Angel's Palace Trail

Training ground for Angel's Landing

Utah rocks!

Beautiful evening sunlight

Just a wonderful little area

A solitary bad ass

My fear of heights won this time

I have to wonder if this trail took it's name from Angel's Landing in Zion.  This also climbs up a large sandstone area.  One part of the trail walks out an exposed area, but with drops of about 500 feet as opposed to Angel's Landing's drops of over 1,000 feet.  If I have the stomach for Angel's Landing next week and overcome my fear of heights, I can compare the two.

I figured this to be a decent spot for sunset, since it rises a few hundred feet above the basin.  The sun did not cooperate, though, on this night.  I'm not so sure it'd make much of a difference anyway, since mountains, much higher rose up to the west.  Still it made for a great hike.  I passed some cool-looking slickrock.  And very briefly, I enjoyed the late evening sun bathe some of the mountains to the east in its light.

I kept on winding my way up until I could look down towards the campground.   The campground sits surrounded by mountains that rise over a thousand feet.  A great location, if not ideal for sunset or sunrise.  Then I made my way to the out and back that drops off on both sides.  The trail narrowed to 3 to 4 feet.  Eventually I walked far enough out and then sat down to gather myself.  I thought to myself, "Maybe Angel's Landing is a bad idea."  As I walked back, I decided I'd come back here tomorrow and give it another shot.