My wrist vibrates. I slowly come to consciousness as I try to figure out where I am and why I am so tired. I look around and remember I'm just a mile from the amazing Zion National Park and it's 5 in the morning and I need to get ready to hike into the canyon for sunrise. I pop up, grab an energy drink, sort my gear, and jump into the car.
Today's first hike is the Canyon Overlook trail, which is probably the best bang for your buck you'll get in Zion. It's barely a mile, mostly flat, and you get quite an amazing view, as you'll see shortly. I park next to the trail head, strap on my headlamp and head out into the darkness. After a brisk, slightly chilly hike, I arrive to the edge of the canyon, still covered in darkness. Now I begin to setup my tripod and gear as I await the sun to awake from his slumber and send me the photons I need in order to capture this amazing place. The sunrise wasn't the greatest that morning, and the sun also rose from behind my location, which I realized after wasn't my favorite view of the sunrise. I also didn't stay too long, as I got there quite early, and the wind was picking up, but it was still an amazing experience and I got some great images! Also, I wanted to get back to the free breakfast to prepare for the next hike of the day; Angel's Landing, named so because it was said that only Angel's could ascend it's treacherous ledges. But that will be next time. Here's Canyon Overlook.
Thanks for reading and keep roaming!
-Sean Gold