Mystery Canyon

While in St. George for my family's annual (pre-)Thanksgiving celebration my brother-in-law and i decided to get an adventurous hike in. Jared and i have typically done the Subway in Zion about every year. At least i've tried to do it every year, it's a fun hike. Anyway, this year i wanted to try something different. The Subway is fun and all, but on the adventure scale, while adventurous, it's not that it was getting old, but i wanted to try something new, something bigger, more exciting.
So here we are starting up Mystery Canyon. Since it was fall and there would be at least some swimming and quite a bit of waist deep wading once we rejoined the Narrows, we rented dry suits (they're in our backpacks - but i'm wearing my fancy shoes!).

Hey look, it's me! i don't look as cool as Jared with the rope draped over him like that. I put my rope in my backpack.

The hike starts at Weeping Rock and heads up as if heading for Observation Point. I've done THAT hike before, and it's a GRIND! A lot of elevation gain, but great views! Along the way, you come across what i believe to be Echo Canyon. A narrow slot canyon. The trail we took went off to the left up on the ledge by the tree you can see up there.

This is the view looking back into the canyon on the way up. The reddish high point you can see off to the right is Angel's Landing. The saddle down below is where we just hiked up from. Well actually, we hiked up from the canyon floor! Somewhere on the cliff face there to the left is Hidden Canyon - that's one hike i'd still like to do.

Here we are at the top looking down into Mystery Canyon. We gained all that elevation and now we had to lose it all again! We actually had to wander around a little bit looking for the trail down. I ended up trying to match the view with the picture in my guidebook, but it worked!

This is the trail down into the canyon - VERY steep. And yes, that's SNOW! Crazy! It was steep and slippery! i know i ended up sliding down instead walking down at least one time.

This was just a cool boulder i saw along the way. I like the spiderweb pattern. i thought Anya would like it too.

Here we are at the start of the REAL narrows. It was VERY impressive AND exciting from here on out.

Here's Jared setting up for one of our first bigger rappels. We had to bring two 50 meter ropes for this hike, which was a bit of a drag considering there were only two rappels that were even close to that long. Every other time we were having to uncoil and recoil one of the 50 meter ropes. Eventually the rappels got so close together that one of us would rappel down and while the other was rappelling down we'd start walking over to the next rappel with the end of the rope. What a blast! it was seriously SO fun!

This is looking back at what we just rappelled down. We came down from on top of the little rock jammed in up at the top.

Here's Jared demonstrating optimum rappelling form.

Here's me demonstrating optimum goofy rappelling form. It comes so easy...

Some more narrows. It's actually ALL narrows. This is just another picture of some more narrows. Some of the rappels were actually a little tricky because you'd rappel down to a landing of sorts and then continue rappelling but in a slightly different direction (but still down obviously).

After a bunch of rappels and narrows it opens up a little bit to an area that looks like it would be a big (well, not THAT big) lake. What must have been a landslide deposited a big pile of sand a rock in the canyon creating a dam. Fortunately, there was no water. I'm not sure if there usually is or not, we couldn't really tell.

That's my shadow down there to the left! It was so pretty here! The canyon wall was being lit up brilliantly - which unfortunately also meant we were running out of daylight - doh!


This is looking down the final stretch of Mystery Canyon. The blueish appearing wall off in the distance is where Mystery Canyon joins the Narrows.

Another rappel. There we SO many rappels, but i don't think it ever got old - it was just non-stop fun and excitement.

Here we are in our official Star Trek uniforms for the Enterprise section of the canyon. It's kind of tradition to wear the uniforms out of respect for the old crew of the Enterprise. Just kidding! Those are actually the dry suits with the coveralls over them (the coveralls keep you from tearing the dry suits). Don't we look spiffy?!

And yes, it was getting dark. Go figure. We donned the dry suits because this rappel deposited you directly in an ice cold pool that was too deep to stand up in. It was so fun! You actually had to use a handline to go out along the cliff a ways before you could rappel down. And then you just rappel down into the pool, unhook from the rope and swim to the edge. It's not actually all that big, but it was still cold - we were definitely glad we had rented the drysuits.

After that last rappel it was just too dark to get any more pictures. There was one more rappel after this one where we rappelled down Mystery Springs into the Narrows section of Zion Canyon. In the light it would have been a lot more fun and we probably would've had an audience. You can actually see Mystery Springs cascading into the narrows in my previous St. George post here. This was seriously the funnest hike! Definitely my new favorite - or at least a tie with the Grand Teton. What a blast. i can't wait to do it again. I'm going to start doing this one every year now instead of the Subway. Who's ready to go?

St. George - Fall 2009

Yes, i'm still the same person who only blogs every four months. Sorry to be introducing such confusion. Anyway, last fall i took a quick trip down to St. George and Zion to get some nice fall pictures. Thought i'd finally share some of them...
Camping is nice and all but why have a condo if you're not going to use it. Staying in the condo i was also close to Snow Canyon State Park. I'd heard about some lava tubes in the park so i set out to find some of them, and this is what i found. This is the opening of the cave.

Here's the view out of the cave. It didn't go back very far.

This is why you take your trusty ultrapod! Although i must admit it looks much easier than it is. Set up the camera, run over to where you think it's aimed while trying not to trip or look winded, smile, go back and see if you made it in time, were standing in the right place, were not standing too close or too far, and were not making a stupid face (obviously i have to skip that last one). And then i always have to repeat all those steps at least a few times.

There are supposed to be a few lava tubes, i think i've found them on Google Earth, hopefully next time i can try and explore those as well. I've also heard there are supposed to be bats in some of them, but i didn't see any.

Here i am starting up the Narrows from Temple of Sinawava in Zion National Park. This time there were lots of people to help to take a picture (although i naturally had my REAL tripod this time). The water gets quite chilly in the fall and since you're walking in it almost non-stop and there's very little sun at the bottom of the narrow canyon i rented some dry pants. The dry pants actually do a very good job keeping you dry but only from the waist down, so it's important to keep your balance (usually with a hiking staff) so you don't trip and fall in. Oh, and you also wear fleece long johns underneath, because the pants keep you dry, but it's still freezing cold. But it was a blast! I highly recommend it.

The waterfall to the right is actually where Mystery Canyon hooks up with the Narrows. Later, over Thanksgiving, Jared and i actually rapelled down that waterfall from Mystery Canyon back into the Narrows to finish up our hike - but more on that later (hopefully).

This is about as far as i made it, just past the confluence of Orderville Canyon. It wasn't dark yet, but hiking in the water is slow and as it was i ended up getting back to the car in the dark. Oh, and this was a fun run too! Fortunately it was a wide angle lens so i could stand just about anywhere and be in the picture.


The last (and only) time i hiked the complete Narrows was as a Boy Scout. i've hiked up a little ways before and actually i've hiked down from the confluence with Orderville Canyon, but i'd never taken a nice camera and tripod into the Narrows, so i was excited to try and get some nice pictures. i'll let you be the judge of that though...




Unfortunately these pictures do not do justice to the sheer grandeur of the canyon. The canyon walls dwarf everything in them and the way the light bounces around in the canyon and lights everything up - a picture just can't do it justice. (Sorry, you'll just have to go yourself to epxerience the full beauty).


Shoot, i don't remember which peak this is, but i'm pretty sure it's in the Court of the Patriarchs. I know the next two pictures look the same, but they're not. Although they're probably similiar enough that i only needed to include one, but you know how i am.


This is the Towers of the Virgin. You can get this view at sunrise behind the Park Headquarters and museum. i think i actually camped in the park to get here by sunrise - much easier than the long drive from St. George!

And this is the Watchman. it guards the park's west entrance. This view is at sunset from the bridge just before the Canyon Junction. It's a pretty popular place at sunset, especially in the Fall. That's the Virgin River down below. And yes, i know, these next two pictures look the same too, but they're not. But it's been so long since i uploaded these pictures i don't remember why i chose so many similar photos.


I hope you enjoyed my trip report and the pictures. i absolutely love coming here and can't wait to go back. Let me know if you want to come with!

Havasu Day 3: Mooney Falls & Beyond

After a very comfortable night’s sleep in a very comfy bed and an air-conditioned room we all woke up – rather late, I might add. I always have these lofty intentions of getting up early and taking advantage of that good morning light – I mean, I figure you don’t get to come to places like this every day, so I should be able to wake up a couple of hours early, just for these few days, right? Wrong. Lazy bum!
Sheila was lobbying everyone to hike down to the Colorado River, which was well over 15 miles round trip. I don’t think anyone was really up for that (except Sheila) after hiking over 12 miles the day before.
We eventually decided that Jen, Pat, and Kayla would relax in some of the lower pools above Havasu Falls with the kids while Sheila, Britny, Adam and I all went down to Mooney and then Beaver falls. I think Mooney Falls was only one mile past Havasu Falls which should have made it about 3 miles total from the lodge and then Beaver was 2 miles past Mooney (10 or 11 miles round trip from the village).
Shortly after passing Havasu Falls we came to the campground (where unfortunately, I did not take any pictures). Technically, the campground is much closer to all the falls, seems very big, was mostly shaded and had lots of sites right next to the creek. There’s even porto-potties and a tapped spring (no need to filter).
Naturally, the lodge was much nicer – I mean, hey, shower and AC, you can’t beat that. But you definitely pay much, much more for the lodge. I may consider camping next time, especially if I don’t let my aunt pick the time for the trip and we go when it’s a little cooler (but not too cool to still swim, oh, and not during monsoon season either).

Shortly after hiking through the campground we came to Mooney Falls (named for an old prospector who fell to his death there). Mooney Falls pours 200 feet over a cliff that blocks the canyon with the falls falling (duh, what else would they do, but what else could I say) down to the pools below.
If you look closely (click on the picture to enlarge it), you can see Adam and me standing just to the right of the falls.

Along the edge of the cliff are a few signs that caution you to not walk close to the edge. Looking at the cliff from this perspective it’s obvious why; the travertine deposited from the wider falls of long ago are actually overhanging. I thought we were walking far enough away from the edge, but if you look closely at this picture you can see that it probably wasn’t far enough after all. (btw, thanks to Sheila who obviously took some of the pictures with me in them).

We eventually made our way around to the side of the cliff and started looking for the way down. A sign indicated that we should “descend at our own risk” and so I went and looked for the trail that would take us down the cliff, only to find it dead-ended.

That was because the sign was actually above the trail!


A series of tunnels,…


…chains,…


…and ladders would take us down and through the cliff to the bottom. Glad I didn’t take the kids. But it was fun! I seriously can’t wait to do it again!

We made it to the bottom (which was very crowded, next time I’ll pick a time when kids and scouts are in school), briefly admired the falls (it was bad light, remember?) and headed on down towards Beaver Falls.
If you look closely you can see Sheila leading the line of waders and Britny and Adams bring up the rear. They’re actually following a travertine terrace, otherwise they’d all be up to at least their wastes. And the water wasn’t actually that color, it’s just the bad light. As always, the water was crystal-clear with a blue-green tint.


Britny and Adam made Sheila promise to keep the camera in the camera bag until we got to the falls so we could actually get there in time to still get back in time (she obviously manages to sneak it out a few times anyway). But the hike down was absolutely beautiful! We all voted to change the location of the Garden of Eden to this portion of the Canyon. It was just so green!


The creek itself is just beautiful and it can’t seem to go more than 10 yards without being interrupted by little travertine terraces and falls.


After multiple stream crossings, wading through waist- (probably everyone else’s knees) deep water, …

… and a couple of minor obstacles …

… we finally came to what we later found out were only the upper falls of Beaver Falls.


Man but that was the longest two miles ever! But what a fun little hike! And although I had heard only so-so reviews of Beaver Falls, they were well worth the hike.

Of course I spent so much time taking pictures of the falls when we finally got there that I really didn’t have any time to enjoy swimming around in the pools before we had to rush back again.

I wish we had had time to keep hiking down, but Shiela needed to get back for a dinner she had promised Kayla.

I often say that the Subway in Zion National Park is a great introductory hike to adventure hiking (I’ll review that later, and don’t get me wrong, you still need technical gear and an experienced guide), but this hike is an even more introductory adventure hike what with the obstacles and stream crossings. The only real “obstacle” is a short cliff you have to climb up using a rope and ladder. Of course, as you can see, the ladder, for some odd reason, only has two rungs (man, that was a lot of commas). We promised ourselves that next time we’ll bring some nails and another rung. Don’t forget to remind me.


For a good section of the canyon the walls and canyon floor were just covered in green vines. It’s a good thing I couldn’t take pictures on the way down because it would’ve been impossible to capture even a thousandth portion of the canyon’s beauty (plus we wouldn’t have gotten to Beaver Falls before dark).


On the way back I actually wanted to take pictures. This meant running ahead of everyone and taking pictures as they hiked towards me and then running ahead again (you can only stand so many pictures of people’s butts as they hike away from you). That was exhausting!

The canyon was seriously breathtaking! The greenery just climbed up the canyon walls and made the place seem more like a tropical garden then the middle of the desert.



Keeping the camera accessible for pictures on the way back also meant you were always a little nervous during those stream crossings that you’d lose your balance and be washing your camera prematurely.


When we got back to Mooney Falls everyone had actually cleared out a bit and the light was decent.


So while everyone else hiked back up for dinner I hung around and took some pictures of Mooney Falls.


Naturally, I (finally) got back to the lodge just after dark but couldn’t find anyone. I didn’t know where this restaurant was where everyone planned to eat so I found the hotel manager’s room and asked for a spare key so I could make myself some dinner while I waited.

This is a view of the canyon from the top of Mooney Falls.



When everyone finally returned from dinner (which I’m told was rather tasty) Jen told me the kids had had a great time playing in the pools and playing with some of the local village kids.
After filling my stomach and another refreshing shower it was off to bed again. Of course we had to pack our bags first, because tomorrow morning dark and early it would already be time to head back out again (sniffle, sniffle). Summary:
Distance traveled: Alan – 11 miles by foot; Jen & kids – about 4 miles by foot
Time traveled: I don’t even remember, a lot
Total cost today: $130(2nd of two nights)
Total cost so far:$532