We woke on Thursday to clearing skies but, if anything, it felt colder than the previous day ... and the river in front of our balcony was thundering past at an incredible rate - and a good bit wider than we'd seen it over the course of the last two days. Before we'd headed off to the States, I'd always had one eye on a trail called 'The Narrows' which seems to be universally praised as being one of the best hikes in America. You follow the river upstream until you can no further due to the canyon walls closing in on either side and you have to enter the river to proceed. It can only be attempted in certain months to avoid flash flooding from melting snow and rain. October seemed to be slap bang in the middle of dry season so I hadn't foreseen rapids on the day we might attempt it.

As the skies continued to clear we decided to head back into the park on the shuttle bus to see the natural spectacle without the rain clouds of yesterday. We were stunned to get on the bus and find lots of other people already seated. How rude. We had the place to ourselves yesterday!

The trail for The Narrows begins at the furthest point of the shuttle bus route and can be hiked for one mile before the river would become an impassible obstacle (there were plenty of signs warning people not to venture beyond the point of the riverside walk ending). Unfortunately, shortly after we'd started off, the clouds drifted overhead again. By the time we'd reached the trailhead we were being pelted with hailstones. Yes, hailstones! On our holiday! Utah doesn't seem to have any manners at all ...

After a short photo op we headed back to the shuttle bus to take us homeward. It was pleasing to think that the people we were sharing the bus with today completed missed out on the dramatic waterfalls of yesterday - which had now run completely dry.

We had planned to visit the once biggest cinema screen in America whilst in Zion - but, to be honest, from the outside it didn't look that grand, and wasn't showing anything of interest. But what is that establishment opposite the cinema? Why it's Thai Sapa, the Vietnamese restaurant with superb coconut shrimp starters! We placed an order for take-away and enjoyed a relaxing evening with a bottle of wine, fine asian cuisine and a DVD ... it seemed very much like the calm before the Las Vegas storm.