Yearning to get outdoors and challenge my improved lung function, my husband and I headed east from Ventura, CA in early September to visit southern Utah’s National Parks and Monuments. The state has five National Parks, six National Monuments and several National Forests. The landscape or should I say rockscape offers spectacular scenery, geological history and abundant outdoor recreation opportunities.

Elevations in Utah vary from a low point of 2,200 feet to the highest point of 13,528 feet. I embrace an active lifestyle in coastal CA (sea level) walking, swimming and golfing. I wasn’t sure how I would do hiking at higher elevations and desert climate with an FEV1 of 48%. Our first stop was Springdale, Utah (3,912 feet) located at the entrance to Zion National Park. We stayed at Novel House Inn, a charming bed and breakfast lodge where all the guest rooms are named for famous authors. We stayed in the Bronte room. Once settled in; all we had to do was board one of the many shuttles serving the park and enjoy its natural wonders. It is no coincidence that the park named Zion is a sanctuary, a place of life and hope. The Zion Canyon is a spectacular gorge carved through colored sandstones and shale by the Virgin River. Our first hike was to the Emerald Pools much of this was uphill, climbing over and around red rocks. There was scant amount of water in the pools but I did make it to the upper pools without much trouble so an elevation of 4,000 to 5,000 feet was good for these old lungs. The dry heat with temperature in the 90’s sure made me sweat but my skin wasn’t salty. I guess Vertex Kalydeco (since 2/2015) really is working and has changed absorption.

Other hikes in Zion included easy walk along the Virgin River to the Narrows and short, but steep, hikes to Weeping Rock and Court of Patriarchs.  After this test for the lungs and feeling strong with the hope and spirits from Zion we moved on to Bryce Canyon National Park.

The Native American name for Bryce Canyon area translates as “red rocks standing like men in a bowl-shaped canyon.” The geologic term, Hoodoo, was perpetuated by early geologists who thought the rock formations could cast a spell on you with their magical spires and towering arches.

The park sits on an 8,000-9,000 foot plateau. After lunch at the Bryce Lodge we headed along the rim trail to Inspiration Point. It was only a half-mile climb to Inspiration Point (8,100 ft.) but I thought the Hoodoos were trying to get me, sucking all the O2 from the air. I had to stop several times to catch my breath. In the end I prevailed, made it to the Point; was inspired and still breathing. It was an easy walk down but I figured I would stay at lower elevations for more hikes and fewer Hoodoos.

Next stop was Capitol Reef National Park, back to a more comfortable hiking elevation.  This park had fewer visitors but is a hidden treasure named for its white domes of Navajo sandstone that resemble Capitol building domes and Reef for the rocky cliffs which are a barrier to travel like a coral reef.  You could get up-close and personal with the rocks.

There were fruit and nut orchards farmed by the National Park Service. We viewed Native American Petroglyphs etched in rock walls and painted pictographs that remain as sacred remnants of the ancient Indians' saga. 

The escape to the Zion sanctuary, the spell of the Bryce Hoodoos and visiting a coral reef in the desert was inspiring. It also was good for my health. At my recent visit to Santa Barbara Cottage CF Clinic my FEV1 had improved to 50%. Not much, but I will take what I can get. I am happy to check off a few more National Parks on my list of parks to visit and plan for the next outdoor adventure. Back home in coastal Ventura I'm still taking my hillside walks in unusually hot and humid weather, yes sweaty but no salty skin.

 

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*Barbara Morris Harison lives in Ventura, CA and serves on the CFLF Board. She was diagnosed with CF at age sixty four (64). She lost a sister to CF forty-four (44) years ago. She established the Loretta Morris Memorial Fund with CFLF in 2010. Barbara is retired after a long career in public parks and recreation administration and later managed her own consulting business, Harison & Associates for twenty (20) years.