From peak to pyramid - Dec 23, 2014

From peak to pyramid - Dec 23, 2014

Waking up calmly and gradually was a nice change compared to the alarm signals from the previous couple of days. After some dilly dallying we packed up and drove in the mile or so into downtown Salina to have breakfast at the famous Mom’s cafe on the corner of State and Main streets. This cafe is indeed famous, having been featured on the cover of National Geographic some time in the mid 90s! We found a booth and helped Filip orient himself around the menu of a classic American diner. We settled down for some eggs (over medium) with pancakes, sausage and bacon, while Ashley with her coffee was quite envious of the whipped cream Filip and I got on our hot chocolate! The boysenberry syrup for the pancakes was also a perfect touch. We begrudgingly had to say goodbye to Ashley as she would head back ‘up north’ as the locals call Salt Lake City, while Filip and I jumped back into the car and headed to the south-west. 

Ashley and I at the famous Mom's Cafe in downtown Salina, UT

The weather was absolutely gorgeous, especially compared to the storm in the mountains the night before, and we could admire the mountains to the west under clear blue skies as we were nearly the only ones on the road. Instead of taking the larger I-15 interstate we drove down on highway 89 through some picturesque little towns like Marysvale and Panguitch. Arriving to the entrance of Zion national park we knew we’d be in for a treat so we set up the GoPro to take a time-lapse as we snaked our way along the Zion-Mount Carmel highway below some incredible peaks and cliffs. After passing through a relatively long and dark tunnel we emerged into Zion canyon itself which was just breath-taking. The park seemed quite busy considering it was ‘dagen före dopparedagen’ but it also seemed most people at the visitor centre were foreign visitors. Having picked up a patch and some postcards at the gift shop we drove out to the grotto and had a quick lunch before prepping a pack with extra layers of clothes and some snacks getting ready for the hike up to Angel’s Landing. 

Excited about our healthy lunch of Pepis, Babybel cheese and peanut butter on bagels

It was quite cold in the shade on the east side of the canyon, surely not much above freezing, but once we started our hike bathed in sunlight the layers came off and it felt like we could have been hiking in shorts. The trail was impressive coming up the mountainside, with switchbacks constructed into the cliff side, obviously the result of a lot of hard work. The trail continued through a small ravine around the back of Angel’s landing before some more switchbacks and we arrived at Scouts Lookout. This is where many people finish their hike, as it provides a great view from there and signals the beginning of the scrambling section up the last half mile of trail. Honestly, I felt a bit uneasy about continuing, seeing how narrow the trail was and how far the drops were, but Filip and I gathered our courage and set off for the last little bit. There wasn’t any portion of the last half mile where you weren’t more than two or three steps from a sharp drop of several hundred feet on either side. We tried not think about it though and after about 30 minutes reached the summit! It was incredibly peaceful and calm up at the top, and the view was just stunning, with the giant peaks on either side of the canyon framing the virgin river as it was flowing along far below. Filip was quite at ease up top, exploring the top and taking lots of photos. After about 15 minutes we set off again to head back out, and the climb down was both faster and easier than the ascent.

The end of the canyon towards the narrows

Filip the mountaineer

On top of Angel's Landing!

We met many heading up as we were coming down, everyone in a hurry to reach the top before sunset although it seemed like that would be a bad idea to be up there after dark without lights. We drove up the end of the road to where the trail begins on towards the narrows but there wasn’t much light and we had some drive ahead of us so we left the park as the sun was setting and casting beautiful orange light against the white peaks on the east side of the canyon. The drive to Las Vegas was uneventful although the road was real busy. The view of the city from afar was quite impressive, with lights sprawling all over and the tall hotels of the las vegas strip visible from afar with all their different shapes and colours. We had managed to find a very affordable room at the Luxor resort for the evening, and finding our way to the giant pyramid shaped hotel with the light beacon piercing the night sky proved to be quite easy. The hotel was just like I’d remembered Las Vegas being, with lots of different kinds of people, European tourists, Asian families, and many sullen-faced retirees sitting at the slots. Filip seemed confused as to why anyone would sit by those slots like that hours on end. After taking a peculiar slanted elevator up to our room and relaxing for a bit, we set out to walk the strip. After checking out things like the Hershey store and posing by the fake Brooklyn bridge we arrived just in time for the fountain display at the Bellagio. It was really impressive and fun! The music was great and we enjoyed watching that a lot. We walked back through some shopping mall and had a terrible dinner at Chili’s which I’d rather forget actually. But I think we got a good taste of Las Vegas and got in a lot of people watching as well before re-joining the mummies in our pyramid. The hieroglyphs on the headboards of the beds must have cast some kind of spell because we both fell asleep right quick, with me still thinking of the view from Angel’s Landing.

Filip showing where we'd been and the narrow trail up there