Last day at Zion

I think tubing wore us all out today. The river was very low (only 33 cfs - cubic feet/second), so the ride involved a lot of pushing off rocks and navigating around shallows. It was still a blast (especially when your tube  would careen off a rock and go spinning through a set of rapids), but it was not a lazy ride down the river.

We did a few short hikes in the late afternoon. We took the shuttle to the Temple of Sinawava (don't ask, I don't know) and walked about a mile along the river to the entrance to the Narrows. The walk was beautiful but very crowded. The kids were happy to get one last chance to play in the river.

We made one last stop at the short but steep trail up to Weeping Rock, where rainwater draining from the plateau  trickles in a long arch across the cliff. In the picture, Caroline's holding out her hand to catch the drops. The cliff walls are covered with "hanging gardens" where ferns, moss, and flowering plants grow in tiny crevices. 

We hope to do one last hike here tomorrow morning, the make the 2-hour drive to Bryce. Unless we get lucky, we probably won't be able to post again until we get to Moab in 3 days. Bye for now!