Returning to the scene of the crime

[zionsky]

Since our resident photographer @Yvonne has left for greener pastures, the site has become decidedly sparse of Zion pictures so I thought I would share a few from the first of my two trips this past year.

The late March trip was my first time back in the park since my accident last fall. Ironically, I had booked this trip prior to my accident so it gave me motivation for rehab to be able to still go. I informed my doctor and physical therapist early on of my intent to return and both said it was “possible”. So I worked pretty hard over the winter to rehab my leg and sure enough, the doctor gave me the OK to go but he did say to take it easy. He recommended I get a knee brace, and get fitted for custom orthotics since I apparently also suffered a collapsed arch from the fall.

I did a couple of short, local hikes a few weeks prior to test the leg out. Going uphill seemed fine but coming downhill was another story. I had no idea how it would do over four days.

I decided to stick to mostly official trails and did some “touristy” stuff I hadn't done in years. Of course, I had to return to where I fell. It had been on my mind daily for almost five months. Where did I get off course? Was I healed up enough to try again?

The anticipation was killing me so the first day I headed straight back to the scene of my accident. I knew the shoulder I had previously taken led to a cliff-out but I still had to follow it to get around an impassable dry fall. Only this time, I dropped back into the wash as soon as I could and avoided the scary stuff. I stopped and paused for a few at the spot where I lay in the wash with a broken leg. From there, a mildly annoying bushwhack led me up and out of the root canal and onto the east rim. I hooked up with the deertrap mounjtain trail and completed my intended hike. It was probably not the wisest idea to do it that soon and my knee was really sore that evening, but hey....you gotta get back on the horse.
Many pools was mostly dry this time

I fell from up there

A brushy, rocky scramble up the root canal

There was still a little snow

Once out of the root canal, a view from the plateau

A view into east Zion

Pano shot from Deertrap Mountain

Late afternoon shot of the Triplets, Nippletop, and Lost Peak


The next day, I did a combination loop of the Huber, Chinle, and Coalpits wash areas. Whereas I encountered sporatic snow on the east rim a day earlier, the desert lowland was quite hot. I ran out of water and used a half bottle of advil on that 12 mile hike .
Huber wash at the park boundary

Pleasant morning hiking

Kinesava comes into view

Impassable dryfall


Looking back down the exit scramble

Lots of petrified wood


Great views from Chinle


Hidden colors in the desert



Entering coalpits wash

Out of the wash, just two more miles to the car

The third day, I headed to Valley of Fire. The shorter trails definitely helped with energy recovery.










On my last day, I hit the sand bench trail and did some exploring near checkerboard mesa.






As I was heading back down checkerboard, I heard a faint noise that sounded like a guitar. The wind was picking up in the canyon so I wrote it off as my mind playing tricks. A little farther down canyon I found this guy. He looked like Bob Dillon in his 20s. Another first for me in Zion.



The leg held up for the week so I considered the spring trip a success. Now I could concentrate on my next goal, which was further strengthening and recovery for my October trip so I could return to the backcountry full time. I continued my rehab pretty hard over the summer and got my leg strength back to probably 75%. I hoped it would be enough.

 

[wsp_scott]

back on the horse, thanks for sharing some great photos

 

[Titans]

Glad you were able to go back to the spot in March. Good luck with the remaining recovery. Thanks for sharing.

 

[chandlerwest]

The "I fell from here" shot looks familiar. I got up to an alcove below the yonder cliff face. I wanted to climb out to the east rim when I explored in 2015 but the brush was just too nasty going up the drainage. I climbed high but cliffed out. Glad to hear that getting up to the rim was doable. I'm pleased/impressed that you got up that exit out of Huber Wash. That is quite an up climb....then down climb. I have very fond memories of exploring the East Rim and the Chinle/Coalpits area. It looks like you made it up the sand hill there beyond Checkerboard? You physically kicked butt!

 

[zionsky]

I was prepared to turn around if the climb out of the root canal got really nasty but it wasn't as bad as I expected. And because the roads leading in from the east were impassable due to recent snow/mud, I had the whole east rim to myself that day. The Huber scramble also not as bad as I expected but I did make the mistake of going over the first ridge closest to the dry fall to get there. Lots of dense brush. The easier route is to back track a little farther in the main wash before entering the side wash to the exit.