring hundreds of feet straight up. The canyon is only about 15 feet wide at this point. Many people were doing it but since we had so much camera equipment and the water was waist high we decided against it. It was a great hike to get out to that point nonetheless, very beautiful.
We headed back to the lodge and checked in at 5;00, showered, and made it to our 6:30 dinner reservation. We were back in our room by 7:45 to plan the next day's activities. By 9:00 we were ready to turn out the lights.
