Chasing Dreams: Angel's Landing

Angel's landing was the reason I booked a house in Utah. I saw pictures of the trail and said to myself, "I have to do that." Two months later, I made it happen! I was torn on making this it's own post or combining it with the rest of my Zion explorations but I think the significance it holds in my heart makes it deserving of its own post. 

The trail was closed during the peak of Covid because it requires you to get really close to others as you scale the fin-like mountain and hold on to the same chain as everyone else to get up and down the cliff. I had hopes that it would open at the end of October once things calmed down. We talked to people at Arches who just came from Zion a few days before and said the trail was back open again but the maps didn't show it because they hadn't printed new ones yet. I was thrilled! Manifestation at its finest. 

AllTrails rates this one hard for a reason. The switchback ascent up to the plateau is an extremely steep, long, and directly in the desert sun. I was on week 2 of my cold and we had to stop at nearly every turn of the switchback so I could catch my breath and have a coughing attack but I wasn't going to let a little cold prevent me from doing this. 

Once we reached the plateau, there were lots of people resting, hanging out, and enjoying themselves with Angels Landing in the background. You could tell how relieved everyone was, either from making it to the top of the switchbacks or from making it up and back Angels Landing. This is when I got really excited.

We caught our breathe, collected ourselves, and began the climb to the top. This was significantly longer than I was expecting and I was thrilled yet again. The more rock climbing on the cliff, the better. I couldn't keep the smile off my face and lead the pack to the top. It was a Friday afternoon so it was pretty crowded. There were several times where we had to stop to let people come down, let eager hikers pass, or simply re-group before beginning to climb again. 

Stopping for pictures was a challenge because there was a trail of people ahead and behind us. We tried to take advantage of the rare moments when we had a few seconds to ourselves. It also wasn't the safest place for pictures, but there was a few points where you could step away from the chain and rest comfortably without worrying about being too close to the edge. 

Once we reached the top, we stopped for a snack and took some time to enjoy the view. It was nice to reflect on what we just accomplished and get a different perspective looking back on Angels Landing. Once we were ready to leave, we began climbing back down which was relatively easy. Maybe all the adrenaline had us distracted. 

I left the trail with a few tears of joy trickling down my face. Conquering this meant so much more than making it to the end destination. I am so proud of myself for having the courage to change my life. To leave the comfort of my friends, my family, the life I had built the past 7 years and start a new chapter. The past year I’ve grown so much and this right here was proof. The bigger risks you take, the larger life you live. 

Go chase your dreams and climb your own mountain. It's hard to describe the feeling you'll get, but know that it's amazing. If I can do it, so can you. Live your life off leash, whatever that means to you.