Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Zion Day 3: The Narrows

If Zion National Park is famous for one thing, it is the Narrows.  At the top of the main canyon the walls of Zion Canyon close in around the Virgin River for several miles.  This long section of steep canyon is incredibly picturesque and sometimes perilous.  If a sudden thunderstorm pops up somewhere in the headwaters, possibly hundreds of miles away, a wall of water can come crashing through the canyon sweeping everything and everyone in its path away.  Flash floods played an important role in the formation of the canyons and continue to play a key role in the various ecosystems that call Zion home.  That said, they are nothing to mess around with.  A hiker caught in the Narrows during a flash flood would have poor chances of survival.  

Doing the Narrows as a thru-hike requires obtaining a hard-to-get permit, securing a shuttle from a private outfitter to the north entrance, and completing an arduous 16 mile trek through the Virgin River.  The more common, and approachable way to experience the Narrows is hike up hill (or upstream) from the north end of the Riverwalk at the Temple of Sinawava.  Doing the hike in this way allows one to hike as long as he or she wants before turning around.  This was our plan today.  

We caught the shuttle from the visitor center after breakfast, and judging by the capacity crowd riding the bus with us, it was going to be a busy day in the Narrows.  It was easy to spot hikers heading for the Narrows by the water shoes, swimsuits and wading poles used to help negotiate the rocks and varied depths on the bottom of the Virgin River.  


Sure enough, all but a few of the riders on the bus road all the way to the Temple of Sinawava.  It was an unusual experience to be hiking a trail with hundreds of other people and reminded me of the Avalanche Creek hike in Glacier National Park.  The crowd heading up the paved Riverwalk trail included all manner of hikers, from children to intrepid-looking adventurers in their twenties, to senior citizens and folks in wheelchairs.  The riverwalk wound between the increasingly narrow canyon walls, always within sight of the crystal clear waters of the Virgin River.  After an easy, one mile walk, the trail ended at a platform overlooking the river.  A set of steps lead down to the sandy beach, and this was it for man-made trail features.  

The morning air was still cool, and the steep canyon walls blocked the sun this early in the day.  The first few steps into the river were alarming to the skin.  The water, derived from snow melt in distant mountains, and springs throughout the canyon, was about 50 degrees.  The path upstream wound from one side of the river to the other.  Occasional sandbars with scatterings of trees and bushes provided relief from the cold water and awkward footing of the river.  The canyon walls gradually grew in height and closed in around the river on both sides.  

After about an hour of careful walking in and around calf-deep water the walls rapidly closed in around the river.  The sandbars and trees became less frequent, and the water deeper and faster.  It was now necessary to wade through deep holes in the river at times.  The views became increasingly spectacular.  Sandstone walls measuring in the thousands of feet in height closed in around the canyon.  Hanging gardens, growing from seeping springs in the rock walls dangled down over the river.  An American dipper darted down to the surface and landed on a rock.

The Dipper, also called a water ouzel, is a fascinating western bird.  This favorite of naturalist explorer John Muir lands on rocks on the surface of the river and "dips" his head up and down while surveying the river for bugs.  When he spots one, he dives under the surface of the water and flaps his wings in order to swim through the water.  The American Dipper is the only bird known to exhibit this behavior.

Somewhere after the junction with Orderville Canyon the air finally began to grow hot in the midday sun.  What an ideal way to spend a day - wading knee (and sometimes waste) deep through cold, crystal clear water on a hot sunny day, all while gazing up at monoliths carved from sandstone over several million years.  The formations in the sandstone very much reminded me of Michigan's Pictured Rocks, only instead of 200 feet tall, they towered 2,000 feet over our heads.

We stopped for lunch on a rock somewhere past Orderville Canyon.  The canyon walls seem to be opening up finally, letting in more daylight in this portion of the hike, so we decided this would be our turn-around point.  

After lunch we began picking our way downstream in the much warmer air.  Walking with the current was actually harder than against it, as the force of the water threatened to knock us over as we fought for precarious foot placement.  I tried to make use of my knowledge of water from whitewater kayaking classes, but to little avail - it was just hard work.

When we returned to the junction with Orderville Canyon we decided to take a side trip up this narrow canyon.  Mary found a nice rest spot on the banks of the river while I hiked farther up the canyon.  A handful of other hikers headed up the same canyon.  This side canyon climbed much more steeply than the Virgin River.  I had to pull myself up, over and around a variety of obstacles in the river.  The most challenging of these was a 3-4 foot water fall.  On the left side of the river was a large sandstone rock blocking the path.  The middle featured a "notch" with several logs and rocks.  On the right side was a large waterfall.  

My first approach was to scramble up the sandstone.  The sandstone turned out to be very slick, and I ended up sliding backwards into the river.  Next, I tried the middle route, but found it too awkward to get the needed foot and hand holds to pull myself up.  The third route, climbing up the waterfall was dubious.  I got about half way up the cascade, but found the force of the water too strong to overcome.  

Just when I was about to give up, a teenage girl came along.  She wedged her feet into the rocks in the middle of the river and squeezed between the downed trees and pulled herself to the top.  Now I had no choice.  I could do the same thing, or look really lame in front of a crowd of hikers gathering at the base of the falls.  She offered to take my trekking pole for me, which made it a bit easier to get a grip with two hands.  I managed to get my feet wedged into the rock, and grabbed ahold of the top of the obstacle.    This left me in an uncomfortable position, with me feet tucked under me and my arms essentially behind and above me.  I was forced to turn sideways and shimmy up the rest of the way.  My day pack dragged loudly on the downed-tree, but happily did not prevent me from reaching the top.  

Above the obstacle, and with my pride intact, I resumed climbing up the river.  Their were a few more obstacles to get around, but nothing seemed too daunting now.  The canyon rapidly opened up now, allowing the hot sun to stream through.  Many trees and shrubs grew on both sides of the river.  After about thirty minutes I reached the waterfall I was seeking.  A five foot slot waterfall blocked further passage up the river, or at least that's what my guide book said.  Today, there was a large downed tree pinned in the falls.  I think it might have been possible to climb over this obstacle today and venture farther into the side canyon.  I didn't want to keep Mary waiting any longer, so I decided to call this far enough.

When I returned to where I had left her, Mary was asleep on a rock on the banks of the river.  She had no idea how much time had passed.  Looks like I had nothing to worry about!  

We made our way back into the main canyon and continued downstream.  The air was now hot, and the sun shone directly overhead.  The canyon was crowded with hikers headed in both direction.  People swam, waded and just plain floated in every direction.  The afternoon light flooded into the canyon, casting enchanting shadows on the walls and water.

We made our way back out of the canyon the way we had come, stopping to swim periodically, whenever the afternoon heat become too much. 

By the time we climbed back aboard the shuttle bus, we were ready to collapse with exhaustion.  There are only so many things in life that live up to their reputations.  The Narrows of Zion are certainly one of them.  As I look back over my pictures from the day, I am frustrated, because they do not come close to doing justice to the spectacular beauty of this place.  Today was a magnificent day of exploring.

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