Category Archives: Autumn

Zion Narrows Fall Colors Video

Posted on November 22, 2012 by

Long-time ZAC client Jerry King visits us at least every year, regularly recording his hikes and canyon descents via video and still images. When Jerry gets home, he puts together some nice informational videos about the adventures he goes on. If you are thinking about doing a Zion Narrow Through-Hike, check out Jerry’s movie to learn about the hike and see the Narrows in prime fall color splendor.

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Imlay Canyon Trip Report, 9.2.2012

Posted on September 10, 2012 by

Went through Full Imlay Canyon with Steve Brezovec and Kelly Birdwell – to enjoy the canyon, of course, and to work on the anchors. Found some interesting things. We started the canyon from Potato Hollow, from the very tip-top there, a few hundred yards higher than I had before. We used a retrievable anchor off a tree in order to not leave a sling visible to the public. Downcanyon a ways, we found a tied off rock for the third stage of a rappel that can be done as a three-stage rap. This rock as cleverly wedged in a slot, but was tied off with some cord which was quite pretty, but had a core of paper (indicating that this cord was never intended for any purpose requiring strength). Further down, we found an anchor tied with a non-knot (versus a Water Knot)… but I guess it held for whomever tied it. Quite a few anchors in the canyon were tied with the Minnesota-clip style of equalization – especially scary since on a lot of these two-bolt anchors, one bolt is an ancient eroded stud-type bolt (very unreliable). We re-rigged 4 or 5 anchors usually with fresh webbing. The upper … Continue reading →

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Mountain Top Reflections: Desert Oasis

Posted on December 14, 2011 by

My first draft of this blog post was a detailed description of my recent Red Rock climbing trip. The salient points were, a) I am good at climbing rocks, b) I know some good places for Asian cuisine in Las Vegas, and c) I am moderately witty. Realizing I spent far too much time coloring such a story, and valuing your time, dear reader, I will spare you my narrative of rock climbing heroism, and ask you to trust me on these points. What I would rather illustrate is the notion of finding one’s self through suffering. By “one’s self,” I mean some greater understanding of who I am, or what I’m capable of. Whilst climbing last week, on the side of an obscure rock, miles from anybody besides my climbing partner, I found myself fully panicked and hyperventilating. Tiptoeing and thrutching up the face of a mountain, I surprised myself by resisting gravity over and over again. The route (Time’s Up, 5.11d) had an exclamation mark next to it in the guide book; I interpreted this as a sign of exciting climbing, and it certainly delivered. The climbing itself was not unique or terribly difficult, but the protection was … Continue reading →

Posted in Autumn, Rock Climbing, Spring, Trip Reports, Uncategorized, Winter | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Annual Thanksgiving Blow-Out Sale This Weekend

Posted on November 22, 2011 by

Though we are open all winter long, Thanksgiving weekend is the final hurrah for anything resembling “crowds” in Zion, so we always hold a sale on Thanksgiving weekend to liquidate the bulk of our store inventory in preparation for winter. This Friday, November 25, through Sunday, November 27, take advantage of huge savings at Zion Adventure Company most of our inventory. We’ll be open all weekend, 8 am to 7 pm. 50% OFF: ZAC logowear, including t-shirts, hats, & visors 40% OFF: Assorted outdoor accessories, like dry bags, Teko wool socks, maps, books, headlamps, and camping gear 30% OFF: Technical gear (harnesses, carabiners, etc.), neoprene socks and gloves, 5.10 footwear Additionally, we are selling off our entire fleet of custom Kokatat Gore-tex Guide drysuits for $199 each! Selected items are excluded from the sale, including Imlay Canyon Gear products, winter fleecewear, & rope and webbing by the foot. With forecasts calling for good weather and temperatures in the high 50s and lower 60s this weekend, it should be a wonderful time to enjoy a few days in the Park. Come to Zion for the weekend, visit our sale, and treat yourself to quality time with friend and family in one of … Continue reading →

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Fall Updates and New Shop Hours

Posted on November 4, 2011 by

With the turning of the leaves and our first snow storm of the year… New Shop Hours Beginning Monday, October 31st, our new shop hours will be 8 am – noon and 4 pm – 7 pm daily, with extended hours during Thanksgiving Weekend.* This allows us to outfit customers in the morning and return gear in the evening. Evening gear pick-ups may or may not be available, depending on availability of specific items. Our shop hours December – February will be 9 am – noon and 4 pm – 7 pm. *Thanksgiving weekend hours: Thursday 11/24: 8 am- noon only Friday: 11/25 – Sunday 11/27: 8 am – 7 pm Gear Reservations For those interested in renting equipment, please note we require reservations during the winter months. We have been unusually busy this fall and have been selling out of certain dry suit sizes, especially on the weekends. To make a gear reservation, please contact us with the following information: Date(s): Number in Party: Full Name: Phone: Email: Address: Name, height, weight, and shoe size for each group member: Winter Outfitting The Narrows Narrows hikers in the winter find icicles, snow, and near-silence as rewards for their adventurous visit. … Continue reading →

Posted in Autumn, Gear, Hiking, In the News, Seasonal, Seasons, The Narrows, Weather & Climate, Winter | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

October in The Narrows Video

Posted on October 25, 2011 by

One of my very favorite things about hiking The Narrows this time of year is the incredibly clear water. Unlike April through September, when the Virgin River can be silty or muddy from recent rains, the fall/winter season typically features crystal-clear, blue-green waters… you can see straight through to the myriad river rocks below. The above video, sent to us from a couple recent Narrows clients, shows a glimpse of these conditions, as well as great examples of the deep wades, river crossings, and general splendor a Narrows hike brings. Enjoy!

Posted in Autumn, Canyoneering, Hiking, Seasonal, Videos, Zion, Zion National Park | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

ZAC Hosts Annual Climbing Guides Meeting in November

Posted on September 29, 2011 by

On Saturday, November 5th, the Professional Climbing Guides Institute will hold their annual BBQ here in Springdale. There will be food, clinics, prizes, and a much anticipated “Unimog vs. Dynometer” challenge. We also expect to have a bunch of guides and climber-types sitting around sharing stories, debating the finer points of anchoring, rigging, teaching, and climbing, and generally dorking out in the climbing realm. We’re planning on having a lot of fun, and everyone is welcome to stop in for part or all of the festivities. The Essentials When: Saturday, November 5th, 1:00 PM Where: Springdale Town Park (next to the Springdale Community Center, 126 Lion Blvd, Springdale, UT) Schedule: 1:00 PM – Alternative anchoring & equalizing clinic with PCGI Mentor, Seth Zaharias 3:30 PM – “Where Climbers Loose Speed” clinic with PCGI Mentor, Alan Jolley 5:30 PM – Dynometer meets Unimog for a fun load testing & breaking climbing gear experience, PRIZES & BBQ!

Posted in Autumn, Local Events, Outdoor Leadership, Rock Climbing, Seasonal, Springdale, ZAC Events | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Flooding in Zion Last Week

Posted on September 19, 2011 by

Last week brought heavy rains, flash floods, canyon closures, and inaccessible roads to many of us in Zion Canyon and Southern Utah. The graph above of the Virgin River flow at Springdale shows the four “gully-washer” rain storms (and the consequential flooding) we received in the space of five days. And what day were we spared a downpour? The day of our Zion Adventure Company 15th Anniversary celebration. The Narrows and many canyons closed due to Flash Flood Warnings, and rock falls and muddy roads caused access issues to the Top-Down Narrows and other roads in the park. As of now, all canyons and roads have re-opened. Last week’s flooding topped-off most of our canyons in the park, including Pine Creek. For current conditions on some of Zion’s Canyons, take a look at my last post here. And if you want to SEE some good flooding footage, check out this video that shows the flooding on the east side and the Pine Creek drainage on Sept 14th! …AND the weather forecast for this week? Sunny and beautiful!

Posted in Autumn, Canyoneering, In the News, Road Conditions, Seasonal, Seasons, The Narrows, Weather & Climate, Zion, Zion National Park | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Current Conditions for Echo, Keyhole, and Pine Creek Canyons

Posted on September 17, 2011 by

September has brought us some big rains, especially over the last week. Which means one fantastic thing: full, wet, fresh canyons! As tenured canyoneers know well, good rains flush out the canyons, which can become a bit stagnant over dry summer months. With “monsoon” season giving us much less rain than usual this year, it’s great to have some flood conditions this month to clean things up in the slots. Here’s a few conditions reports from yesterday from clients who descended these slots: Echo Canyon: Cold (as usual), with several swims. Folks said wetsuits are REQUIRED. Keyhole Canyon: Cold-ish, with many swims. Most folks said, “You’ll want a wetsuit!” While some tough guys said that maybe they could’ve been okay without cold protection, other tough guys said “No way.” Consider how tough you are, and respond accordingly. Pine Creek: Cold, with many LONG swims (40 yards or so). Folks were saying, “It’s the wettest I’ve ever seen in there,” and commented that wetsuits are REQUIRED. ALL tough guys said you’ll want a wetsuit.

Posted in Autumn, Canyoneering, Safety, Seasonal, Trip Reports, Weather & Climate, Zion, Zion National Park | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Trip Report: Mystery Canyon

Posted on November 29, 2010 by

After our recent Wilderness First Responder course, Tom and Hank led Cabot, a great instructor from Wilderness Medical Associates, and a few of their fellow students through Mystery Canyon. I’ve posted a few photos here; find the rest on Tom’s Latest Rave.

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