Angel's Landing Virtual Cache
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(virtual)
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A fairly high and somewhat strenuous hike, but not really an
all-out climb. Worth every drop of sweat. As you approach the very
end (walking rougly west) you will see a wooden structure directly
ahead of you and across the canyon atop a mountain called Cable
Mountain. To Log this cache, you must either submit a photograph
of yourself standing atop Angel's Landing with Cable Mountain in
the background or a photograph of your GPSR displaying the
coordinates of the cache location.
Situated in the heart of Zion Canyon and 5,752 feet above sea level
stands the peak of a sandstone mountain aptly named Angel's
Landing. According to my iPhone Zion Guide (ZionQuest), the peak
was named by a methodist minister who said that "only angels" could
land on the precarious ridge. Luckily, the park service fixed that
with some dynamite. This mountain lies within Zion National Park
and receives a lot of visitors every year, so I was somewhat
surprised that there was no cache here already (thus, the cache's
virtual nature)! That being the case, PLEASE pack out anything you
bring in and don't defoliate, etc. The first half of the hike is
pretty steep, and will be a bit strenuous unless you're in pretty
decent shape, but shouldn't feel too risky. The second "half" may
be a concern for people who have difficulty with heights, since it
involves a rather narrow climb and holding onto some chains
provided by the park service. Hence, the difficulty ratings of 4.
During certain summer months, you'll have to park at the visitors
center and take the shuttle in to the canyon, but they normally
come every six minutes. Update: July 2009. I just produced a video
of the hike for the company I work for. Due to last weekend's
fatality on this trail, I'm linking it here for reference. People
have died on this hike. I don't want to discourage anyone from
hiking Angel's Landing, but I would encourage everyone
contemplating it to exercise appropriate caution and to prepare
adequately. Above all, bring lots of water. If you're wondering
whether or not this hike is for you, the video may give you a
better idea:
Click
here to view the hike on Youtube.
Oh, and by the way. Don't feed the chipmunks. They only like you
for your food. . .
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
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