The Narrows, a spectacular river hike in Zion National Park is considered by many to be one of the best in all the US. It is also very popular and the slot canyon can be ridiculously crowded during the spring, summer, and fall.  Not so in winter when water and air temperatures dissuade most.  I rented a wet suit, neoprene socks and canyoneering shoes from a local outfitter to ensure my comfort and safety.  Today the water was generally shin deep with one or two sections that reached waist level.

I drove to Zion from Kanab pre-dawn on icy roads hoping to get some nice morning light.  No such luck but gorgeous views nonetheless. I was more fortunate than others in dealing with the road conditions.

The canyon starts out wide and gets progressively narrower until you reach a section call Wall Street at about the three hour mark.

 I promised Jeanine I would pair up with another hiker for safety reasons and was good to my word.  I met a twenty-something fellow photographer from Australia who joined me for the first two hours. Unfortunately, he fell into a very deep section of the river, became totally submerged, and ruined his camera gear forcing his early return.  I was not about to turn back at that point and continued on exercising extreme caution.

Hiking through cold running water was much more physically demanding than I had anticipated. Six hours after starting, I returned to the trail head completely spent.  Yesterday’s 11 mile hike probably had something to do with it but I have never been so tired and sore in my life.