Tag 38 - Zion National Park & Mojave Desert

I'm doing the Angels Landing trail in Zion National Park - great views and nice scrambling (the Americans call it "Oh my god"..)

I meet a Chilean who did his PhD in the USA and is now doing his postdoc.

His camera is also his travel companion and we agree on many other things. (I'm glad he can take a good photo of me).

Zion National Park is rather small and consists of a main valley (Canyon) and a side valley.

A shuttle drives along the valley and there are trails at the stations.

Zion NP must be a top climbing area, you can see hooks every now and then, there is literature in the Visitor Center (so dear climbing partners, please come next time! The walls look great and anyone who climbs here is a hero! "Did you see rock climbers??")

After the hike, I would like to hang out with my hiking partner a bit more, but I'm driving back towards Las Vegas. The route goes through a canyon and is worth the drive (Highway 15).

(In Utah, I will eat something beforehand and get a small American ice cream - at Lake Garda, the amount would be sufficient for the children of a family.. here, one also likes to go for the large portion. The sugar rush keeps you awake while driving. I now sweeten my car rides with an audiobook.)

The goal is Mojave Desert National Preserve. Camping is allowed everywhere and I sleep in the car (which actually worked, had to open the windows). The desert lives here and fortunately it's not as hot as in Vegas.