I showed you images from the iconic Narrows hike at Zion yesterday, but these images are from a small and remote slot canyon called Red Canyon outside the park. My friend Scott brought his adorable 6 -year old daughter along and she couldn’t get enough.
From last week. My friend Lian’s first time but she looks like a pro. Obviously I completed what she is doing because how else would I have gotten this shot? Near Zion National Park, which is a mecca for canyoneering and rock climbing. The one thing we learned is to make sure the rope reaches to the bottom!
Below is our fearless leader Steve descending into another canyon at Zion NP
I’ve been to Willis Creek’s slot canyon during the warmer months so I wasn’t expecting snow and ice the other day. It made for some slick navigation which shortened our hike. Willis Creek is located in the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument in Southern Utah.
Aptly named as it resembles the seashell, The Nautilus is a highly eroded sandstone rock formation in Southern Utah. My friends Ali and Thomas gave the scene some sense of scale.
Wire Pass, along the Utah/Arizona border is a prelude to the more famous Buckskin Gulch. Unfortunately, Buckskin was full of water after recent rains so my friends Ali, Thomas and I settled for the narrow Wire Pass.
This was from a few years ago but the same friends are visiting in a few weeks. Maybe Buckskin Gulch or Hole In the Rock Road’s Spooky Gulch.
OR
Page, Arizona has its Antelope Canyon including crowds and guided tours that whisk you through. Waterhole Canyon is not quite like Antelope Canyon but it is a reasonable alternative especially since very few people know where it is. No tour buses here!
Using a tripod for longer exposures helps to reveal the natural hues.
Willis Creek is a slot canyon that almost anyone can enjoy. It’s located in a remote area of the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument in Southern Utah. It is a place where peace and solitude are easily experienced.
Hopefully this beautiful area will remain protected. There is currently a push by The Department Of The Interior to reduce the size of the GSENM and allow gas, oil and mining exploration. These industries have a haphazard track record when it comes to protecting the environment they are compromising.
Willis Creek is one of those few gems where pristine waters trickle through the brilliant Navajo Sandstone walls that the creek carved over millions of years. It would be a shame if the waters were muddied in an instant. I noticed some children playing happily in the waters, waters that could be disturbed if proposed changes to the monument are enacted.
We are all trustees of our public lands and have the right to raise our voice on environmental concerns. You can submit your comment about these proposed actions at The Department Of The Interior
Buckskin Gulch along the Arizona/Utah border is the longest slot canyon in the United States. I’ve never completed the whole thing but just a few miles into this abyss is enough to gather some good images. I dragged some friends along who made for some pretty good models(No Royalties Due) and for a good sense of scale. It’s about 13 miles and ends at the Paria River which together make a great backpacking trip.
