CW: Up the Narrows at Zion National Park

Yesterday (Oct. 7th) we gawked at Zion Canyon from above as we climbed to Observation Point. Today our Country Walkers group would walk and wade up The Narrows, where the North Fork of the Virgin River descends from the mesa tops and cuts through the canyon.

The first step was to visit an outfitter, where we chose river-walking shoes, neoprene socks (a wet suit for the feet), and poles. We also watched an introductory video. Fortunately, today the water volume was at a level safe for newbies. The river is closed to walkers during the spring snow melt, and when the flow rate (published by the USGS) exceeds 150 CFS (cubic feet per second).

The second step was to drive to the Zion Visitors Center and walk over to the shuttle stop.

We rode to the end of the line, the turnaround point,

at the Temple of Sinawava.

From this point there is a one-mile paved trail,

after which adventurers must wade up the river. There are no restrooms beyond the shuttle drop-off.

Eric and Heather, our guides, paused opposite a popular rock-climbing face,

and gave us a demonstration of climbing techniques, rotated 90º so that they were moving along a fence -- a horizontal "climb."

Then we had a geology, hydrology, and zoology stop.

Rainwater percolates slowly through the upper sandstone layers, and then drips out when it encounters a less permeable layer.

These drips are a small but reliable source of water, because it takes up to 1,000 years for the water to migrate through the porous sandstones after it hits the mesa tops. This apparent invulnerability to periodic droughts led the original inhabitants of the region to call such a formation a "House of Rain," also the title of a famous book about that era.

A tiny fresh-water snail, wet-rock physa, makes a living on these rock walls. This species is endemic (limited to) Zion Canyon and the connected Orderville Canyon, a stretch of about 3 miles. My photo is somewhat blurry!

At the end of the paved trail the wet walk begins with a warning sign. No guides or permits are required for river walking in this direction, so visitors could and do arrive with any degree of preparation, including none. (There is a strict reservation/permit system for hiking from the top down.)

The group took its first get-acquainted steps into the river.

The stream is still wide at this point.

I didn't trust myself to successfully hold camera and pole simultaneously, so many times I would stop, retrieve the camera, take the picture, and re-stow the camera.

Mom and daughter, barefoot, pondered whether to continue. Mom's holding a pair of hiking boots.

The river winds back and forth, and with this water level we were constantly crossing and recrossing the stream. Once the water was more than a few inches deep, the rocks on the bottom were invisible, making the poles handy not only as a brace, but as a depth finder.

Water is so much denser than air that we took even easy steps slowly.


The canyon grew narrower as we ascended, and often there was wall-to-wall water, even at that day's modest flow.

On our way up we stopped for lunch and to make any needed adjustments to our footgear. We arrived at our turnaround point, a huge, distinctive boulder. Heather took a photo of Joan and me in front of the rock, and also of other hikers.

While standing at the boulder she took this picture of several of us against the canyon wall.

We began our trip back downstream, and saw the canyon walls in a changed afternoon light.

This photographer had great trust in his tripod.

Weary but satisfied, we retraced our steps, shuttle ride, and van ride. The deer at the Desert Pearl was waiting for us.

That evening we enjoyed a grand dinner to say farewell to Zion National Park, which we would leave in the morning.