Slickrock and Shadow

Stone bench with a fabulous winter view! Another fun picture from my snow storm in Zion.  Above the lowest of the Emerald Pools I explored in the deep snow.  There were no footprints so I felt like everything was virgin land.  A rock slide and plenty of ice had closed a portion of the trail.  I went a little beyond the "closed" sign to see the view from a point across from the grotto.   Up at this higher viewpoint I found two benches covered deep in powder snow.  Careful to not put my footprints in the powder, I took several photos from a distance and slowly got closer and closer for additional photos.  This photo captures the bench and its' view. Another snowy bench view The trail through snow Trail Closed sign

Toroweap:  That's a 3,000 foot drop, sonny! Toroweap scares the *#%@ out of me!  It's straight down 3,000 feet and there's no rail to protect anybody.  You can walk all along the ledge and everywhere the danger is just right there to the south.  I worry about wind tipping someone off balance and then it's too late.  Some guys were throwing a football to each other by the edge when I was there.  Another couple were sipping some beer while sitting 6 feet from the edge. That's not me:  I am a bonafide chicken when it comes to edges that lead to certain death.  I may peer over but I keep my center of balance over my back foot and don't dwell very long.  I think this shot shows why I'm so scared of Toroweap.  There's the edge and what's that just over the edge?  Yeah, it's the giant Colorado River.  It looks small because it's 3,000 feet straight down!  I go because it's a beautiful landscape but I leave because of a gut...