The popular backpacking hike, with camping options, is the point-to-point West Rim trail from Lava Point to Grotto Trailhead. You need to hire a shuttle service to get to Lava Point.
Or buy one of those fancy self-driving cars, drive to Lava Point, and instruct the car to drive back to Grotto Trailhead and wait there, with cold beer.
This post is about the day hike bottom up, out-n-back from/to the Grotto Trailhead, and a crazy dialogue between the hiker and his imaginary friend.
Published Distances
- Zion Lodge parking – Grotto Trailhead = 0.5 mile (flat)
- Grotto Trailhead – Scout Lookout = 2.0 miles (climb)
- Scout Lookout – Cabin Spring junction (West Rim trail / Telephone Canyon trail) = 3.0 miles (climb/down/climb)
- Cabin Spring junction – West Rim trail (other end where West Rim trail and Telephone Canyon trail meets again) = 3.0 miles (gradual). Campsite #4 is somewhere in the middle of this section.
This would have been an interesting 8.5 mile one-way, 17 mile out-n-back hike.
Yeah, I bet you’ll turn back before that.
However, at campsite #4, my garmin already recorded 9.5 miles covered, and the snow was getting deeper and deeper.
Perhaps if you have not wandered off the trail, the mileage would have been close to the published distances!
Past campsite #4, I decided to stop and turn back because of the trail condition.
See, I told you so!
The planned start was at the Grotto Trailhead.
So why did you start at the Zion Lodge parking lot?
The Grotto Trailhead was full, including the nearby overflow, so I had to drive back to Zion Lodge and start the hike from there. It’s a relatively flat section on the walking path.
So why were you grumpy on that last 0.5 mile on the way back!
The 2 mile trail from Grotto Trailhead going up to Scout Lookout is where the fun begins. It’s the same first 2 miles to go up Angel’s Landing. You go up switchbacks and the ever popular social media picture of Walter’s Wiggle. It’s strenuous, yes, but not dangerous – the danger comes on the last 0.5 mile climb to Angel’s Landing.
But did you go up Angel’s Landing???
West Rim trail veers left from Scout Lookout and continues North/West.
Chicken!
It’s still a hike up the open slickrock where you can simply wander off and enjoy panoramic views everywhere.
How can you wander off the trail, the mere sight of a drop makes your knees buckle!
The trail continues west going down the valley to what is called as Little Siberia. This section is covered with snow and ice during winter. Today is no different. Trail crampons/microspikes are highly recommended. Little Siberia starts going up on switchbacks hugging the giant sandstone, kinda similar to the trail going up the Observation Point. This may be a little unnerving for someone who has fear of heights. No worries, the path is wide enough.
So why did you walk hugging the wall???
The climb up on these switchbacks ends at the Cabin Spring junction, where the West Rim trail continues on the left, and the Telephone Canyon trail on the right. There is a small source of water just 100 yeards of the trail. It’s a puddle, basically, and water purification is needed.
What? You expect an Evian spring water?!?!
The West Rim trail section is the more scenic of the two. It’s a gradual climb, on a very muddy and snowy trail. On the lower part, it was the sticky mud. On the upper part, it was the deep snow. The views of the western peaks were just amazing. No clear vantage points, but amazing, nevertheless.
What? you want a clear plateau with fake drops so you can take selfies for social media 1M likes?
The snow was getting deeper and deeper as the trail goes further up. You need to make sure of your footings.
Hahaha, that was funny when your leg sank on what you thought was solid snow.
Campsite #4 seems like a very nice place to spend overnight. And just past the campsite, I decided to stop and turn back.
C’mon, admit it, you got scared being alone up there.
The hike back was a lot easier vs the hike out. It was a gradual descent to the lower elevation sections of the park. And more time wandering off when I finally reached the open slickrock area.
What? Where are we now? I dozed off when you started singing on the trail.
One of the highlights of this hike was the sighting of the resident condors, J3 and 9. There was also the untagged one, a juvenile, which a ranger later said was J3 and 9’s offspring.
Ok I’ll give this to you. If you did not wander off, we would not have seen them.
There was still daylight when I got back to the start, and enough time to get back to the town for a to-go dinner from one of the few establishments open this time of year. Veggie egg white omelette, with homemade jam – the reward for this hike.
Veggie omellete? Is bacon a veggie???
Eat your veggie bacon omelette, and I’ll have this beer. Tomorrow, I’ll go up Angel’s Landing, with or without you!
