Zion National Park Traverse

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Photos

Utah Highway 9 snakes its way towards the East Rim Trailhead through expansive sandstone slabs.

Jason, Greg, and me at the start of our run. We ran together for the first 20 before breaking up.

The East Rim Trail climbs steadily from the trailhead to higher elevations, where the vegetation is relatively lush and the temperatures relatively cool.

Jason justifiably bounding towards Zion Canyon

The narrows section of Echo Canyon

Zion Canyon, cut by the North Fork of the Virgin River

The steep climb out of the North Fork follows a trail that was literally blasted into vertical cliff faces and then paved over in order to endure the heavy foot traffic that heads up to Angel's Landing.

Lower Telephone Canyon as seen from near West Rim Spring

The view from West Rim Trail between its two junctions with Telephone Canyon Trail

Hop Valley

Timber Top Mountain and Gregory Butte, as seen from Lee Pass