Zion National Park at some level reminds me of Yosemite but on a smaller scale and with far fewer people. There are beautiful canyons, cliffs, waterfalls, and a river flowing through the middle of a canyon that forms the heart of the park. My destination today was the Zion Narrows and would be an all day endeavor. Some background on the “Narrows” courtesy of Wikipedia:
The Narrows in Zion National Park, (near Springdale, Utah) is a section of canyon on the North Fork of the Virgin River. The hike of The Narrows is one of the premier hikes on the Colorado Plateau. The term The Narrows refers to both the through-hike of The Narrows, and to The Narrows themselves, especially the 3.6 mile (6 km) long section of canyon between the end of the Riverside Walk Trail and Big Springs. The Narrows lies north of, and upstream of, the main Zion Canyon. Hiking the Narrows was rated # 5 in the National Geographic ranking of America's Best 100 Adventures.
The Narrows is one of the most unusual hikes on the Colorado Plateau. Hiking is done largely in the river, as for a third of the route, the river runs canyon wall to canyon wall. The walls are vertical and sheer, and often red in color. While water levels change from season to season, most hikers will wade at least waist-deep, and many will swim a few short sections.
The Narrows can be hiked either as a through-hike from Chamberlain Ranch to the Temple of Sinawava; or as an up-and-back hike from the Temple of Sinawava. The through-hike can be done in a day or as a two-day backpack trip. Chamberlain Ranch is accessed by the dirt North Fork Road east of the Park, and is situated in a rolling forest of aspen and scrub oak. No sign of the spectacular gorge ahead can be seen from the ranch. The hiker proceeds down the river and into an ever-deepening gorge, eventually getting to The Narrows and ending at the Temple of Sinawava. The hike is 16 miles (26 km) long and is very tiring because it is in the river itself. Permits are required before hiking the Narrows from the top and can be obtained at the Zion National Park Backcountry Desk.
The Narrows can also be explored from the bottom up, and the best places visited with less effort. The farther one goes upstream, the less crowded the canyon becomes.
Hiking in the river is strenuous. The water is often murky and the bottom of the river is covered with round, basalt rocks about the size of bowling balls. This makes foot protection and use of trekking poles or a walking stick essential. In the spring, The Narrows might be closed due to flooding while the snow melts off the upland areas to the north if the flow rate is higher than 120 cubic feet per second. During the summer, thunderstorms can cause The Narrows to flash flood. Rain showers upriver can cause flash floods in the canyon without it raining over the canyon itself. Hikers should exercise caution when hiking The Narrows during rainy periods, as the winding canyon and sheer walls make approaching flash floods all the more sudden and difficult to evade.
When I was planning out my trip and read this exact article on Wikipedia, this immediately became a must do on my journey. Just outside the park, I stopped at a local outfitter for special shoes, neoprene socks, and a hiking staff to give myself the best chance of staying upright on the hike. Hiking through a moving river where the bottom is smooth and slippery rocks could mean bad news, especially since I was carrying all of my photography gear in a regular backpack. One slip could mean disaster for my gear and a very sad Chris for the rest of the trip...
After parking at the Zion Visitor Center; I grabbed the shuttle to the Temple of Sinawava which is the end of Zion Canyon and the start of the trail. The first mile or so of the trail is a paved path which runs along the Virgin River and as you hike down the trail you can slowly see the canyon getting narrower and deeper. Eventually the trail just ends and if you want to continue hiking you have no choice but to start walking the Virgin River.
Brief notes about this hike in case you decide to do it:
Make sure you get the correct gear for the hike; the water is cold and having the neoprene covering your feet or higher depending on water level makes a big difference in staying warm.
Take your time as the hike can be very slippery walking over “bowling ball” size river rocks that are smooth, wet, and in some cases covered with algae making them like walking on ice. The right shoes and a walking stick or two are crucial for not taking a face first dive into the Virgin River.
Depending on the season, you don't spend the entire hike in the river... The water was lower in September and I spent probably 50% of the hike in the river and the rest of the time on shores that would periodically be in available. The water in September wasn't really deep and it got up to my waist at a couple points, nothing higher...
With all those things in mind, this hike was truly spectacular being in a narrow canyon in some cases 20-30 feet wide with gorgeous sandstone cliffs rising hundreds or in some cases thousands of feet above you on both sides. It's difficult to describe but there is a reason that National Geographic ranked it 5th of the best adventures in America. I'll let the pictures do the talking:
The hike was truly spectacular and as a result I lost track of time and didn't make it back to my car until nearly 6 PM which was a problem... It's a 5 hour drive to Salt Lake City and my flight took off at 11:30 meaning I had 30 minutes to drop my rental car off, get through security, and make it to the gate... Plus I would have to stop for gas at least twice or pay the 9 dollars a gallon or whatever insane rate the rental car companies charge for gas! I had a lead foot on my way back to Salt Lake City and fortunately didn't meet any nice state partrol officers and hit the airport rental car desk 40 minutes before my flight. Luckily the airport was deserted and I was through security and at the gate in less than 5 minutes with time to grab a quick snack before my red eye flight to NYC.
My blog and journey will continue with Day 22 in Aruba! Thanks for reading my blog and as always any questions / comments please post below or email me at chris@pricelessperspectives.com
No comments:
Post a Comment