I felt good going into this hike. I just knew it was going to be a good day. The Russell Gulch approach was really easy and scenic. Of course, the problem with an easy approach is that the exit will probably be evil.
At the 4th rappel, something unexpected happened. Jason yelled, “rope,” and someone yelled back. We were confused because we knew we were the only ones with permits for this route today. Kristin and I rappelled down to the bottom and saw two guys trying to down climb a nearby ledge. Looking at it from the bottom, it wasn’t possible; we could see they were going to reach a huge drop-off that wasn’t climbable. And the downclimbing they were already doing was pretty sketchy. Jason yelled over to ask if they had rope, and they said yes, so he figured they were okay. But it was clear that they weren’t. Jason went over to help and discovered that they didn’t have any technical gear, just some rope they’d gotten at a hardware store. Oh boy.
So Kristin and I sent our harnesses up, and Jason helped them rappel down. Turns out they had gotten lost; they were supposed to be doing the standard approach. (Good thing I didn’t go off by myself.) They ended up being really cool and doing most of the canyon with us.
While assisting the lost hikers, Jason also found a lost backpack the ranger had asked us to look for. He was excited to return it and hopefully get some good karma and barter for a permit for Mystery the next day. He definitely deserved karma after lugging an extra bag (with rope!) on a long hike.
I think the Subway is the most beautiful canyon I saw on this trip. Of course, it’s hard to say that definitively, since we saw so many different kinds of beauty on this trip. But I think it was my favorite. Something new and wonderful was around every corner. There were some pools to swim through, which used to make me nervous, but this time, I absolutely loved it. The water was clear and cold and wonderful.
After the swimming, we paused to dry off (and hug the rock for warmth, in Kristin’s case).
(I love how you can see our reflections...)
We heard voices, and two guys in wetsuits approached. They identified themselves as park rangers and asked to see our permits. I thought it was kind of cool to have them checked. I know the permit system is a huge pain, but I think it’s the best way to preserve such a special spot. Not to mention how many people it saves from getting into trouble there. (When you get the permit, you have to sign papers saying that you have technical gear and you know what you’re doing.) The rangers were really nice and set up our next rappel for us (which I think Jason and Kristin handlined).
As we continued to hike, we saw all the famous spots that you see on websites and in books.
There were tons of little waterfalls and slides. We had to remember to stop and look behind us sometimes; you’d be splashing along through water, climbing down rocks, and if you looked back, you’d realize that this is what you were just walking through.
After a while, we started encountering day hikers who’d hiked from the bottom up. The technical section was over. And honestly, after that, the hike got a little tedious. Despite the beautiful surroundings and the dinosaur tracks we saw, it was a long walk through the creek to the exit.
(Dinosaur tracks)
The hike was about 8 miles. We were really relieved to arrive at the exit, even though it ended up being somewhat strenuous. I took off ahead of Kristin and Jason and, although I was exhausted, ran at the end just to prove that I could. (To be fair, Kristin and Jason were carrying rope and wet wetsuits; I just had my Camelbak.)
(The canyon walls we had to climb)
We finished the day at our favorite spot in Springdale- Zion Pizza and Noodle. It was a really perfect day.
*All photos by Jason Marshall (www.inthecanyons.com)
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