Katie Mattson - Journey through Arizona, Utah and Nevada; photos by Katie Mattson; click on photos below to enlarge
 After finishing a week-long trip through Arizona, Utah and Nevada, I am blown away by the stunning scenery the Western United States has to offer. I’ve documented some of the highlights from the trip that inspired me mentally, challenged me physically and left me speechless.
 Day two: Testing the shocks on our rental car, we rumble down a dirt road on the way to Wire Pass. Hiking along the sandy wash to the entrance gives us our first taste of desert scenery. As we enter the slot canyon, we encounter a skinny path no larger than a sidewalk framed by tall walls of smooth, meandering rock. Temperatures drop immediately and the sun filters through the top of the canyon walls turning them beautiful shades of red and orange. Some of the walls make me dizzy looking up at them. Wishing we could stay longer, we reluctantly turn around and return to Page, AZ in time to pick up kayaks for our overnight paddle on Lake Powell.
Stuffing our tents, food, a change of clothes and our sleeping bags into the kayak hatches, we hit the water. Lake Powell is a massive body of clear emerald green water. We first paddle through Antelope Canyon. Turn after turn brings new color, narrow canyon walls and mile high rock all around us. It is beautiful to see the contrast of the hard rock loom above the glassy water. As we paddle out of the canyon, we watch the sun set over Lake Powell. Crossing the main channel, we secure a campsite on Antelope Island, one of the biggest islands on the lake, all to ourselves. I unpack the boat and set up my tent. I am using Polarguard’s Cats Meow and I couldn’t be happier. Not only did it stuff down small enough to fit in the kayak hatch, but it kept me warm when the night temperatures dipped low. That night we barely speak a word as we watch the stars from our private island.
 Day four: Waking early with a mountain view from my tent, I take a deep breath of Utah air. The Virgin River runs right behind our campsite and we are nestled at the base of the towering mountains. Our legs introduce themselves to Zion on a short 2.7 mile hike to a scenic overlook by the entrance of the park. I love this place. Already my eyes are falling on scenery so beautiful I never could have imagined it myself.
In the afternoon, we take the shuttle into the heart of Zion and dip our toes into The Narrows, an extraordinary hike through Virgin River. This is the highlight of the trip. We hike for three solid hours through slot canyons and clear, swiftly moving water. Our toes aren’t the only things to get wet. Most of the hike is through ankle to knee deep water and we balance carefully on the wet rocks. We find a narrow side canyon called Orderville to explore. It is stunning with lush green hanging gardens, waterfalls and reddish orange canyon walls rising above us. Soon, we have to turn back to beat sunset and the chilly night air. I am so energized by this hike that I get off the shuttle a stop early with one of my friends and we jog back to our campsite.
 Day five: I slowly open my eyes painfully knowing this is our last day. This morning we are facing Angel’s Landing – a challenging 4 mile, 5-hour hike that ascends 1400 feet. We start off with a short warm up trail, which quickly turns into an hour of steep switchbacks up the mountain. Winding our way up this labyrinth, we stop to take pictures and catch our breath. Eventually our rhythmic steps lull us into a controlled push for the summit. Our last half-mile is almost vertical climbing. Chains have been installed in the rock to hold for safety, but each side of the skinny path plunges 1400 feet to the canyon floor. I like the thrill of this. Once at the top, I forget the pain of the strenuous hike as I view Zion from a 360 degree overlook. We stay to eat lunch, take pictures and soak in the view until the heat of the day becomes unbearable. Our hike down is the best calf workout I’ve ever experienced. We spend the rest of the afternoon in the river behind our campsite cooling off.
I am sad to go but I know I will be back. I leave Utah feeling as though I’ve barely seen anything and yet filled my memory with inspiring scenery at the same time. There is so much beauty out here and I’ve barely scratched the surface. This excites me as I realize it just means more adventures are to come.
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