The hike to Emerald Pools in Zion National Park is a meandering uphill climb. It is a scramble at times, though worth the many photo opportunities along the trail. I started my journey to Zion early in the morning, arriving before the sun was entering the valley. I’m glad I did. Even in the winter months, the parking lots in the staging area for the Kayenta Trail were nearly full when I arrived.

Almost immediately, the hike pays off. The view of the Virgin River and the valley floor of Zion is fantastic - especially in the early morning light. The west-facing walls of the canyon catch the morning rays, with the reds and oranges of the rocks reflecting in river.

The morning light quickly turned harsh. Farther up the trail, I caught my first glimpse of the lower emerald pools … well, the waterfalls that feed those pools to be precise. The region has not experienced much rain or snow fall, so the waterfalls themselves were gentle, almost a trickle.

I continued climbing. The ascent to the upper emerald pools was a more challenging hike. Below the pools, small cascades bubbled down golden brown rocks. In places where large rocks blocked the waterways, the gentle currents swirled and the bubbles and foam formed intricate and pleasing patterns. I knew I wanted a few black and whites of these scenes.

I finished my photo work at the Upper Emerald Pools. On my visit, the pools were not an emerald color. Yet the golden browns were very pleasing in their own right. The top of a towering waterfall loomed high above, its steady spill churning the silt at the base of the pool. As the currents moved down the canyon walls, the ripples in the sand mimicked the currents in water.

Looking back… I should have captured a few abstracts of the sands in the pool. Another excuse to go back for another hike someday.