Best fact ever

Let's be honest.  You probably don't remember much about President Taft.  Not that he was the instigator of "Dollar Diplomacy" or that he was the only President to also later serve as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court or that, at 300 pounds, he was the heaviest President to ever hold office.  And, in honesty, maybe you don't really care.

But we are thankful for at least one act of the Taft Administration: in 1909, President Taft had the foresight to protect Zion Canyon as a national monument, thus preserving magnificent 150-million-year-old sandstone formations so that Sophie and Anna could oooh and aaah over them last week.

Ok, but all that history was just to whet your appetite.  Here is the best fact ever:

Rain water filters down through these pre-historic sandstone cliffs until it hits a bed of impermeable slate and then it starts to move sideways.  That's what we see as "seepage" or "weeping" from the rocks.  Like this:

Scientists estimate that the water is between 800 and 1200 years old.  What!?!?!  How cool is that?

And if you think that's neat, you'll be even more impressed to hear that the girls walked more than a mile in 100 degree heat to stand in the shower of these ancient waters.  To keep cool, we did a fantastic hike (recommended by our friend, Mike) through The Narrows, which is a hike through a river and between sheer rock cliffs.  You need special but unglamorous shoes like these:

In some places, the girls were up to their chests in the water which made for a cool walk in all senses of the word

Anna & Sophie in the river:

And on the rocks:

 
 And sunning themselves like lizards:

And for those who like live action:



It was all spectactular.  See our full album of Zion here.

Can't believe our summer's already coming to a close!  Hope you're all enjoying your last days too!