Zion National Park

    On 10/9/17 we left Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park and headed to Zion National Park.  At the entrance gate there was a sign posted that the campgrounds were full, but they gave us a list of campgrounds located outside of the park.  We entered the park from the east and had to pay a $15 tunnel fee because the rangers have to stop oncoming traffic when an over-sized vehicle goes through the one-mile long tunnel on that way into the park.  There are ALOT of oversized vehicles entering the park, so they have a system like you see during road construction where there is a person holding a stop/slow sign at both ends to control the flow of traffic.

         The park was extremely busy and crowded, even though we arrived early in the day, and it just got more so as the day wore on.  Due to the crowds that visit, everyone is required to park their vehicle and use the free shuttle service inside the park.  There are many shuttles running constantly through the canyon so there is a shuttle stopping at the viewpoints/trailheads every 10-15 minutes.  People fill every seat and stand packing the aisle and sometimes you still have to wait for the next bus.  Of all the places we've visited in Utah the last three weeks, this was our least favorite because of the crowds.  We rode the shuttle all the way to the last stop in the canyon and worked our way back towards the Visitor Center where the truck camper was parked.  

       The last stop in the canyon (#9) is called Temple off Sinawava.  We took the Riverside Walk, a paved trail along the Virgin River.  At the end of the paved trail, the canyon narrows.  You can continue your trek through "The Narrows" portion of the canyon, but you must wade in the river the rest of the way.  It was early in the day and very cold in the shade of the canyon, plus the water was icy cold, so there were very few adventurous souls wading in the river.  We were not among them.  

The Virgin River

 

Riverside Walk

 

 

 

       The next shuttle stop (#8) was Big Bend where we hiked down a short dirt trail to the river.  

Shuttle Stop at Big Bend - The one stop hardly anyone disembarked.

       Our third stop (#7) was Weeping Rock where we hiked a short, but steep, paved trail ending at a rock alcove with dripping springs.

Weeping Rock

       We stopped briefly at The Grotto (#6) and then went on to #5 where the Lodge is located as well as the trailhead leading to the lower, middle, and upper Emerald Pools.  The paved hike up to the lower pool was not difficult and was actually the most scenic (to us) with a narrow waterfall.  We should have stopped while we were ahead.  

On trail to the lower pool

 

Waterfall

       It was not much further to the middle pool which was more of a puddle so we continued on up to the upper pool.  My back was bothering me and I was moving slow.  The trail was unpaved, sandy and rocky, with some areas of stone steps, and longer than I expected.  There were lots of people on the narrow path so we were constantly stepping aside to let someone pass (which gave me lots of opportunity to rest:)  There were many large rocks to scramble over as we neared the pool and Mark went down before me. 

 

 

Going over the rocks to the Upper Pool

 

See the pool down below the rocks?

        As I was standing on the rocks trying to get a picture, I suddenly had a strange large, swirly blob in the vision field of my right eye that moved and looked to me like black liquid.  Some background:  I have had flashes of light in my right eye on a daily basis for several months now. I went to the eye doctor this summer and he indicated it was a condition not to be concerned about BUT if I suddenly saw a profusion of new "floaties" or any black blobs (which indicate blood in the eyeball) I should immediately get it checked out because that could indicate a torn or detached retina which can result in blindness if not treated.  Sooooooo, here we are at the Upper Emerald Pool and we have to turn around and hustle back down the crowded trail, catch a shuttle to the Visitor's Center, leave the park, locate the nearest hospital, and wait 2 hours in the crowded emergency room to see a doctor.  During this time the blob had dissipated and spread out into mostly tiny spots and a couple of larger "floaties".  The triage nurse tried to convince me I needed an EKG and a stroke work-up but I refused and said all I needed was a doctor to look in my eyeball! :)  So she sent him in and he agreed with my assessment.  We really liked the ER doctor.  He was very personable and seemed very knowledgeable and competent.  He did an ultrasound of my eye, explaining what he was seeing, and determined that my retina looked good but he could see some  "debris" from the bleed and diagnosed a vitreous hemorrhage. He was going to make an appointment for me to see an ophthalmologist the following day but agreed that I could return to Michigan and see one when I got home as long as my symptoms continued to improve and not worsen since it wasn't a serious bleed.  We assured him we would head for home and do the follow-up there.  We had seen most of what we planned to see this trip, so it was not a problem to begin our journey home.  It will take 3-4 days of driving since we are currently near the Nevada border and I have an appointment with an eye doctor in Michigan Friday afternoon.  So!  We are homeward bound! 😊