Holy Smokes is Zion AWESOME!  Angel's Landing, The Narrows, The Subway, Observation Point, Kolob Arch .. Woohoo!!  Come join me and 25 other guys from Gay Outdoors and Great Outdoors for 5 days/4 nights tent camping and exploring one of America's most amazing national Parks ... for only $69!  We’ll fill our days with awesome hikes .. some challenging, some simply scenic. We’ll do breakfasts on our own, or in our food groups; lunches will probably be packed and taken on our hikes; dinners we’ll try to do together, maybe a restaurant one night .. try to squeeze in a potluck; campfires will happen when it gets dark. I’m leaving the schedule pretty open because there’s tons to do and see in Zion.

 

 

The Virgin River has carved a spectacular gorge in the upper reaches of Zion Canyon. 16 miles long, up to 2000’ deep and at times only 20-30 feet wide. Walking in the shadow of its soaring walls, sandstone grottos, natural springs, and hanging gardens can be an unforgettable wilderness experience.   It is not, however, a trip to be underestimated. Hiking the Zion Narrows means hiking in the Virgin River. At least 60% of the hike is spent wading, walking, and sometimes swimming in the stream. There is no maintained trail; the route is the river. The current is swift, the water is cold, and the rocks underfoot are slippery. Flash flooding and hypothermia are constant dangers. Walking the entire length of the Narrows can be a grueling experience. Under favorable conditions the 16-mile route takes an average of 12 hours. Even for well-conditioned hikers, this makes for a long and strenuous day. (Woohoo!)

 

Kolob Arch flaunts one of the longest spanning freestanding arches in the world; 287.4’. The trip can be done as a long day hike; 14mi round trip; 12 hours. This is a strenuous hike with much of the path soft sand, several stream crossings and full sun exposure during most of the hike. (Woohoo!)

 

The mystical journey through the Left Fork of North Creek involves route finding, plunging cautiously into chilly pools then sloshing, sometimes frantically, through frigid water over and through difficult obstacles. The narrow Subway section of this hike forces hikers through a unique tunnel sculpted by the creek. Churning water chisels the rock floor, forming shallow potholes that fill to the brim with frosty water. (ACA Canyon Rating 3B III) This is a technical canyon where rappelling and down-climbing skills are required. Swimming is usually required through at least three pools of cold water and there are usually four obstacles that must be down-climbed with the use of a rope. (Woohoo!)

 

Steep trail climbs Walter’s Wiggles past Scout Lookout, with spectacular views of Zion Canyon. Strenuous, 5 miles/4hours round trip, climbs 1,488 ft. Warning! Steep cliffs. Not for anyone fearful of heights or young children. Last .5mi follows steep, narrow ridge; chains have been added.

 

High on the east rim, the trail ends on a slender peninsula overhanging the valley floor offering spectacular views on three sides. Strenuous 8mi/5hrs round trip, climbs 2,148 ft. Warning: Steep Cliffs! Not for anyone fearful of heights.

 

Watchman Campground is located near the park’s south entrance near the town of Springdale. The campground is a short walk from the park’s main Visitor Center and the free Zion Canyon Shuttle System. The canyon is only accessible by shuttle bus. Our Group Campsite is Site E002. 25 maximum occupants, 6 maximum vehicles (we’ll work it out). No RV’s, pop-ups, vans, cab-overs … only tents. No pets. No electricity or generators. Flush toilets, picnic tables, campfire rings. No showers but there are pay showers nearby in Springdale.

 

The free Zion Canyon route starts at the visitor center and goes up the six-mile-long Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. A round trip lasts 90 minutes and takes you to most trailheads. Buses run from dawn to after dark as often as every seven minutes.

 

End of Summer: Days are hot but overnight lows are comfortable. Possibilities of afternoon thunderstorms. Normal daily high 91F; normal daily low 60F; extreme high 110F; extreme low 33F. The average precipitation is only four days of rain for the entire month of September. Be prepared for a wide range of weather conditions. Temperatures vary with changes in elevation and day/night temperatures may differ by over 30F.

 

Carpooling is mandatory for this trip. Besides all the normal reasons (gas costs are shared, carbon footprints, company on a 7-hour drive), there’s also limited parking! 

Food Groups are going to be important for this trip as well. I’m not going to mandate that you only eat and cook with your carpoolers, but you must agree to bring only ONE big cooler for the three of you, and share ONE camp stove between you. This will make it MUCH easier to get 3 people and their gear into ONE car. You don’t really have to buy in advance for all your weeks’ meals. There are restaurants, grocery stores and ice within 5 minutes of our campground, so plan on only bringing a few meals’ worth of stuff for each of you. My experience on long trips like this is that things get very UN-fresh and spoil quickly.

 

All park visitors are required to show/purchase a recreational use pass or National Parks Pass upon entering Zion National Park. Weekly Zion passes are $25/vehicle, are non-transferable and are valid for 7 consecutive days, including the date of purchase. (I believe the America The Beautiful, Interagency National Parks Pass is about $80 and is good for all National Parks, National Monuments and National Forests for a year … a GOOD DEAL!)

 

Wednesday: Arrive anytime after 2:00pm

     5:00pm(ish) Welcome Tea! for those who have arrived

     Dinner on your own or in your group

     Evening Campfire

Thursday: The Narrows

     A: Moderate:

Breakfast on your own, free shuttle to Virgin River, go up as far as you like, come back same way, take shuttle back to Visitor’s Center/campground .. spend afternoon exploring some of the other stops the shuttle makes. Dinner on your own. Campfire or Games. Buddy-up .. it’s a lot more fun to do this stuff with a partner or a small group.

     B: Very Strenuous (permit limits us to 12 of the fittest)

6:00am Breakfast & Coffee

7:15am leave for Outfitter

7:30am Bus ($30) departs for put-in

9:20am Arrive at Chamberlain’s Ranch

(BRING LUNCH)

8:00pm Shuttle back to Camp

8:45pm Figure out Dinner!

Friday:   TBD

Saturday:   TBD … Angel’s Landing in the A.M.

Sunday: Breakfast on your own

     11:00am Check-out of campsite

 

Note about itinerary: One of the things I’m trying to arrange (which I won’t be able to arrange till the day before) is The Subway. It requires a permit and the numbers are limited. I’ll figure it out when I get there and based on the number of permits I get and the day it’s good for, we’ll determine who has interest and who’s capable/experienced enough to tackle it. 

 

We’ll probably do a couple of campfires, so plan on buying a bundle of firewood in Springdale at some point .. no need to burden your cars with it.

Bring (or buy there) one potluck item per person which will serve 4-6 people, and serving utensil for it.

Bring Cup/Bowl/Plate/Knife/Fork/Spoon/Napkin etc

Trail Shoes/Boots, Daypack, Hydration Bladder, Sun Protection, Warm Layer, Dry Socks, Headlamp, TP, Snacks, Bug Spray, etc will make your hike more comfortable and safe.

I’ll be supplying some snacks and sodas for Tea, feel free to bring wine or beer.