The Narrows is one of the
most popular trails at Zion
National Park. However, it is also the most dangerous one due to occasional
flash
floods, which are often caused by storms far away. As the name implies,
the
so-called "narrow" trail is the Virgin River situated between two vertical
sandstone
walls, and thus there is no escape route during a flash flood. When a sudden flood occurs, the
water level
rises rapidly without any warning. Within a few minutes or even a few
seconds, a
12+ feet high water-wall could suddenly rush through the canyon. As a result tragedies
happened there once a
while. For instance, in 2015 seven experienced hikers were killed by a flash flood in
the
Narrows, despite the fact that six
of them had taken a five-hour canyoneering class before starting
their one-way
journey. Nonetheless, the risk does not deter hikers from exploring
this
beautiful canyon. This is my second attempt. Last time I hiked the
Narrows in November
and was forced to abort the trip by the freezing water. This time I
was
equipped with a warm water package and therefore I was able to go
deeper to
take these photos. Is it worth the risk? Your call.
