Today is my "free day," I spent the day exercising and then hiking in Zion National Park. First, I walked the Observation Point trail, starting at the Weeping Rock Trailhead, intending to hike to the small raise on the northern end of the plateau. This small bump, barely noticeable, is the actual summit benchmark for the Observation plateau area. Next, I planned to eat lunch and hike back to Weeping Rock. However, when I arrived at the non-ranked summit, I determined that I probably shouldn't pass up on the beautiful views, so I continued to the southern end of the plateau known as Observation Point.
Rain glistens on the face of Cable Mountain
I ate lunch and watched a storm come down the valley; when it started to rain, I headed back along the trail. By the time I reached the exposed switchbacks (cut out of the cliff face), the wind was blowing, and I hurried down, hoping to get to the back side of the trail to have some protection from the upcoming storm. Finally, I made it to a nice vertical wall on the back side of the route just as the storm hit. Sitting tight against the wall, I was protected from the harsh winds and only got wet from the rain that fell straight down.
East Rim Trail emerges from Echo Canyon
As the thunderstorm raced through the area, the lighting and thunder boomed through the valley, echoing off the sheer mountain cliffs; it was a fantastic experience. Soon the storm clouds decreased, and I finished my hike in the sunshine. You've just got to love thunderstorms.