Canyons 2008

October 2008: Dan, Cheryl and I visited 3 canyons in southern Utah and northern Arizona. The first was Zion's National Park. We "hiked the Narrows." This is where you hike a mile up a trail which ends in the Virgin River. You can then hike in the river for up to 14 miles or so. We went 3 miles up and 3 miles back. The river is only hikeable at certain times of the year because it is either too deep or too cold. October is one of the best times. The water is about 55 degrees and is thigh high at the deepest. We were outfitted with special water clothes--neoprene socks, water boots, dry pants and a hiking stick. The pants are waterproof and have a tight rubber band around the ankles and the waist. Your feet get wet but stay warm and your legs stay dry. The hiking stick is essential as the river bed is mostly boulders and you must take care with every step, least you fall, which I did once, but fortunately my camera stayed dry. When the water was deep I was too busy trying to keep my balance to take any pictures, so it may look like the water is shallow all the way. The main danger of hiking in the river is the risk of flash floods. At the outfitter place they had a sign which said that signs that a flash flood is about to occur is debris floating in the river, including hikers! Fortunately it was a beautiful, perfectly clear day and we saw no bodies floating. Alot of people did enter the river in their street clothes and even leather shoes, especially at the start of the hike. As we got further up the canyon we had it more to ourselves.

This is the canyon wall with sand dissolving on the rock.

I like to think of this striped rock as dark and milk chocolate stains.

This is the typical river bed in a shallow portion.


This is a side canyon, called Orderville Canyon. It is not the right way to go. Turn around, Dan.

At the narrowest, the canyon is 10 feet wide.

Cheryl and Janeen before we descended into the river.

I'm not sure what caused the gold coating on these rocks. It was not an optical illusion as we first suspected.

Cheryl is a direct descendent of water creatures and feels most content when she can return to her primal home.

This is near the end of our hike where we turned around.

The rapids were very hard to walk in and we avoided them when we could.

Dan is impressed.