Tag Archives: Orderville Canyon

‘Tis the Season: Late Summer Adventures in Zion

Posted on August 6, 2011 by

Ahhh, August is here. The desert is still hot, the thunderstorms are coming and going, and for many it is the last chance for a summer adventure. I offer this post as a guideline on how to maximize this time in Zion and the surrounding area. Climbing, for me, is the most important form of recreation, so I will start there. There are few sports that offer such extreme physical challenge and such inspiring rewards. Even when it is 100 degrees outside, climbing in the shade is amazingly reasonable. Shady cragging opportunities exist all through the main canyon for those who can find the right aspects and times of day. One of my favorite summer climbing areas, Kolob Canyon’s South Fork of Taylor Creek, features cool temps and shade most of the day. Perhaps the most exciting and challenging summer climbing I have done is in Kolob on Huecos Rancheros (5.12c) and Namaste (5.12a). Also, Last Rites (5.10+) is a super-fun single pitch finger crack with a bolted start. St. George also has some fun summer climbing opportunities. Enjoy the novelty of Veyo’s Crawdad Canyon Climbing Resort; if you go, don’t miss “The Fly” (5.11c), right off the pool deck. Snow … Continue reading →

Posted in Canyoneering, Mountain Biking, Rock Climbing, Seasonal, Summer, The Narrows, Zion, Zion National Park | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Exploring Zion from the Inside Out

Posted on July 18, 2010 by

If you asked me a year ago how I would want to spend my days off, “rappelling down canyon walls” probably wouldn’t have been my first response. Being 45 years old and xxx pounds, rappelling into dark, wet canyons wasn’t the first thing in my mind. Yes, I was adventurous. And yes, I loved to find activities that blended body, mind, and spirit. And yes, I was always looking to explore new things. But going into places that require me to trust ropes and anchors with my life, where there is no option to turn around and go back, where I must work my way through canyon walls without being able to put my feet on the ground… no, that was not the way I hoped to spend my free time. Now at 20-something and 120 pounds, when I could make my body do just about anything, this type of adventure would have been just what I was looking for. But at 45…? Let me give you this warning: once you have tried canyoneering, you will keep looking for the next slot-shaped fix. In March of this year, when I was informed that I would be doing a 60-foot rappel … Continue reading →

Posted in Canyoneering, Trip Reports, Zion National Park | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment