Zion Utah Camping

This year for the Young Men's High Adventure trip the Young Men headed to Zion for a summer camping trip.  William decided it was everything he hated and opted to stay home, which worked out since the trip lined up with his first day of Cybersecurity summer school. 

It was a very hot start to the summer for Elliott, with the heat hovering around 105 degrees.  On the first afternoon, Elliott was still adjusting to the high altitude.  Mark and Elliott settled into the campsite while the other boys went on the first hike.  To help Elliott recover, we went into the general store.

Elliott was delighted to find mist dispensers outside the shops and some Gatorade within.

The boys enjoyed wildlife that came through their campground.

On the morning of the first full day, Mark and Elliott joined the troop on a long hike up to the Emerald Pools.

The views were beautiful, and the boys got to spend some time in the shade at the top.

The marquee event was the hike to The Narrows.  By this part of the day, the few miles across dry ground was almost unbearable.  However, once we got to the water, everyone took on new life.  The boys suddenly became energized as the water (occasionally waist-deep) cooled them through.

Everyone brought special shoes and hiking poles to navigate the flowing water.  

It became delightfully chaotic with the boys crawling through the deep end portions.  They continued for longer than expected without showing any signs of wanting to go back, but eventually the leaders had to make the call, and everyone enjoyed the return trip, having cooled thoroughly.

The leaders provided good food for each of the meals and helped the boys bond together.

Overall, and despite the heat, it was a great experience for Elliott and his follow young men.  We love Zion's National Park, and we look forward to more camping in the future!