Zion

After we left the Grand Canyon we went north to Zion National Park. We went through the town of Kanab where we saw a genuine tumbleweed go right in front of my car. Then we went west and went towards Zion the back way via the Mt. Carmel Highway. 

We had reservations for Watchman Campground so finding an empty campsite was not a problem. Zion is a very large park. Most of it is backcountry. The part that almost all visitors go to is just north of Springdale, UT. There is one spectacular road that leads to an amazing canyon. Passanger cars are not allowed on the road. Instead, the park uses buses to move people from one point to the next. There are many stops along the way for hikers and tourists to get out. The buses run from very early in the morning until 11 pm. 

One of the roadside views on Mt. Carmel Highway

The following views are from areas of the park the buses go. I beleive we got out and explored almost all the short trails the area had to offer

Oh look, a mule deer in the campground

There is a water seep through the rocks on this mountain. These hanging gardens are a cool site to see in the desert

We had originally planned on spending two full days exploring. The first day was using the bus system to get out at all the stops and seeing the different short trails. Day two was a hike into Zion Narrows in the Virgin River.

Before you get to the pictures, I have to explain this hike. At the last bus stop there is a short paved path that goes to the head of Zion Narrows. From there, one can walk into the Narrows as far as they want. Zion Narrows becomes a canyon with 2000 foot cliffs on both sides of the river. The walls are so close together you can almost touch both sides. According to just about any list from Backpacker Magazine, online sites, or tourism guides, a hike through Zion Narrows is one of the most spectacular and unforgettable hikes in the entire country. This hike was not a "if we have time hike" it was a MUST DO!

The hike is flat, however it is extremely difficult. First off, there is no path along the edge of the river. At least sixty to seventy percent of the time is walking in the river. You're either in the river or crossing it to the next dry spot the whole time. It is muddy so you can't see the bottom even in a foot of water. The bottom is not flat. If you live in Rhode Island, think Pt. Judith bowling balls that you can't see. The difficult journey is the price that is paid for the view of a 2000 foot slot canyon.

However, there is  danger also. In the case of a thunderstorm, flash floods are a common occurrence. All the water from a T-storm goes into the river valleys. The ground can not drain rain water that comes down that fast. When the water reaches slot canyons and "washes" the outcome for hikers can be death because you can't reach high ground. To make matters worse, it doesn't need to be raining where you are for a flash flood to occur. A storm could be ten miles up river and sunny where you are and the river could flood. Needless to say, following weather reports is critical.

Unfortunately for us, the day we were going to hike the Narrows, rain and flash floods were predicted. So we changed our game plan. I had reservations for Bryce Canyon after we left Zion. Instead of going there for a couple days, we did a daytrip to Bryce and I gave up the campground to stay at Zion another night. Bryce is about a 2 hour drive from Zion, and pictures of that day will be in the next post.

When we got back from our day at Bryce, we went to a rental place to rent studded water shoes and a dry bag for the following day to hike the Narrows. Guess what they told us? Zion Narrows DID flash flood that day. Good call weather man!

So we got a very early start on a chilly morning hiking into chilly water.
 

Notice the rocks on the shoreline. The footing was the same under water. We all fell multiple times. One time I fell and got caught in the current and went over a three foot rapid. The water carried me about forty feet down stream before I could catch the ground and my balance. It was a fun ride. 

There are three ways to enjoy this hike. 1. Get an early start and drive to the upriver beginning of the canyon and do the whole thing in a day (requiring two vehicles). 2. Same thing, but staying at one of the few riverside campsites for a night. 3. Doing what we did and walking into the canyon as far as we wanted then turning around. The park recommends a day hike as far as a side slot of Ordville Canyon then turning around. I am proud to say we went another mile and a half past Ordville and really got a good feel for the immensity of Zion Narrows.

Slot canyons are the opposite of the Grand Canyon. While the Grand is ten miles wide. A slot canyon's walls can be not more than an arms length 

The three of us just at the end of the hike. Photo taken by a very friendly European couple.

This is the pathway that leads from the last bus stop to the canyon mouth, or in our case from the canyon back to the bus stop.

One of the views on the park road. It was nice to be in a national park without car traffic.

After our hike, we returned our rental boots and stopped at Arbys. We were so hungry we spent $32 on the dollar menu. From there we drove most of the night to a campground near Arches National Park