Day 34 - Hello Southwest Utah

Our plan of staying nearby to the entrance of Zion worked out great.  We were able to leave Mesquite at a reasonable hour, stock up on groceries and get to the park in time to secure a campsite.

 We got to our campsite mid-morning and quickly decided we would have to stay here three nights instead of two.

With a view like this, how could we not stay longer?

The maps and handouts that we had grown accustomed to receiving at every National Park had quickly become our best friends.  They provided us all the information we needed to know regarding wildlife (i.e. how to avoid a bear encounter), hiking trails and campground details.  We cracked a beer and began planning how we would spent our time at Zion.

Planning our day

 We weren't in any hurry so we decided to spend a day relaxing around the campground. Being that it was hot outside, we decided to take a walk down to the river with our chairs, our books and a beer apiece. To avoid the groups of bellowing children, we headed upstream until we found a river access point. Lucky for us, we found a spot that was completely secluded and were able to enjoy some peace and quiet.

River Time!

While engrossed in our reading, we heard a rustle of noise near the bank of the river.  We looked over to see a mule deer peek its head through the brush and bend down to take a sip of water.  She looked up at us, with little concern in her eyes, and kept drinking.  Dan and I stared at her in silence, not wanting to spook her.  Then she took a few more steps forward and until all four legs were in the water.  She continued to cross the river, less than 10 feet away from us, and then leaped out of the water and was gone.  While it wasn't quite as exciting as seeing a bear or a moose, it was the most intimate wildlife experience we encountered on the entire trip.

Little did we know that when we got back to our campsite, we would encounter several more deer.  We returned to find at least six deer, bucks and does, munching on the green grass of the campground.  They were completely undisturbed by the hordes of people photographing them.

Deer hanging out at the campground

Zion had a ban on campfires due to the heat and dryness so we played some cribbage and called it a night.  We went to sleep anticipating the good times we would have over the next 3 days!

-Lauren