PB1A zion utah

PB1A 4/3/16

Summer is fast approaching, and everything is up in the air. I have many ideas what I would like to do but timing, money and where I would stay become big factors that conflict each other. Leaving me utterly unsure of my plans. But aside from taking summer session I certainly want to plan a camping trip to Zion National park located in Utah. I love the liberty that hiking up a canyon brings, the feeling of empowerment and achievement. Because Zion is eight hours away there is preparation that need to be done. So when I need a break from studying I read National Geographic articles concerning possible hikes, camping sites, and possible weather conditions one might encounter.

Hike the Zion Narrows, Utah by Kate Siber discusses the inspirational location that attracts many knee hikers, nationally. The intended audience is whoever is interested in taking a natural excursion in Utah. It appeals to people who want to challenge themselves because Sider describes the hike as not “necessarily a cakewalk” but a 16 mile hike that involves walking multiple miles in knee high water levels. Indicating that the potential hikers might need some prior experience to handle this challenging day trip. The context includes the author’s personal experience that she shares in an informative relatively short article. She firmly speaks upon the difficulty of the hike by including the length, the overnight expectancy, and possible misconceptions. Sider perhaps assumes that her potential reader has been on hikes before because she references some backpacking terms such as “gap year, tourist trail, and visa run.” In her context Sider also fails to address the best time to go on this adventure and other potential safety hazards that one may encounter. This writing piece has a direct and tranquil tone that makes the audience feel confident they can trust the author’s outlook. Sider provides this security by writing in an informative form as well as encouraging people that this is a hike worth taking.

I would classify this article as a travel description, when one think of vacation or a weekend getaway, gathering information becomes crucial in order to be well prepared. Conventions of a general travel description might include: access to the location, possible scenery, rocks and plants that can be a challenge to overcome, equipment required, shortcuts, and finally the best time of the year to visit. Sider’s articles addresses many of the basic facts that people can expect, she also adds a very beneficial “Need to Know” section that gives more detail on transportation that one might need. Lastly I feel as she genuinely cares for the readers because she provides phone numbers about permits, which shows she wants people to get the best experience with little difficulty. Overall this article does the job it’s supposed to do which is to educate people, it is very direct sharing just the facts not too personal, she could have detailed her favorite moment of the hike or how she felt afterwards. This additional information that is missing, would help the audience connect with the author because one wants to feel like “if she can do it, I feel capable of undertaking this hike as well.”