Hike Stats:
Start time: 7:45 am
Top of Angels Landing time: 9:45am
Lunch time: 1 hour
Back to the trailhead: about 11:45am
Length: 2.5 miles (one-way)
Elevation gain: 1500 feet
We started early in the morning (mostly so our dog wasn't alone in St. George for too long during the day) but it also meant we beat the crowds, we only saw a few people until we were on our way back down. We started at the Grotto Picnic Area at about 7:45am and it was a bitter 29 degrees and I was wearing every single warm layer I brought with me. We warmed up when we started hiking but the cold and icy wind was daunting for awhile.
The first mile is a steady uphill climb up many switchbacks. Once up the switchbacks you enter Refrigerator Canyon, the trail continues uphill but it is more mellow in the canyon. Next up are Walter's Wiggles which is a series of short switchbacks up to Scout Lookout. Once you leave Scout Lookout you start the scary part with heights and built in chains to hold onto.
I was shocked at all the people we passed on our way down who were attempting to hike this trail. Many of them did not have water, warm clothes or a backpack! Many of them did not have extra traction for their shoes, some were even wearing slick dress boots! They were slipping and sliding all over the place!!
Things you NEED when hiking Angels Landing (or anywhere....)
10 essentials
Water
Food - bring a lunch, spend some time at the top enjoying the view once you've made it!
Appropriate clothing and layers
Appropriate shoes **In winter you need extra traction for the
icy and snowy sandstone - wear
Yak Trax or Micro spikes. You can rent
them from Zion Adventure Company
for $7-10 a day**
here we go, bright and early 7:45 am, 29 degrees
wearing every layer of warm clothing we brought
morning sun hitting Zion's
switchbacks got nothin' on us
the sun lighting up each mountain
a pretty impressive, steep climb - about 1 mile
after the mile climb up the switchbacks you get to refrigerator canyon that receives little sunlight and remains quite chilly throughout the day. the snow and ice were quite slippery here
time for yak trax
refrigerator canyon
walter's wiggles
0.5 mile to go!
grippy gloves on, ready for the chains
slick sandstone
icy trail and chains
just have to go up that fin..
we did it!
look at that view!
on top of angels landing, we had to go all the way to the end
pretty good spot to pull out the jetboil and eat lunch i'd say :)
tea+sherpa gloves=happiness
looking north
looking east from the top of angels landing
had to get to the very top
going back down
looking northwest-ish, coming back down angels landing
the chain has worn into the sandstone
walter's wiggles
walter's wiggles
going back down the switchbacks
angels landing
Labels: cairn, hike, jetboil, winter hiking, yak trax, zions national park
