Accomplished

As my time in Utah was ending, I had one last opportunity to fit in a hike just by myself. The night before, I hedged on whether I should even try to fit in one more hike. I had wanted to complete a seven mile out and back hike to Observation Point via the East Mesa Trail. It was rated as a moderate hike, but rewarded you with a unrivaled view of Zion’s main canyon. It was a 90-minute drive from my condo in St. George and had limited parking for only 12 vehicles. I read with trepidation of the consequences of parking out-of-bounds at the trailhead from towing to deflated tires by the locals.

In the end, I decided I did not drive 1,650 miles just to play pickleball on my last day. I hit the road at 6:00 AM to get to the trailhead early enough to grab a parking spot. After I had traveled most of the distance to the trailhead, I realized I forgot my map and directions. There was no internet service so Google Maps was also not an option.

Undaunted, I made some educated guesses on the correct roads and eventually found the signs leading the way. The last two miles of the road were very sketchy. The road morphed into a rutted one-way dirt road that required an all- wheel-drive (AWD) vehicle to traverse. Despite the forecast for rain later, I decided to continue, hoping to finish before any rain arrived.

I arrived at the trailhead around 7:30 AM and claimed one of only two spots remaining in the small parking area. A park ranger arrived just a couple minutes after me and claimed the last spot in the lot. I geared up and set off for Observation Point.

As advertised, the trail was moderate with only a modest elevation gain of 765 feet. I was able to set my own pace and encountered only a handful of hikers headed in the opposite direction. I reached Observation Point in a little more than an hour. The view was breathtaking. It encompassed the entire length of the valley including Angel’s Landing. The hikers on Angel’s Landing traversed the ridge line and appeared as mere ants from the vantage point on Observation Point. I would later send a photo to the kids and a few friends. They joked it looked like a fake JC Penny photo studio background.

I lingered in this sacred place for about 45 minutes just absorbing the vista. At one point, the magnitude of my travels overwhelmed me as I held Amy in my heart.

When I planned this trip, I did not know how many of my friends and family would join me. In the end, I was elated to have Claire and Morgan join me separately for a period as well as my brother and his wife, Chuck and Doris. Even my friend Joe came down for a few days to share this journey with me.

Nearly one year has passed since I wrote the reflection, Surrounded, on My Joy Journey with Amy. In it I pledged not to sacrifice time with family and friends in a quest to hike the longest trail or see the most beautiful sunset. Instead, I hoped to be side-by-side with them. To be surrounded. On this adventure, mission accomplished.