Summer Vacation Road Trip - The Narrows

After leaving Salt Lake City, we traveled to Zion's National Park where our main goal was to hike the Narrows.  It is a wonderful hike in the water (sometimes low and sometimes dangerously, flash floody high) in a narrow canyon that is many miles long.  Tori and I hiked the narrows the afternoon we arrived in Zion's on July 27th.  The sky was dark and left me a little nervous because of the potential for flash floods with rain of any significant amount.  It made me more nervous that Tori was my hiking buddy and she is only 8 and very little.

This is the motel where we stayed.  We loved it and the view was incredible.  The town is small and easy to navigate even with young children.  Our room was actually a family suite with its own small kitchen.

This was one of the views between our motel and the entrance to the park.  Off to the left you can see the very edge of the dark sky in the picture.  Tori and I hiked for several hours and went in quite far.  I was so proud of her.  She trusted me completely and did exactly what I told her to do.  I needed that time with Tori.  Kevin and I expected her to be a little whiny and the general thought was that Kaylee would be the easiest hiking partner.  We both felt like Tori would need my patience.  She surprised me and taught me lessons along the way.  When the water was over her head, she never panicked or whined or even seemed nervous.  She followed instructions and showed trust in me that was very humbling.  I didn't tell her that I was a little nervous because of the sky and I remember saying a silent prayer while we hiked in order to know whether to continue or turn back.  We wanted to go further, but I only felt peace when I decided to turn back.  Someday we'll go back and hike the whole 18ish miles, but the distance was long enough to help me see that my little Tori is made out of tough stuff.  Who am I to underestimate her?  I don't think I'll make that mistake as easily next time.

The rest of the pictures were taken the next day when Kaylee and Kevin were hiking.  They had clear blue sky and beautiful weather.  They ended up hiking a little further than we did, but not by much.  See - Tori really is a trooper.  The water is deceiving.  Sometime it is very shallow and sometimes you can't find the bottom.  It was nice that the weather was SO HOT because we hiked in our clothing and tennis shoes and yet I never got cold when we were out of the water.It felt really good.  I think this was my favorite part of our vacation and I'm ready to go back when Kimber and Tavin are a little older.