We finally made it to Utah this past week! Utah is one of my absolute favorite states and I was so excited to do some exploring. There are so many crazy natural landscapes in this state.
After almost six months on the road, we had a week full of extremes: some of the highest highs and the lowest lows. This past week we tried two things we had never done before. It will be one of those weeks that I never forget. Read all about our time going from Kanab to Zion National Park and learning new things along the way!
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Table of Contents
Our Trip in Kanab and Zion
Kanab, Utah
Dylan and I went to Kanab for one reason: to win permits to hike the Wave. Spoiler alert: we did not win a permit. The Wave is one of the hardest permits to get in the entire country. Only 20 groups of people get to go a day, some of which are chosen online. Every single morning, I woke up and went to a gymnasium to enter the Wave lottery and every single day I was left heartbroken.
In order to enter the lottery, you had to show up at 8:30 am and then fill out a paper application (although they save them overnight) with license plate number, group info, and an emergency contact. When the clock strikes 9, they no longer accept any applications, and they are very strict about it. Then, they put the numbers in a bingo machine and pull out numbers. Only four groups are chosen with anywhere from 1-6 people in each group. One day I was there four groups of 1 person each were chosen, so only four people got to go. Each time they announce how many people are in the group and where they came from. Everyone pretends to be happy for other groups winning. I’m going to continue trying online for the future.
One day, we hiked to the secretive caves on the side of the road. These are located right before the Moqui Caves museum. We enjoyed walking throughout the caves and having the entire place to ourselves.
Another day we had the pleasure of meeting up with some instagram friends: @trekonthewildside to go sand boarding in Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park. At first, I was convinced that I would never make it down the hill without a wipeout. For the first few runs it seemed like I was right, as I wiped out over and over again. Although, the sand was incredibly soft and I laughed the entire time. Finally, after a few tries I made it without falling and my mouth was wide open in shock. It was one of the most fun after work experiences I have had in a while and I highly recommend that you try.
Our friends were nice enough to give us showers, feed us Mac and Cheese, and have a fire with us at their Airbnb before we made our way back to our camp spot. Overall, we enjoyed Kanab and I hope to make it back one day, but next time with Wave permits.
Zion National Park
On Friday night, Dylan and I drove from Kanab to Zion National Park (NP #21). As soon as we entered the park, my jaw dropped. I’ve been to Zion two times already, but every time the scenery just amazes me. The canyon walls are a deep red color and sit imposingly overhead.
It was supposed to rain that evening, so we decided to find our camp spot before the sun went down. We asked one of the Zion store workers for a recommendation and he told us to stay at Gooseberry Mesa. Well when we drove up there, we were stunned. The mesa gave panoramic views of the Zion area all around. Dylan and I just sat there taking it in and I kept remarking how lucky we were to be staying there and living this life. Once the sun had set, we decided to do something a little different and we went to see the new Batman movie before an adventurous weekend.
Angel’s Landing
Little did I know that Saturday would bring memories that will scar me and last me forever. Dylan and I decided to do the thrilling and dangerous Angels Landing hike. This hike is known as being one of the scariest hikes in the country and it is not for the faint of heart. You have to climb up chains over narrow sections in order to get to the top. The hike started out well with a beautiful sunny view over the park. We were tired but enjoying ourselves.
We got to the part right before the chain section and I asked Dylan if he wanted to go on (he is afraid of heights). He looked up to the top warily and hesitatingly agreed to continue on to the top. We slowly made our way up the chains and I could sense Dylan’s fear. The sky started to get a little darker, but nothing too alarming.
However, as soon as we got to the peak and were celebrating that we had made it, the snow and wind started coming in. They came in fast and without any warning. The wind was howling and the snow was blowing from side to side. Dylan shouted at me that we had to go quickly!
We started making our ways down the chains, with a small group of other people. The snow had covered the ground so fast that it was already slippery. I was in a state of pure panic. My fingers were numb, but I knew that I had to hold onto the chains or it was possible I could fall off the edge. There were moments that I slid and the only thing that caught me were my numb hands on those chains. We could have tumbled to our death with the slightest mistake. I was close to tears the entire time.
Slowly we made it back down to solid ground. My adrenaline was so high that it took hours to come down to a normal level. What had started out as a fun hike had turned into something traumatizing and something I will always remember. We slowly walked down the rest of the mountain, after putting our microspikes on, just processing what we had gone through.
By the time Dylan and I made it to the shuttle, we were completely frozen. Our clothes were soaked, our hands were numb, and our moods were dour. We got on the shuttle picked up hot chocolate and then went immediately to our van Vinny. I couldn’t stop shivering as we put the heat on and changed to warm clothes. It took me hours to warm up and calm down. There was no time to clean and the van had become a disaster zone.
That evening we went to pick up our gear for the next day’s hike, did a very short hike to the Canyon Overlook, and we got dinner before calling it a night. I think that short hike helped our mind’s reset and get over the fear from the earlier one. We did not have the emotional energy for anything else.
The Narrows
Despite the traumatic events, Dylan and I decided to get back out there on Sunday. We were going to hike the Narrows that day. This is one of the most famous spots in the park and something I have always wanted to do. We rented dry bibs, walking poles, and shoes so that we would not get wet.
We made our way to the water and immediately I saw Dylan’s face light up like a kid in a candy store. He was almost giddy the entire hike. Hiking the Narrows is one of the most unique hikes that I have ever done. You are literally walking through a river, forging your own path in one of the most magnificent places I have ever been.
We played around as we walked through the waters staring up at frozen waterfalls and wading through light currents. We were determined to make it to the end at the springs, but unfortunately the water levels were too high. The water went to the top of our dry bibs and we knew we needed to turn around.
Dylan said that was his favorite hike that he has ever done and I have to say it might have been mine too. It is truly a remarkable hike and everyone should try it at least once. We both hope to go back in the summer, so we can swim through the waters. After that hike, we went back to our van and decided it was time to hit the road once again.
Reflections on This Week
It was a week full of the highest highs and the lowest lows. It’s a great representation the realities of van life. It’s not always romantic and fun, sometimes it can be exhausting and hard. We were grateful for our time this past week from the beautiful places in Kanab to Zion and everything we learned along the way. Off to more wonderful places!
Where We Stayed
- Kanab Reservoir (37.00760,-112.51122)
- BLM Land Outside of Zion (37.1778176, -113.2474093)
Let me know if you enjoyed this van chronicle in the comments and what you’d like to see next time! Don’t forget to pin it to save for later!
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