Zion – A wee walk

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

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 Angel

Enjoyable scrambling up slabs on North Guardian Angel

Mellow green pastures in western Zion National Park approaching a cave with pictographs

Looking back out from a pictograph cave in Zion NP

These pictographs are etched out of fire blackened walls in the cave and it seems of unknown age

More pictographs in the cave, this time using white pigment and some crazy looking creatures

You can just see the tent, lower center, on rock slabs south of Hop Valley near Zion National Park

Martina, 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.

Brian trying vainly to avoid one of the deep pools

Dan descending into a pothole of cold water

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 sandstone*

*The scenery just got better and better – Zion National Park in the background*

*Colourful campsite on flat ‘slickrock’*

In the morning we did a side hike up to the high rim of Water Canyon to see its arch…

*We can’t afford to be choosy when it comes to water! We carried this with us but thankfully later found a better supply*

*Amidst surreal black iron accretions on top of cream coloured sandstone*

*Looking south across the ‘Arizona Strip’ to the edge of Grand Canyon*

*An old winch or ‘Windlass’ used to lower timber down the 1000ft cliff to the plains below*

*2nd night camp with grand views to Zion National Park*

*Looking towards Zion before descending*

*Slow going with hot energy sapping sand, cross country and rubbly descents*

*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.

We did this hike in the opposite direction in Autumn 2018.

This site ‘Favorite Hikes in and around Zion National Park‘ gave us the original idea and the book is worthwhile purchasing too.

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.

Tag: Zion

Post Hayduke explorations…

Grand finale to the edge of Zion National Park