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Left Fork of North Creek, also known as “The Subway”, was the main reason Aaron and I have been dying to go to Zion National Park.
Over the years, Aaron has slowly broken me in to the outdoors. This was not always easy for me- or him.
When we met over 5 years ago I had never been camping in my life and hiking in my world was walking through the mall.
This bubble I lived in popped the day we met…
Thank goodness.
Since meeting this man I have seen more of the world than I ever imagined I would see in my lifetime.
Thank you, fiance of mine. I would still be hiking the mall if it weren’t for you.
Anyway, The Subway, was ah-maz-ing!
Zion National Park website found here describes this canyoneering adventure as,
“The mystical journey through Left Fork of North Creek involves route finding, plunging cautiously into chilly pools then sloshing, sometimes frantically, through frigid water over and through difficult obstacles. The narrow subway section of this hike forces hikers through a unique tunnel…Churning water chisels the rock floor, forming shallow potholes…”
This was what sold us on The Subway.
Aaron wanted to do it because it required rappelling and down-climbing.
I wanted to do it because it was guaranteed to be beautiful. And it was.
Overall, The Subway was like nothing I had ever done before. Rappelling down boulders into freezing cold pools was beyond imagination.
Zion National Park is a treasure.
A magical paradise where nature thrives.
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| The journey begins… |
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| Down. Down. Down. |
Into the canyon…
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| First swim through. These waters were FREEZING. We all removed our shirts so they would stay dry (I had on my sports bra, C’mon it wasn’t just me and Aaron). |
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| Swim through #2. This was the most challenging. Before entering the water, we had to lower ourselves in the water over boulders. It was much more difficult than it looked. |
Sunlight! Glorious sunlight. |
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| Swim through #3 |
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| Absolutely stunning. |
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| This was right before we discovered that we lost the map/directions. In this canyon, this is bad news. |
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| Looking down from above, we couldn’t figure out how to get down. There was no obvious location to rappel down- actually there was, but we all went blind temporarily blind. |
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| This is how it’s done- at least by someone who has no idea how to rappel. I stole Aarons shirt. |
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| The Subway |
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| At the end. Looking back at where we started. |
This really was like nothing I had ever done before.
Wading and swimming in frigid pools of water for hours within a narrow slot canyon was exhilarating.
I want to go back- like, now.
I would, however, warn others not to try this without proper gear and a guide with at least some canyoneering experience. If Aaron hadn’t known how to rappel down boulders without harnesses (which we will have next time) or read the relatively complicated map/directions, I would still be stuck somewhere in that canyon.
It can be dangerous.
But, danger aside, I have fallen in love.
Zion is magical.
My husband and I are going to Zion this summer with my parents! Any advice or suggestions? I know we need to get our permit ahead of time but that's about it.