I Don’t Love the Desert, But I Sure Do Love the Zion Traverse

Katelyn Kommer

I guess I’m going to make long desert runs my springtime thing. My roommate/best friend Alex and I floated around the idea of doing the Zion Traverse after a group of our friends did the point to point run back in October. We set a date well in advance, had a general idea of what the trail was like, and pretty much completely forgot about it as ski season kicked into gear. After Rim to Rim to Rim last year, I told myself I wasn’t going to do any runs that required significant amounts of training in the middle of ski season. But, as most endurance athletes do, I tend to have amnesia when it comes to the less ideal parts of extreme events. We both managed to squeeze one solid long training run in, plan the logistics five days before, and carpool down to the desert to attempt this undertaking.

The Zion Traverse is a point to point run that goes from one end to the other of Zion National Park. When the route was first created, it was 50 miles and 8,500 feet of elevation gain total. However, since 2020 the East Rim portion of the trail has been closed “indefinitely due to damage.” So, our route was 37 miles and 7,200 feet of gain (much more manageable). It spans from The Grotto Picnic Area, which is where hikers start the climb up to Angel’s Landing and ends at Lee Pass. Lee Pass is just a quick detour from I-15, and the entrance to the beautiful Kolob Canyons side of the park. We threw together the logistics at the last minute, only realizing a couple days before that we would have to cache water for ourselves along the way. Figuring it out as we go is kind of our style, but it is always important to be reminded that trips like this are not to be taken lightly. The desert is dangerous, and we definitely encountered a few unplanned obstacles.

My number one fear when running or hiking in the desert is heat. I don’t perform well over 75 degrees; especially when I’m carrying limited water. However, what I really should have been anxious about was the sand. Though we have about a dozen friends who’ve run this route, no one cared to warn us about the 6.5 mile section of deep, unrelenting sand. Furthermore, we hit this section at the hottest part of the day and in the final third of our run. Though there were absolutely moments where I contemplated sitting down and having a bit of a mental breakdown, I had to laugh about our situation. Alex and I found ourselves at mile 25 of an incredibly long day grinding it out through sand and hopping over rivers. Though that section slowed us down, it made our post-run bottle of champagne taste that much sweeter.

I’m already looking forward to running this route again. It was my first time ever visiting Zion National Park - and it truly gives you a taste of all there is to the area. Starting along the Angel’s Landing Trail was absolutely amazing. Some may avoid the most popular areas because of crowds, but these trails are typically teeming with people for a reason. The first hour of our run we climbed thousands of feet up the canyon as massive rocks and cliff faces grew closer to our small, human bodies. Within about 45 minutes we had passed the Angel’s Landing turn off, and the crowds immediately disappeared. Traversing along the West Rim trail, we enjoyed views of the western canyons of Zion as we jogged along a rolling plateau. Even for those who have visited Zion before, the traverse is likely largely different than expected. We ran through some high desert forest areas that reminded us of Flagstaff, as well as rocky trails flanked by pine trees.

The section between the West Rim Trail and Hop Valley Trailhead (where the aforementioned satanic sandpit begins) felt more like a forest than a desert. However, the striking desert views of Kolob Canyons are what kept us going through the deep sand. As we neared the finish of our run we followed a winding singletrack path that lazily took us along La Verkin Creek. We soaked in 360 degree views of towering red and orange canyon walls, bright green foliage, and the blue creek beneath our feet. It wasn’t until we were about 10 minutes from the finish that we finally spotted the road. Without service and with no idea where we were, we patiently waited for our friend to shuttle us back to our car. For 30 minutes we snacked, reminisced, stretched, and celebrated what would be one of our best adventures together yet.

I love organized races, but there’s something about long single-day journeys by yourself or with a friend that fill my soul with everything it needs. It’s up to you to plan the route, logistics, transportation, and fuel. Additionally, it’s much much much harder to bail. Ultra marathon events have a smattering of aid stations, where you can hangout in the shade with unlimited snacks and cold beverages if you decide to call it. Conversely, during a run like the Zion Traverse you have to either make it to the pick up spot or find a way to hitch a ride. Though there’s no medal or “official” finishing time associated with these kinds of trips, I’ll choose a desert traverse over an organized race any day. Fellow hikers typically have no idea what we’re out there doing, which makes it all the more meaningful when you share that finishing spot stoke with just one other person. 

This year I *really* vowed that it would be the last year I try to train for something during ski season. But, the Bryce Canyon Traverse is looking really enticing for next spring…