After Four Years Gone, Back to Zion in Kolob Canyon

Kolob Canyon, (thru trip to Temple of Siniwava) 3CVR
Zion National Park
06/22/13 – 06/23/13

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David told tales of crows and condors. Of flowing water down tight technical sandstone passages. Of exquisite beauty and never ending narrows. Of an exit hike through much of the Virgin River Narrows. Ever since David got back from his trip down Kolob Canyon in 2009 it had been on my bucket list. At the same time we had been wanting to take our two-and-half-year-old son Wyatt for his first visit to Zion National Park. With David’s parents in Arizona for an extended visit, we loaded up the vehicles, rented a cabin at Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort and headed up to the place I love so much that I hadn’t visited in nearly four years.

As Wyatt and I, and my in-laws, Marsha and Lee, settle into our cozy little cabin, David drives down to the visitor’s center to see if we can secure a permit for a descent down Kolob. Due to its location downstream of a dammed reservoir, where water releases can turn the canyon into a death trap, Kolob is one of a few canyons in Zion National Park where permits can not be secured in advance. This was only the second weekend that the park service had been issuing permits for Kolob for the season. That in conjunction with the perfect weather, could make it a popular weekend for the descent. With Brian, Cody and Adam joining us for the technical portion, we are unsure if we can get a permit for five, falling below the park’s daily quota. David returns to the cabin with a smile on his face and a permit in hand.

Early the next morning we unsuccessfully sneak out of the cabin without waking Wyatt up and rendeszvous with Brian, Cody and Adam at the trailhead. After a short hike through dense forest we hit Kolob Creek above the technical section to find the slightest of flow (probably just below 1CFS) despite the Washington County Water District’s scheduled release of 3CFS. Though the boys seem a little disappointed with the flow it makes no difference to me and we suit up above the first drop.

The canyon is as beautiful as David described: relentless obstacles of rappels, down climbs, slides and balancing over logs to negotiate minor drops, all through frigid water in narrows that only get deeper and deeper. I am very happy for my 3mm neoprene hooded vest and 1mm shirt in addition to my 4/3. The technical section ends all too quickly, but I know from what David has described that some of the best parts of this adventure are still to come.

Shortly below the end of the technical section we reach a 400- foot waterfall from the rim above. At its base is a one-car-garage-sized ice block. The ice is mixed with sandstone sediment. From a low angle it blends in with sandstone walls hundreds of feet above. With Brian, Cody and Adam exiting out the MIA for a day trip and David and I hiking down through the Virgin River Narrows for an overnight, we say our goodbyes before the boys forge ahead.

Between several frigid swims, we pass a deer carcass rotting in the otherwise crystal clear water. The narrows are sustained for miles upon miles as midday moves into late afternoon. We begin to think about a place to camp for the night but we want to get past all those frigid swims so we are not faced with them first thing in the cooler morning. Just when we think we have passed all the swims we are faced with yet another one in a hauntingly dark hallway. The canyon opens a little and we see a flat sandy spot below a tree with plenty of places to hang our soaking gear for the night.  We throw in the towel hoping that last one was in fact the final swimmer.

After a restful night’s sleep where we actually sleep in a little, (at least by backcountry camping standards) we continue to make our way down Lower Kolob. The water has gone fully underground with us getting nothing more than our feet wet. After a few hours we reach the confluence with the Virgin River Narrows.

At Big Spring we stop to refill our water bottles and wonder how long that water has been underground. Has it been 500 years? We marvel to watch that moment as all of that water gushes out of the bottom of those thousands of feet of sandstone. We chuckle to ourselves as we watch a backpacker filter the water right as it comes out of the ground. We continue downstream past hidden gurgling springs, stopping to swim in a hole and hide from all the people in a shallow cave. We emerge and zig-zag past fellow hikers whose numbers grow and grow the closer we get to the Temple of Sinawava.

Back at the cabin we hear all about Wyatt’s adventures with Marsha and Lee around the park. The following day we return to the Temple of Siniwava with Wyatt, Marsha and Lee for a hike a short ways up the Narrows. Wyatt starts in the baby back, but with a pole in hand ends of hiking much of the way himself. Perhaps the next time we descend Kolob Canyon Wyatt will be joining us.

-Laura

Brian drops in on the first rappel of Kolob Canyon.

Laura balance on a log in some tight narrows.

Adam is all smiles on a rap.

Laura hip rappels into a beautiful room.

Brian slides down a chute.

Cody wades through a shaft of light.

Cody sets up an anchor for a big rappel.

David raps the final big drop of the canyon.

The crew cleans the rope after the final drop.

A 400- foot waterfall comes in from the rim.

An ice block blends in with the canyon walls.

A deer carcass rots in the canyon bottom.

Laura swims across a frigid pool in Lower Kolob.

Laura hikes through some exquisitely dark narrows.

Laura shimmies down a log to negotiate a drop.

David takes in the canyon walls shortly above the confluence with the Virgin River Narrows.

Laura collects some water from Big Spring in the Virgin River Narrows.

Laura swims in the Virgin River Narrows.

Laura hangs out in a cave in the Virgin River Narrows.

Hiking down the Virgin River Narrows.

Clouds above Zion Ponderosa Ranch.

David and Wyatt hike past Mystery Falls on the way up the Virgin River Narrows.

David and Wyatt followed by Lee and Marsha hike up the Virgin RIver Narrows.

Marsha and Lee kiss in the Virgin River Narrows.

Wyatt peeks around Laura while hiking in the Narrows.

Lee, Wyatt and David hike in the Narrows.

The crow and the condor in Kolob Canyon

Kolob Canyon, (thru trip to Temple Siniwava) 3CVR
16.5 miles
Zion National Park
06/28/09 – 06/29/09

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I am a planning kind of person. I like to put my toe in the water before stepping in the pool. In canyoneering that is a good thing. For a canyon like Kolob, with the wild card of extremely cold swift water cascading down a deep gorge that drops 700 feet in a 1/3 of a mile planning is an especially good thing.

Canyoneering is a dynamic sport that allows participants to explore such extreme wilderness you can’t plan for everything. The unexpected is where I believe the true treasures exist. This could bring me to “Crow and the Condor” but about that later in the post.

Our journey began with nine hours of driving, including a two-hour traffic stand still on the edge of the megalopolis that seemed to not want us to escape. Reaching the outskirts of Zion our few hours of rest under the stars were marred by the roar of a semi’s diesel engine continuously running to allow its inhabitant a comfortable night of air conditioned sleep. The next morning entailed waiting in line at the permit office, a shuttle to the trailhead and a bit of cross- country navigation that finally brought us to the canyon.

The Washington County Water Conservancy District (WCWCD) said they would be releasing 3 CFS, (water released from the dam at the Kolob Reservoir is responsible for the near constant flow in the canyon) but after a crude test we determined that the actual CFS just above the technical section to be somewhere at a maximum of 2 CFS. WARNING – It absolutely cannot be assumed that there will be less CFS in the technical section of Kolob Canyon than that of what the WCWCD is releasing. It is just as likely that the opposite could be true. Needless to say conditions were going to be easier than what we were expecting. Easier, but still challenging with the constant pattern of rappel, wet disconnect, swim and pull over a series of 11 rappels. All too soon the technical section was over and we were stripping out of our 7mms and enjoying our lunch.

A short stroll down canyon brought us to the bottom of a 400- foot spring fed waterfall; a magical surprise that I had completely skimmed over during my research of the trip that had focused on the technical section.

 

After about an hour of boulder hopping, hand line assisted down climbs, wading and swimming I was in the lead hiking with my head down when I was completely startled by an enormous bird sitting on the canyon floor. As the bird grunted and hopped/ flew onto a shelf about 60 feet away, Chris who was right behind me said, “That is a California Condor.” According to the National Parks Conservation Association there are roughly 160 California Condors that exist in the wild. Stunned we stood and watched as the massive bird observed us, but the moment did not last long because suddenly a shower of small rocks began falling upon us from hundreds of feet above. We immediately began running back up canyon but not before watching one rock nearly clip the wing of the condor and another coming from what I estimate to be within 15 feet of hitting Eric. The shocking event was over as fast as it started but we were spooked. What aligned to allow us to witness two such rare sights of nature at the exact same time?

After waiting several minutes to ensure safe passage, we continued hiking. As we approached, the condor flew down canyon several hundred feet beyond view. Minutes later we were back in its presence but this time it was joined by a crow that cawed at the larger bird. We passed the pair but before not too long watched as the condor was chased by the ensuing crow through the slotted corridor 30 feet above. We were treated one more time at the confluence with Oak Creek Canyon, the crow still harassing the condor. As we headed down Lower Kolob Canyon the crow and the condor headed up Oak Creek Canyon out of sight.

We bivouacked that night near the MIA exit absorbing all that had occurred during the day. The following day included a number of cold swims, one hand line assisted drop into an icy cold pool and slogging challenges before reaching the confluence with the North Fork of the Virgin River, known as the Narrows. It is pretty amazing when the exit hike for your technical canyon descent includes the best part of one of most famous and utterly stunning hikes of the southwestern United States. We took in all the beauty; Big Spring, the deep dark narrows, Imlay boulder, Orderville junction and Mystery Falls before reaching the Temple Siniwava.

Chris later spoke with the Zion National Park wildlife manager who was very excited about our condor spot. The wildlife manager told Chris that there are a number of tagged condors in the park and believe the one we saw was a juvenile non-tagged condor that could very possibly be the offspring of two tagged condors; wonderful and exciting news for all.

-David

Eric on rappel.

Chris at the entry rappel.

Chris on rappel.

Eric negotiates the awkward start of the second rappel.

Eric gets creative.

Eric (left) and Chris work the ropes on a pull.

Eric consults some beta while nearing the end of the technical section.

Eric on the final 165- foot rappel.

Eric at the 400- foot waterfall.

Eric at the 400- foot waterfall.

The last of the snow for the season in Kolob.

Chris wades through water on day two in Lower Kolob.

Chris enjoys the water of the Narrows at the confluence with Kolob.

Eric at Big Spring in the Narrows.

Eric (front) and Chris wade through the Narrows.

Imlay boulder, in the Narrows. Can’t wait to see this from above.