Glorious Utah, it's hot on the Emerald Pool Trail

Mike had planned out a few short trails for us to do while we were in Zion. The first of the longer ones takes you up the mountain to where the water falls over the path and there are two pools, Lower and Upper Emerald Pools. What we didn't reckon on was the temperature. It was 11.30am by the time we started and it was in the top 90's. 
Going up was fine, if busy and we had a bit of 'hose piping' to cool us down. 







The first pool was quite small but the second one was larger, although exposed to the sun. Everyone except the children sat around the edge in the shade fanning themselves.
We walked back down on a different trail, the Kayenta Trail. This was very exposed and the sun was beating down on us. Mike had gone ahead as he had left me to go slower and photograph, but I was so heat exhausted I could only manage the one picture at the end of this set, showing the Virgin River looking across to Angel's Landing. Getting back down to the river I found that Mike had done a full immersion. I waded in and a very kind gentleman who realised I was about to expire splashed water over me.
We spent some time in recovery and then went for lunch and a ranger talk about the pumas who prowl the neighbourhood. They can leap 5.5m high from standing and 12-13.5m horizontally. Amazing. He said that if you are attacked by one to fight back. Maybe.









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