Backpack the Trans Zion Trek

(I apologize - I had caps lock on when I typed this and had never used the site before so assumed it was a feature)

WE LEFT OUR HOTEL IN HURRICANE, UTAH AT 4:30AM TO DRIVE TO THE EAST RIM TRAILHEAD. WE WERE PICKED UP AT 5:30AM BY A SHUTTLE BUS, WHICH DROPPED US OFF AT THE LEE PASS TRAILHEAD.

WE HAD BOOKED THE CAMPING SITES A DAY BEFORE OUR INTENDED START DATE. WE DID NOT GET ALL THE SITES WE WANTED, SO OUR DAYS WEREN'T AS PROPORTIONATE AS WE HAD PLANNED. WE ALSO BOOKED THE SHUTTLE BUS THE DAY BEFORE. THE CAMPSITE/PASSES WERE BOOKED AT THE NATIONAL PARK OFFICE, AND WE USED A LOCAL COMPANY FOR THE SHUTTLE

DAY 1:WE HIKED 7.25 MILES DOWN LA VERKIN CREEK. THIS WAS AN EASY TRAIL AND WE STAYED AT CAMPSITE 12. WE HAD A TON OF EXTRA ENERGY AND WERE ABLE TO MAKE SIDE TRIPS TO BEARTRAP CANYON AND THE KOLOB ARCHES. THESE CAMPSITES WERE GREAT BECAUSE THERE WAS A STREAM RUNNING ALONG BESIDE THEM. THEY WERE SPACIOUS AND EASILY FIT THE TWO SMALL TENTS WE BROUGHT. TOTAL HIKING TIME WITHOUT SIDE TRIPS: 3 HOURS 26 MIN

DAY 2: LA VERKIN CREEK CAMPSITE 12 TO RANDOM CAMPING NEAR THE WEST RIM TRAILHEAD ON THE WILDCAT CANYON TRAIL. WORST DAY OF HIKING. I BELIEVE IT HAD THE MOST ELEVATION GAIN AND WE MAY HAVE OVER EXERTED OURSELVES WITH AN EXTRA 8MILES ON TOP OF THE REQUIRED 7.25 ON DAY 1. THE BIG POSITIVE OF THE DAY WAS THE VARIED SCENERY. WE WENT THROUGH HOP VALLEY, AND ENDED UP IN THE LUSH WILDCAT CANYON. WE HAD TO STASH WATER AT HOP VALLEY TRAILHEAD BEFORE OUR TRIP STARTED DUE TO THE WATER IN HOP VALLEY BEING UNTREATABLE. DOWNSIDE WAS THAT WHEN WE FOUND A SPOT TO WILDCAMP IT WAS ABOUT A KM FROM THE SPRING - WE HAD FILLED UP WHEN WE PASSED IT, BUT TRUDGED BACK SO WE WOULDN'T NEED TO AGAIN IN THE MORNING. APPROXIMATELY 15.5MILE DAY AND NEARLY 10 HOURS ON THE TRAIL.

DAY 3: WILDCAT CANYON TO CAMPSITE 3 ON THE WEST RIM TRAIL. APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES. WE GOT TO THIS VERY WINDY, BUT SCENIC CAMPSITE FAIRLY QUICKLY. THE WEST RIM WAS UTTERLY GORGEOUS AND YOU WALK ALONG IT, SO CANYONS AND RIDGES ARE VIEWABLE ALL AROUND. WE DID HAVE TO WALK AN EXTRA MILE TO GET TO THE WEST RIM SPRING (THIS WILL BE DEPENDENT ON HOW CLOSE YOU CAN BOOK YOUR CAMPSITE). WE SAW LOTS OF DEER ON OUR WAY TO AND FROM THE SPRING, WHO WERE QUITE BOLD FOR DEER. WE WERE TOLD BY ANOTHER ADVENTURER TO TAKE THE WEST RIM TRAIL RATHER THAN THE TELEPHONE CONNECTOR TRAIL - I AM SO GLAD WE DID. THE WEST RIM WAS STUNNING THE WHOLE WAY, WHEREAS THE TELEPHONE CONNECTOR WAS APPARENTLY JUST SCRAGGLY TREES. HIKING THE EXTRA 1.4 MILES IS DEFINITELY WORTH IT.

DAY 4: CAMPSITE 3 ON THE WEST RIM TO RANDOM CAMPING ON THE EAST RIM. 12.4 MILES. WE PASSED ANGELS LANDING AND GOT INTO THE TOURIST AREA. IT WAS NICE TO USE A WASHROOM WITH RUNNING WATER. THIS DAY WAS HARD. THERE WAS A LOT OF ELEVATION GAIN AND LOSS. ALSO LACK OF A CLEAR TRAIL ALONG THE EAST RIM AND YOU HAD TO LOOK FOR CAIRNS. WE SAW A RATTLESNAKE, BUT AVOIDED IT.

DAY 5: EAST RIM TRAIL TO EAST RIM TRAILHEAD. WE WERE ON THE TRAIL FOR AN HOUR AND 42 MINUTES. APPROXIMATELY 4.8 MILES. WE MET SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO WERE RUNNING THE WHOLE TRAIL IN A DAY. THIS FINAL BIT WAS PREDOMINANTLY DOWNHILL.