Crispness, quiet, and low lighting add to the joy of the hike
Waking up early to be one of the first people on the trail is always exhilarating to me. The crispness of the morning air, the quiet of the sleepy world, and the low lighting of the dawn all add to the joy of the hike. This photo was taken on one of these early hikes, when Nick and I were in Zion National Park on the last day of a long trip.
It snowed overnight while we were sleeping at the lodge in the park. This was in stark contrast to when Nick and I had visited in the middle of the summer as kids. Then it was hot and dry out. On this morning, we bundled up and hiked up a trail covered in a fresh coat of snow.
We were hiking up to Angel's Landing, a ridge hike that takes you to an overlook of the valley that Zion sits in. It was on one of the many switchbacks up the trail that I took this photo. There was a space between the rocks alongside the trail that made a natural window out to the world below.
I believe that the mountains pictured in the photo include: Mountain of the Sun, Twin Brothers, The East Temple, and Bridge Mountain. Bridge Mountain was formerly named Crawford Mountain for the family that settled there. It was renamed bridge mountain after the natural bridge that is found on the mountain. A bridge is a type of arch that is formed primarily by water erosion.
A space between the rocks...made a natural window
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