bluecordfishermen 
Another beautiful morning. We all joined for breakfast at the Majestic Lodge. After breakfast we toured the Lodges animal museum. This display depicted mountain animals in scenes. The stuffed animals were very life like. The scenes were those in nature were one species interacts with another. These are normally violent encounters and make for great instruction for those who do not understand nature.
The First hike was to the Lower Emerald Pools. Easy climb which translates into crowds of people. It was more like the board walk at Rehoboth Beach
DE. The Lower Pool is at the base of a 75-100 foot waterfall. There is a over hang that allows hikers to get behind the waterfall. The evaporating water cools off the entire area. The walk to the Falls is beneath two walls of a side canyon. Short hike of a mile plus.
Second Hike was Weeping Rock. We enjoyed lunch at the Zion Lodge and picnicked on the lawn. This gave our youngest hiker an chance to run around and burn off some energy. We caught the shuttle and moved up to the drop off for Weeping Rock. In Spring, Weeping Rock is a waterfall. A significant amount of water comes off the cliff and hits the bottom after a 150 foot drop. This is also an over hang. The hike is short but has a significant climb. It will leave those who are out of shape sucking air and needing to stop. The water comes out of the rock wall and creates
a large natural hanging garden. Some of the plants are actually hanging upside down. Once again the evaporating water and mist cool the area. This hike is still short enough to attract a lot of visitors.
Walking back from Emeral Pool we passed the horse coral and of course all the girls love horses. The old hand who was prepping the horses for another trail ride took notice to my hat and asked are you just wearing that hat or did you earn it. I replied, I earned it three times. We both understood each other while the team watched two old guys trading barbs. My trade mark hat is tan and sports a subdued version of the Colors. Just a typical Department of Defense contractors hat. My son fully understood the exchange as we both nodded in our shared service.
Third Hike was the Canyon Observation Point that we began after 4 pm. To get to the trail head for the Observation Point hike, you need to follow Highway 9 East. After passing through the tunnel, the trail head is on the left and limited parking is on the right. Additional places to park are found farther up the road. This was our longest hike of the day but not long at all. A word of caution. This hike goes
along the cliff of a deep draw. A branch of the Virgin River flows below and is often heard and not seen. The roaring stream is hidden in a narrow, deep cravas. The hiking path varies from 2 feet to 4 feed wide. There is a metal pipe hand rail that is secured into the rock. There is one 20 foot wooden plank bridge over a chasm and under an over hang. It appears to be rickety but is framed with steel angle sections. This is not a trail for small kids. I saw several terrified mothers hiking up the trail. The trail ends at a point that can overlook the Zion Canyon Valley. The direct drop from the
observation point to the floor is at least 1200 feet. If you are afraid of heights, do not traumatize yourself by taking this hike. On the return leg, we got to see mountain goats up on the side of the mountain within 100-150 yards of the path above us. There were several adult goats and two small lambs. The limited parking keeps the traffic reasonable on the trail but two way traffic on a ledge slows up progress. Be patient and enjoy the view.
Bottom Line for the day: 5 miles.
