It is now late May and near the end of the season here for us in southern Utah as the temperature is getting a bit too hot. We picked up a rental car though and did some day trips in around the Zion and Bryce National Park area…. We have been to Bryce Canyon before, but it was hard to resist the mellow pleasant hiking in this popular park with cooler temperatures high up above the lower canyons
Bryce Canyon
Parowan gap north of Cedar City. Southern Utah. An impressive array of pretty abstract looking petroglyphs etched into the rock.
Zion National Park, looking south to the peak of North Guardian AngelEnjoyable scrambling up slabs on North Guardian AngelMellow green pastures in western Zion National Park approaching a cave with pictographsLooking back out from a pictograph cave in Zion NPThese pictographs are etched out of fire blackened walls in the cave and it seems of unknown ageMore pictographs in the cave, this time using white pigment and some crazy looking creaturesYou can just see the tent, lower center, on rock slabs south of Hop Valley near Zion National ParkMartina, Heather and Dan. We were grateful to take part in a canyoneering trip arranged by Heather and Dan to Spry Canyon in Zion National Park. Thanks for inviting us!Some superb scrambling on slabs to approach Spry Canyon The descent of Spry Canyon involved about 12 rappels (abseils), lots of scrambling and a few dips into dank pools! Grand rock scenery here at the first rappel.The canyon narrowed upBrian abseiling (abseil 3 of 12 ?)Brian trying vainly to avoid one of the deep poolsDan descending into a pothole of cold waterMartina abseils off an overhangM at the M&M super store in Las Vegas Flying out of Las Vegas…
For the last section of our Hayduke hike we headed north from the Utah Arizona border to Zion National Park. Typically for us, we deviated from the actual Hayduke route to instead cross an area to the west called Caanan Mountain. Although to be fair to us, the final route used by the Hayduke in Zion NP (Weeping Wall) is currently closed due to rockfall so variants are pretty valid.
We hiked north through the streets of the town of Hildale from the Utah-Arizona state line into Water Canyon and the Caanan Mountain area.
We soon left the town for a steep ascent up Water Canyon
Into higher ground over beautiful cross-bedded sandstoneThe scenery just got better and better – Zion National Park in the backgroundColourful campsite on flat ‘slickrock’
In the morning we did a side hike up to the high rim of Water Canyon to see its arch…
Looking back down Water CanyonSome great hiking on the rock slabsWe can’t afford to be choosy when it comes to water! We carried this with us but thankfully later found a better supplyAmidst surreal black iron accretions on top of cream coloured sandstoneLooking south across the ‘Arizona Strip’ to the edge of Grand CanyonAn old winch or ‘Windlass’ used to lower timber down the 1000ft cliff to the plains below2nd night camp with grand views to Zion National ParkMorning hiking with Indian paintbrushLooking towards Zion before descendingSlow going with hot energy sapping sand, cross country and rubbly descents…desert now in full bloom……bloom…Back into town to pick up a rental car!
Many thanks for all the help we have received with planning and logistics for this hike from Charlie Neumann, Joe Mitchell, Li Brannfors, Monica Stapleton and Jamal Green; and for support, inspiration and shared enthusiasm from fellow Hayduke hikers Heather K, Nathan K, Mike Tyler, Ryan, Peter, Race, Not Guilty, Sprinkler and ‘Butcha; also the numerous wonderfully generous Americans (and two Danes) who gave us lifts in their cars to town and those we met who gave us fruit, water and kind words of encouragement!
Hiker Notes
Our route as mentioned above deviated from the Hayduke to cross Canaan Mountain from Hildale to Rockville. You can click on the overview map below to enlarge it. (Our route in purple, Hayduke in red and some other alts in black).
This is a marvelous hike has a real Hayduke flavor to it with a mix of trails, cross country, route finding and superb scenery. Its downside is that it misses out the ‘Barracks’ on the Hayduke which is also top class.
Water is available in the well named Water Canyon, then there are some big potholes in the slickrock wash at the top of Water Canyon. Sawmill Spring had water about 10 minutes downstream from the spring itself and there was some seeps and pools in the slickrock below that.