In excelsis hello!

I haven’t had any luck this year finding George, but my other older brother, Woodchuck invited me to spend Solstice with him in the city of Beaver, Utah. Along the way, I made a detour to Zion National Park! Zion offers endless possibilities for hiking, rock climbing, swimming, and general sightseeing, but the most popular pastime of all is to ascend the precarious, 1,400-foot shark fin of rock known as Angel’s Landing. Of course, this is only really popular during the summer when there’s no ice. However, today is December 18th, and as I first caught sight of my destination, it began to snow.

Angel’s Landing received its name in 1916 when Frederick Fisher exclaimed to his three friends that “only an angel could land on it.” Without a doubt, it is a precarious ascent in pleasant weather, and it is strongly recommended not to attempt the trek in the dead of winter. In fact, in the last seven years, six people have fallen to their untimely demise from the eyrie! However, no beavers have fallen to their demise, so as the snow storm settled, I decided to give it a shot!

“Turn back!” boomed Captain Condor as I started up the trail. He was seated on a boulder just overhead, waiting for the wind to pick back up. “Dangerous is the path, and tasty are those who fall from it!”

“Is it that bad?” I asked.

He chuckled and returned to preening. It’s hard not to be a little shaken when the largest bird on the continent tells you to turn back, but I decided to press on, if only as far as I felt safe.

The trail turned into Refrigerator Canyon, so called because it is so narrow that the sun doesn’t touch it for most of the day, leaving it much cooler than the surrounding area. I had actually broken a sweat by the time I reached the canyon, so I welcomed the coolness. Following the snowstorm earlier, the trail was remarkably dry, though the occasional wet spots chilled my nerves. I kept thinking about the warnings from the signs and the condor, but nonetheless, I had to see how far I could go!

Refrigerator Canyon ended at Walter’s Wiggles: twenty-one zig-zagging switchbacks right up the side of the cliff. They were constructed in 1925 and named for Walter Ruesch, the first custodian of the park. The trail was surprisingly dry here too, but it was also neat to note the system of piping that had been installed to keep runoff on the left side of the trail as much as possible. I sure was glad for that!

I was kind of winded as I emerged into the semi-sunlight of Scout’s Lookout, the perfect spot for a breather, and the highest that many people go on this trail. Though the snow had stopped falling, there were still some ominous clouds lingering overhead, and I caught my first sight of snow that had stuck to the ground. There was a lady sitting on a log, waiting for her group to come back for her. She had only made it about halfway and had a panic attack! This rattled me like a snake tail, but I took heart when I spotted a group of people up ahead and continued on my way. It didn’t look so bad from where I was. I ran into a second person who had turned back and bid me good luck. I wondered why, since the summit was so close. Then the real summit came into view:

I think a lot of people put too much importance on success. It shouldn’t be shameful to turn back for one’s own safety! I mean, you can’t really celebrate your victory when a condor is eating your insides. Sure, he’ll enjoy it, but condors are macabre creatures anyway. The walls of Angel’s Landing are steep, and the trail can be just a few feet wide. Then when you add ice, you’re just asking for trouble! I had to pause and weigh my options.

Here are my recommendations if you’re going to attempt Angel’s Landing:

1. Both eyes on the rocks.
2. Both hands on the chains.
3. Take your time.
4. If you’re a beginner, don’t make this your first trail.
5. This is not a good place to goof off.
6. Keep your camera safely stored until you reach a wide, flat area.
7. Avoid bringing purses, satchels, or anything with straps that can snag.
8. Had there been more wind or snow, I would have turned back.
9. Again, both eyes on the rocks and both hands on the chains.

That all being said, I am a specially trained beaver, and I took the risk. I was small enough to keep all four paws on the chains and thus scrambled my way to the top with less adrenaline than I’d felt between the condor and Scout’s Lookout. I think it’s important, when you’re in a precarious situation, to put 100% of your focus on the route itself. When your nerves are settled, you’re more likely to make better, safer decisions. That will help you reach your pinnacles and see views like these:

I partied with the group from Boston who had reached the summit before I did, because, well, how many folks can say they’ve conquered Angel’s Landing in the winter? We all went down together, also not as terrifying as I expected, past a chagrined Captain Condor, who took off into the sky and soared out of sight beyond the point where angels dwell!

Happy trekking!