I don’t think I’ve ever been as frustrated as trying to plan and actually hike the Narrows, in Zion National Park. With an unusual warm front in about the whole the country this winter, there has been a large amount of snow melt coming this February. That meant the Narrows was closed for for a while as the water flow exceeded 150 cubic feet per second, I complain but at least I wasn’t in California dealing with the 200 year flood.
The thing is, not only do you need a low water flow rate in the Virgin River but also some nice sun beating down into the canyons in the Narrows, for good photographs. I got one; the slow flow rate but got jibbed on the sun.
You know what though, it was my first time in the Narrows and it was an amazing hiking; an almost empty slot canyon, wading through a reasonably fast flowing river, in the cold February waters. I didn’t really get any great pictures but I got something better, an amazing experience.
Sometimes the photograph isn’t worth it; sometimes it’s just worth looking around and being thankful you're not in the dreaded cubicle.
Orderville Canyon - a side hike to the main Narrows route
