At the trail head
Remnants of a flash flood a few months earlier.
Finding obstacles along the way.
Revisiting the place in the narrows where Jordan proposed a year earlier.
Welcome to the Narrows.
"Orderville Canyon is an adventure through a slot canyon, so spectacular that it rivals the grandest of them all - the Zion Narrows. At the start of the route, juniper and pine trees abruptly give way, as hikers drop into a brushy waterway and see their first glance of a waterfall, if it has been a wet year. Rock walls and waterfalls slowly start to populate the stream as towering vertical barricades enclose the canyon. A trip through this slot is not a meager undertaking. Several obstacles requiring competent down climbing skills, and rope work complicate the 10 to12 mile trek. This one-way 'hike' begins outside the eastern boundary of the park and ends at the Temple of Sinawava in Zion Canyon."
Jordan, our friend Adella and I started our technical hike to Orderville canyon around ten in the morning. Most of the morning was spent as an easy down hill hike into the canyon. Once in the slot canyon we realized rather quickly the danger of slot canyons and flash flooding. We saw trees stacked one on top of each other climbing half way up the canyon wall. We had to weave ourselves through the wreckage in places in order to continue.
We located our first obstacle, a large boulder. We found the bolt and secured the rope. Jordan was the first to climb down landing in thick mud and surrounded by hundreds of bees. Adella and I followed next down wedging our bodies in the center of the rock and chimneying our way to the bottom where Jordan guided us across the mud trying to keep us out of it as much as possible.
We weren't hiking for very long when we found we were hiking in shallow water and finding our next obstacle another boulder. This time we had two choices: a hard down climb which should probably be rappelled or a shorter down climb along the side of the canyon wall. The tricky thing about this was the water being trapped along the side of the canyon created a small and fast moving waterfall. Jordan anchored the rope and climbed down the waterfall, splashing into cold, deep water. He swam to the edge and Adella was the next to go. She also climbed down without much trouble. As I adjusted the rope in my hands I started to climbed down the rock. Water was splashing and moving very quickly around me. I couldn't find a foot hold! Everywhere I placed my foot it slipped on the slick rock. I placed all my weight on my left foot and tried to continue down. Almost instantly my foot slipped and I fell down, scrapping my elbow along the rock and landing in cold water. I quickly swam to the side, Jordan checked my arm (bleeding but fine) and we continued on.
I had heard there were only two obstacles in Orderville canyon. Thinking we had successfully managed our way through both of them I relaxed. This only lasted a short time. We found ourselves climbing down logs, boulders, and swimming through dark, deep and COLD water to reach our final stretch exiting Orderville canyon into the Narrows. Seen we started seeing other hikers who casually hiked along in the river. We one the other hand were exhausted, cold and ready to be out of the water. The narrows felt like they would never end. Once we reached the river walk we dried off, took the shuttle to our car and drove as fast as we could to make it back to the resort in time for dinner. At dinner I started to notice all my cuts, bruises and swelling ankle. All of that didn't bother me for a second. I was so proud of myself. I had hiked twelve miles, overcame my fears, and loved every moment.
Jordan, our friend Adella and I started our technical hike to Orderville canyon around ten in the morning. Most of the morning was spent as an easy down hill hike into the canyon. Once in the slot canyon we realized rather quickly the danger of slot canyons and flash flooding. We saw trees stacked one on top of each other climbing half way up the canyon wall. We had to weave ourselves through the wreckage in places in order to continue.
We located our first obstacle, a large boulder. We found the bolt and secured the rope. Jordan was the first to climb down landing in thick mud and surrounded by hundreds of bees. Adella and I followed next down wedging our bodies in the center of the rock and chimneying our way to the bottom where Jordan guided us across the mud trying to keep us out of it as much as possible.
We weren't hiking for very long when we found we were hiking in shallow water and finding our next obstacle another boulder. This time we had two choices: a hard down climb which should probably be rappelled or a shorter down climb along the side of the canyon wall. The tricky thing about this was the water being trapped along the side of the canyon created a small and fast moving waterfall. Jordan anchored the rope and climbed down the waterfall, splashing into cold, deep water. He swam to the edge and Adella was the next to go. She also climbed down without much trouble. As I adjusted the rope in my hands I started to climbed down the rock. Water was splashing and moving very quickly around me. I couldn't find a foot hold! Everywhere I placed my foot it slipped on the slick rock. I placed all my weight on my left foot and tried to continue down. Almost instantly my foot slipped and I fell down, scrapping my elbow along the rock and landing in cold water. I quickly swam to the side, Jordan checked my arm (bleeding but fine) and we continued on.
I had heard there were only two obstacles in Orderville canyon. Thinking we had successfully managed our way through both of them I relaxed. This only lasted a short time. We found ourselves climbing down logs, boulders, and swimming through dark, deep and COLD water to reach our final stretch exiting Orderville canyon into the Narrows. Seen we started seeing other hikers who casually hiked along in the river. We one the other hand were exhausted, cold and ready to be out of the water. The narrows felt like they would never end. Once we reached the river walk we dried off, took the shuttle to our car and drove as fast as we could to make it back to the resort in time for dinner. At dinner I started to notice all my cuts, bruises and swelling ankle. All of that didn't bother me for a second. I was so proud of myself. I had hiked twelve miles, overcame my fears, and loved every moment.
1 comments:
What an adventure! Glad you're safe and well (minus a few bruises and scrapes)!
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