road trip 2019: kanarra falls, zion, sunsets and open road..

“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.”

Only 36 days from Road Trip 2019.  It is possible that my outlined itinerary may meet up with the real time experience.  I will try my best to post more frequently.

 “There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.”  True story.  Your alarm sounds; you reach for the phone; turn off the alarm;  immediately hit your FB app and scroll through each post, as if  you were reading the NY Times.

Suddenly, you scroll upon a shared post that features a waterfall, one that looks as if it were taken from a fairytale.  Well it is, unless you plan on working to get there.

These spaces intrigue me.  Intrigue me so that in 2020 Todd and I will focus on completing an unguided hike to Havasupai Falls.  This is an intense hike that includes godly like falls; you have most likely seen on fb numerous times.

This beautiful space is part of GCNP and is buried within the Havasupai Reservation.  This is not a day hike and will require lots of planning.  Todd and I decided to do this as a main focus in 2020.

Day 7:  Early rise and head out from SLC to Kanarraville, UT.  Our falls of choice will be Kanarra Falls.  This is considered a moderate hike to breathtaking falls.  Kanarra Falls lives inside Zion National Park, and we picked this particular falls because we can complete it in a few hours.  This is going to be a busy day for us.  We will drive 4.5 hours to Kanarra Creek trail head.  We will trek down a dirt trail till the dirt is replaced with water.  Please read about Kanarra Falls.  Advanced registration is required for this hike.  They allow 155 visitors a day and the fee is $12.  As with any slot canyon, always keep an eye on the weather.  Flash floods are real and may result in death.  Todd and I check the forecast, not only where we intend to hike, but in the surrounding towns as well.  It does not have to be raining where you are to have a flash flood.  Always pay attention to the flow of the water, clarity changes and rise of the water.  If any of these changes occur, you need to bail.

After cooling out and sliding down the falls, we will head 1 hour to Zion National Park. Grab some dinner and watch the sunset over Zion fromThe Kolob Canyons viewpoint at the end of Kolob Canyons Road.  We are still investigating other sunset locations, so this will probably change.

Day 7 will end with dinner at The Bit and Spur  and hotel check in.

Day 8:  Zion National Park.  This will be a return trip us.   The day will start early, our first stop will be Angel’s Landing.  Last year it was too crowded, and dangerous enough without masses of people, so the combination was enough to just bring us up Walter’s Wiggles.  This year we will aim for completion.

“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.” – 

The quote sums up the hike.  Cars are not permitted outside of the visitors center.  You leave your car and shuttle through the park.  It is most convenient, and the shuttles run constantly.  The shuttle is free.  Grab a map at the visitor center and it will guide you along the way.

Here is our “One Day In Zion” itinerary:

• Angels Landing