Zion National Park-Wanderlust Adventures-The Narrows

“She believed she could so she did.”

I have always loved adventure and travel, and the last few years I have been able to make that more of a reality! It is my way to refresh- to reconnect with God, myself, and my passion. I let my mind be free, and I create for no one else besides me. I aim to push my limits, but also to take the simple joy of adventuring with my camera. I want to capture my travels and adventures because I want to remember how that scene looked as I backpacked into the outbacks Zion, climbed a glacier in Iceland, or looked into the eyes of a lion in Kenya. I want to vivdly remember each day! My documentations of my travels inspire me to continue forward, to keep creating, and to relish in the beauty that God has made! I hope to also inspire others with my travels. We live in a gorgeous world, and there are so many places to see. We should be adventurers, we should experience it, we should praise God for this beautiful world He has made! 

This trip was very spontaneous to say the least. My friend Candace asked if I was available Memorial Day Weekend to go on a camping trip. After some deliberation, we decided upon Zion and made it happen! We left late Thursday night to arrive by Friday morning. The campsites were full so we obtained a permit for back country camping instead. I have only gone backpacking once before, and this was Candace’s first! Being two girls backpacking out in the remote part of Zion was a little daunting, and we both set off with some trepidation. But the worst we faced were the swarms of bugs that would come to taunt us every time we stopped. We reached our campsite which was on top of a ridge overlooking the Wash we had climbed up from. It was a stunning view, which we enjoyed more once the bugs disappeared after sunset. The sunset was worth it though, and I braved the bugs to get a few shots before retreating back to our tent. The next day we explored the backcountry area instead of fighting the crowds inside of the gates of Zion. It was a refreshing time were we only met a few people instead of the 1000s inside the National Park Gates!

Sunset that night was beautiful from our campsite! I loved our location and view! The next morning we set off to explore more of the back country of Zion!

We reached the plateau a little before sunset, and spent about an hour photographing the sunset and one another! It was a great time to relax, and just have fun!

After the sunset, we decided to sleep in the car so that we could be ready for an early next morning to hike the Narrows! We reached the bus stop at 6:15am and rode it to the trail for the Narrows. It was cold when we started the hike, and we were very grateful for the wetsuits, booties, and shoes that we rented the day before! With both of us being photographers, we hiked in with our cameras and I had a tripod attached to my backpack! We made a lot of new acquaintances as a lot of people took notice of us found us to be “Very brave” for bringing our cameras while hiking through a river that was between knee and chest deep most of the time. The photos were worth it though as the golden light lit up the sides of the canyon causing them to glisten in the sun. There were several times I squatted down in the rushing river to stabilize my tripod to get the “perfect shot”. We did about 8 miles roundtrip and though we were much slower going then most (always stopping to take photos), the hike was amazing and well worth it! The water reached our chest before we decided that we could no longer risk our equipment and we turned around! I would love to do the whole hike one day, and would even be willing to leave my camera so that I could swim during the parts that required that! It was an adventure and experience that was definitely unique, and one I will continually cherish!