day 15

so this was our last full day of vacation. i can't believe it. we got up and went to rent special shoes, for use while hiking 'the narrows', which is mostly through water. the shoes look super cool. well maybe not but they actually worked really well, i was glad i didn't have to sacrifice a pair of tennis shoes that wouldn't have gripped as well anyway.

the narrows starts at the top of zion canyon. so we rode the shuttle in our cool shoes all the way to the end of the line, and then walked a mile in on a paved trail, and THEN we started into the river. the water was actually perfect, not too cool, and even though it was probably over 100 in the valley, the canyon walls are so high that most of the hike was in the shade. we walked upriver for a couple hours, going in and out of the water as little bits of shoreline appeared and disappeared on either side of the river. our ankles and feet really got a workout keeping us from falling on our asses as we wobbled over uneven stones and boulders, but it was totally worth it. the canyon gets incredibly narrow, and as we got in a ways, we were mostly on our own.

we stopped for lunch, went up a little bit further, and then decided to turn back because it's kind of a little bit exhausting wading upriver. the way back was a little easier, but by the time we got out of the river and all the way back to the hotel, we were quite tired.

luckily, we already knew that in zion the remedy for being exhausted is the zion pizza and noodle co. yes, folks, that's right. i've found a man who will cheerfully eat at the same place three nights in a row with me. i am so fortunate. this time we went back to pizza (with different toppings mind you), i stuck with my delicious uinta hefeweizen, and jeff tried a couple more local brews. it was the best way to finish up the last day of our trip. we're very sad that it's coming to a close but it's been a wild and wonderful ride.

em.