Day 6 through 9

(Sawney) We camped in Zion on Day 6 and 7 in a group camping area ($20 and not near showers, but they had bathrooms very close and a dish washing station - I love dishwashing stations). We learned we enjoy camping in the middle of nowhere much better, besides the luxury of a shower. Zion is beautiful. Zion is truly incredible; the amount of people is also truly incredible and disappointing. They do not have enough parking, not by any means. They have overflow parking for $20 dollars... after paying $30 dollars to get into the park (we did not pay the entrance fee because of the park pass). We drove around for a while and found a free parking spot and instead used the money to camp. South campground was full so we walked a good ways to the other campground (Watchman) and snatched one of the last spots open. We paid for the convenience of being in the park because the next day we were hiking the Narrows. The Narrows is one of, if not, the most popular hike in Zion. It is a total of 16 miles one way in the Virgin River. There are places along the sides to walk on rocks or sand. When we were there the water was about half our calf deep but could get up to our waist. The water is clear until it is about waist high then it turns from clear to a blue green color. Trekking polls were a must - I would have fallen constantly without them because the rocks are slippery... I did fall once even with the polls and so did Arden. Good shoes are also needed, I loved my hiking shoes. We didn't start the Narrows until about noon. We had to pack up the supplies, move the car, change our clothes, then repack the car. I thought noon was actually an okay time instead of earlier because it was warmer outside. The water was 52 F, pretty cold at first, then we were numb and good to go! There were a ton of people for the first hour, started to fade after 2 hours, and by the third hour there were little people. We reached the river at noon and were back at the start of the river by 6:09 pm but it is another mile back to the shuttle, and probably another mile back to our car. The shuttle ride was 40 mins from the Temple of Sinawava (The Narrows) to the Visitor Center. It was amazing to take our shoes off after almost 8 hours of being constantly wet.

We left Zion around 8:00 pm on the end of day 7 and were heading towards Bryce Canyon. We had no idea where we were going to sleep for the night, which isn't unusual for us. The only night we had planned was the night in Silver City near Gila Cliffs. Generally we have an idea but this night... no idea. We found a pizza place on the way (amazing) and ate too much pizza. We decided we didn't want to set up the tent in the dark and a shower sounded really nice (we were also terribly tired) so as we were driving to Bryce Canyon we stopped at random lodges or hotels to see if they had rooms. Finally we found a room online, using a lodge's wifi, and arrived at 10 pm. We felt like we were living in luxury after camping for several days.

(Arden) After indulging in a hot shower, some personal hygiene, and discussing our next few days of travel, the three of us fell promptly to sleep, enjoying a bed that we didn't have to inflate, and a roof we didn't have to construct.

We woke up late, later than usual due to the immediate comfort we all experienced the last night. We all stumbled and crawled about until we assembled a mediocre game plan, gathered our belongings, and repacked the car for another drive. The next stop was to Bryce Canyon, which was about an hour drive from the motel we stayed in the previous night. We all agreed that today was to be a rest day; meaning that we wouldn't hike as much, mostly drive to viewpoints and take photos. Arden drove, while Troy and Sawney played the roles of passengers; enjoying the sights and sounds of the relatively short car ride. Before the actual location of Bryce Canyon National Park, was the town of Bryce Canyon City, a tourist town full of hotels, restaurants, and the likes. We didn't pay much mind to the city, as we parked at a shuttle bus location to enter the park itself, due to a sign exclaiming that parking was limited inside the park.

We took the bus into the park, skipping the visitor center, and exiting the bus at a trailhead that led to the Bryce Canyon Amphitheater, one of the most well-known features within the park. We followed the path to an overlook, took a few pictures, then decided that we should drive through the park, upon seeing that parking was fairly easy in contrast to the sign stating earlier. We took the bus back to the original location, and then proceeded to drive through the park while stopping at various viewpoints, still weary from the adventure through the Narrows from yesterday. We stopped at one viewpoint to eat, making both ham and cheese, and peanut and jelly sandwiches, which rejuvenated our spirits as we continued through the park. At the final and most southern stop of Bryce Canyon, was a viewpoint that captured an incredible sight. Try to picture it; you are 9000 feet up, with Bryce Canyon Amphitheater to the left. To the right, was a mountain range, that managed to still have snow on the summits and surrounding areas. Between you and the range was rolling hills covered in vast forests, parted slightly by intermittent deserts. A slight breeze is passing through your hair, and you still can't believe you are in the American West with your best friends.

After the last viewpoint, we started to head towards our next destination, Arches National Park. The drive was over four hours long, and the time was already half past three once we left Bryce Canyon. Troy drove the party out of the park, while Arden and Sawney tried to catch some rest. The party drove for about two hours before attempting to find a campsite for the night. We took an uninspiring exit off of the interstate, knowing that we were inside Fishlake National Forest. We drove on both paved and unpaved roads, following one unpaved trail until we spotted a man driving a side by side on the trail. We stopped to ask the man if there were any respectable areas to hunker down for the night. He pointed us into a direction further up the main paved road, about five or six miles towards a mountain with lush greenery extending to the summit. He explained that was actual grass and bigger trees for firewood. With this information we turned around and drove until we were among the boundless foliage that was seemingly hidden from us earlier. We took an unpaved trail, happening upon some other campers that we residing in RV's and campers. We continued down the trail, then took another off trail until we found the perfect spot.

The campsite had amazingly green grass, and a forest full of birch trees to the right. It was the site we had dreamed of the entire trip. We set up shop on a flat patch we found, and then did something we have all been waiting for, we built a campfire. At first, the fire provided close to no benefit, for we didn't cook on it and it was already warm when we started unpacking. However, when the night came upon the forest, so did the cold. The temperature was declining rapidly, and soon the fire become the place where all three of us grouped around. Sawney and Troy cooked sausage and beans for dinner, which also gave additional warmth. As the dark came upon us, we talked and reviewed our experiences so far, and gazed upon the apparently infinite stars above the night sky. After letting the fire die down, we prepared ourselves for the hours ahead. Arden submerged himself in his sleeping bag, while Sawney and Troy used almost everything at their disposal, which included wool blankets, sleeping bag liners, jackets, and eventually the sleeping bags themselves.

(Sawney) The night was colder than we expected. Troy woke up in the middle of the night and started a fire again. Troy and I did not get much sleep that night. Another problem is that it is very dry here. It has affected Troy a little but it has made my and Arden's nose very stuffy and runny. Even painful sometimes.

Day 9 we headed to Arches National Park and Canyon Lands. The morning leaving our campsite was quite lazy. Since we didn't sleep, we were pretty groggy. We made all the pancakes in our mix (for fast breakfast food later) and slowly put things in the car. We arrived at Arches around 2 pm and searched for a shower. We ended up finding a cute hostel just outside of Moab with a private room available. We all showered and chilled for the night, recuperating for the next day. Troy and Arden headed out to get Wendy's for dinner then Troy and I drove to a grocery store that was surprisingly not that badly priced.