Tag Archives: West Rim Trail

Access West Rim Trailhead Via Wildcat Canyon While Snow Melts

Posted on May 12, 2011 by

It may be dry and balmy in Springdale, but there is still a lot fo snow in the highcountry above Zion. While the big snow pack works on melting away, hikers planning routes starting at the West Rim Trailhead may be better off starting at Wildcat Canyon, rather than tromping a couple miles through 6″ of snow. While a Wildcat start adds four miles to the West Rim, it’s a beautiful and mild way to begin a stunning hike. Below are two separate updates from ZAC shuttle drivers, Steve Woodford and Bill Westerhoff, who drove shuttles up to the Lava Point turnoff yesterday (5/11): I dropped a couple off at Wildcat this morning then took a German hiker up to the turnoff to Lava Point. There is fresh snow(maybe 6″). The dirt road is impassable to drive with a Sprinter. I also gave the hiker trail info and pointed out the knee deep lake inundating the road about 300 yards down.I gave him the option of returning to Wildcat and informed him that Wildcat would be an extra 4 miles more than if I dropped him off at the asphalt edge at Lava Point. He was happy with this option and … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Road Conditions, Seasonal, Spring, Zion National Park | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Trip Report: Spearhead Canyon, Zion National Park

Posted on October 27, 2010 by

Spearhead Canyon, Zion National Park, Oct 14 and 15, 2010 Second descent (probable) by Steve Ramras, Jenny West, Pascal van Duin and Tom Jones Prior History Brian Cabe and I ascended Hook Canyon to the Majestic/Cathedral pass and summit plateau in October 2000, and descended the canyon the next day. We found no evidence of descents in the upper canyon, but the final chimney section (below The Spearhead) was bolted for descent. Steve Ramras and Steve Brezovec made an attempt a few years prior, but were defeated by the incredibly thick Manzanita thrash-fest on the summit plateau, and descended via Hook Canyon. In July 2009, after extensive fires burned off the Manzanita, Luke (Bluugnome) from Las Vegas and companion climbed the Behunin Ridge for an attempt on the canyon, but did not proceed past the summit plateau, exiting via Hook Canyon. Spearhead has substantial logistical difficulties. How do you get to the head? How much rope to carry? Where is there water? Because it is about a day and a half long, perhaps one should do it in high summer with the long days… then again, since it lacks significant water, maybe that is not such a good idea. We … Continue reading →

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

The Big Picture: Hiking Zion’s Most Panoramic Trails

Posted on September 29, 2010 by

Millions of visitors explore Zion Canyon, Zion National Park’s largest canyon, every year. Deep within Zion’s towering walls, the close-up “micro” views of hanging gardens, textured sandstone, and flowing water are both intriguing and inspiring. But when one combines these micro details with the macro “big picture” view of Zion, they experience the whole – the entirety of Zion in its complete grandeur. Most of Zion’s 2.6 million annual visitors either never see this view, or don’t capture the full spectrum of what Zion has to offer. Still, whether it’s your 1st or 400th time to Zion, taking in the panorama of cliffs, canyons, and walls of Zion can provide hours and hours of pure joy. The West Rim Last Saturday I filled in more details on my “big picture” map of Zion when my husband and I set out on the West Rim Trail near Lava Point and headed down the classic 14-mile classic route. Our goal was to scout out the big picture of the Kolob Terrace area and explore the heads and first rappels of many technical slot canyons, like Imlay, Heaps, and Telephone Canyons. Due to the detours, our 14-mile hike quickly turned into a 20-mile … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Uncategorized, Zion National Park | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment