Day 3 St George, Utah 10/27/08
Yesterday we had the privilege of visiting Zion National Park. The drive in is spectacular. At first I was a bit confused with the landscape of the southwest. When I think desert, I think sand. I was informed by my kids that I was envisioning the desert scape of Africa. As we drove north thru St. George and a valley by the name of Hurricane, the landscape sometimes reminded me of the quarry pits back home but on a grander scale. The scruffiness of the land was visually annoying yet intriquing. As we got closer to Zion the panorama of the canyons and the multicolored rock formation was spectacular!
We arrived in Springdale which is the town most south of Zion Nat’l Park. Small, quaint and sprinkled with Obama signs 
. We took a shuttle to the visitor center and from there decided which of the many trails would christen our virgin voyage into the canyons. We, rather Nick, chose Watchman Trail, a moderate 2.7 mile/2hour round trip hike. This trail climbs 368 feet and ends with a spectacular view of lower Zion canyon. There are minor drop offs and on some parts the trail was only several feet wide. It was here that I experienced a yogic moment of great proportions.
While I enjoy hiking immensely, I have a fear of heights, especially when I am so close to the edge of a cliff. I have in the past expereinced vertigo, and a panic, but nothing like what I experience when I watch one of my children standing on the edge of a precipice for that perfect Kodak moment. It is then that I experience a sick, sinking feeling that only a mother can feel. I have tried to describe this feeling to my kids as they dismiss my instincts as “over protectiveness”.
So my yogic moment came as we climbed higher on Watchman’s trail and we came to a very narrow part of the trail with a drop off to the left. While part of me said “maybe this is where I head back. This is a challenge I’m not comfortable with. The other part of me said “you can’t let fear overtake you”. The quote “you have nothing to fear but fear itself” became my mantra. I took a deep breath on continued onward. While this may seem trivial, for me it was facing a fear and accepting the challenge with faith and courage.
We all have our moments where we are thrown a challenge that may seem daunting and we react from a place of fear. We can choose to take a breath and accept the challenge or let fear control us. I chose to accept the challenge and was so grateful that I did. The reward of the view at the top was breathtaking.
Have I conquered my fear of heights? Hmmm, I’ll keep you posted. The request has been made to tackle Angel’s landing, a narrow, strenuous trail with long drop-offs. Stay tuned………….
