As seasoned backpackers, we should know better… Even though the sun was setting after 9.5 miles of miles of hiking, and our water supply was dwindling, important decisions should not be made at the height of exhaustion, hunger, and thirst. Yet, collectively we decided to send my brother and brandon down the 59 degree river in search of the fresh water spring near backcountry campsite 12... Wherever that might be. After dinner was prepared and our stomachs were full, the darkness of the canyon and the Zion backcountry descended on Ian, Doyle, and myself, and we quickly realized just how rash our decision was. The river was hard enough to navigate during the day, at night would be next to impossible… After 45 minutes with no sign of our comrades, Ian and I ventured in to the darkness, down river, with nothing but our head lamps. Fear and worry gripped us at first, but I quickly realized that prayer would serve us better. After 15-20 minutes of hurried navigation through the dark canyon, Ian and I stopped - I could swear I saw the glimmer of headlamps on the canyon wall ahead. I told Ian I saw lights, he turned to me in surprise and blinded me with his own headlamp, and like the ending of any survival movie, around the corner were John and Brandon holding our empty water bottles. Truth be told, it was well before that moment that I knew this would be a great story to tell. In a word, the top-down Narrows hike was extraordinary. The Narrows held a new and astounding view around every corner, with luminous colors and reflections that illuminated the towering walls of eroded rock and the endless flow of the Virgin River. Yet, this short tale proves that something as mundane as filling water bottles can be the greatest of adventures when you're on a backpacking excursion.While the most popular hikes and features of the park are easily accessible from the incredibly well run bus system; As with any great national park, the true beauty and soul of the land lies in the backcountry. The two best hikes in Zion require backcountry permits, and out of 2.5 million visitors a year, only 80 permits go out per day for each adventure. There's nothing I love like solitude, seclusion, and exclusivity. Well, it turns out that I found a new favorite past time in Zion, scrambling over rocks while trying to find the quickest and most creative route through a river bed. That and the constant threat of a flash flood added to an overwhelming sense of whimsy and adventure I felt in the most remote parts of Zion.Ultimately, this trip was far from our first adventure together, but was our first in the great American Southwest. It was an escape from the heat and humidity of Florida, to a desert landscape of the most epic proportions. It was a place where we felt whimsy, freedom, and above all comaraderie.
