History of Zion???

[chabidiah]

I am curious about the history behind some of the canyons in Zion. If you could point me in the right direction that would be great...
who they are named after, first decent's, etc

Heaps
Imlay
Behunin
Kolob
and any others you might now about.

Just curious

Thanks

[Iceaxe]

Hogs Heaven is the area just north of the confluence of the Virgin River and Deep Creek. It was named after Hog Allen

Legend of Hog Allen
http://climb-utah.com/Zion/hogallen.htm

http://climb-utah.com/Zion/Files/hogallen.jpg

[Iceaxe]

Behunin Canyon is named after Isaac Behunin, who is also given credit for naming Zion Canyon

Isaac Behunin
http://history.utah.gov/apps/markers/detailed_results.php?markerid=1237

The floor of Zion Canyon was settled in 1863 by Isaac Behunin, who farmed corn, tobacco, and fruit trees.[1] The Behunin family lived in Zion Canyon near the site of today's Zion Lodge during the summer, and wintered in Springdale.

[jman]

well a good place to start would be the sticky - "Canyoneering Links". Check there.

Here's a great one, that's on the list!
http://www.math.utah.edu/~sfolias/canyontales/canyonames

[ratagonia]

I am curious about the history behind some of the canyons in Zion. If you could point me in the right direction that would be great...
who they are named after, first decent's, etc

Heaps
Imlay
Behunin
Kolob
and any others you might now about.

Just curious

Thanks

I found it on their website. A brief writeup, but covers all the high points. Not real specific on canyon descent details:

http://tinyurl.com/yeyplwo

By the by, the apostrophe was dropped in 1957, so it is now known simply as "Zions" (for those inquiring minds)...








A brief history of Zions First National Bank
On July 10, 1873, Zion's Savings Bank and Trust Company was incorporated under the laws of the Utah Territory under the direction of Brigham Young, becoming Utah's first chartered savings bank and trust company. During its first day of business on October 1, 1873, the bank's cashier and tellers recorded deposits of $5,876.20. The bank prospered and grew, surviving its only major threat

[Iceaxe]

well a good place to start would be the sticky - "Canyoneering Links".

That has the "canyoneering" names, but not the actual historical names...

.

[ratagonia]

Here's a few to read, that apply to the history of canyoneering in Zion:

http://www.math.utah.edu/~sfolias/canyontales/tale/?i=turville

http://www.math.utah.edu/~sfolias/canyontales/

http://canyoneeringusa.com/history/

http://www.canyoneeringusa.com/utah/zion/hist.php

(this last being the text from The Book).

T :moses:

[jman]

well a good place to start would be the sticky - "Canyoneering Links".

That has the "canyoneering" names, but not the actual historical names...

.

yes, but even that's part of the history right? :haha:

Although, I have wondered about Heaps...(oh, Tom just gave me some links. Wow!)

[trackrunner]

History of Zions???

all you need to know right here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zions_Bancorporation
https://www.zionsbank.com/about_zions_bank.jsp

[chabidiah]

Awesome! That was fast, I love this forum! So many smart farts, thanks again now i got some readin to do...

[Scott P]

Here is an old trip report from my dad in Misery Canyon/Fat Man's Misery from about 40 years ago, probably 1969 or 1970. He sent it to me a few years ago. One thing that should be mentioned, but was not is that they didn't use bolts or slings or even rock climbing harnesses. Everything was done using rope tricks and lassos.

I hiked the canyon [Misery Canyon] about 35 years ago with some people from
either Cedar City or St. George. We started at the east entrance to the Park and
came down a narrow canyon that had a warm spring in it that you had to swim
across. The Spring was just before the river. We did rescued a deer that had
fallen in a pot hole. We lassoed it with a rope and hauled it out. We hiked up
the East Fork of the Virgin to a canyon on the south side of the Virgin. We
hiked to the end of the canyon and our sleeping bags were tossed off a cliff by
someone who drove to the rim of the canyon in a four wheel drive vehicle. The
next day our sleeping bags were hauled up by roap and inner tubes were dropped
down to us. We floated down the river on inner tubes but portaged around the 50'
waterfall. We floated until it got dark and then hiked by flashlight until we
reached a dirt road and the four wheel drive vehicle that had been driven there.

Russell Patterson

[Iceaxe]

Scott. after reading that description I would venture to guess that your dad came down the East Fork of Misery? One reason is that's the fork that contains a couple of deer eating potholes and I can't think of any in the west fork....

Anyhoo.... here is a picture of an East Fork Deer Eating Pothole..... our deer was not as lucky as the one your pop found.

.

[Scott P]

Scott. after reading that description I would venture to guess that your dad came down the East Fork of Misery?

That would be my guess, but I'm not sure. I remember from previous coverstations that they apparently approached the canyon from just outside the park (?), and if so the east fork would be more likely. It would be interesting to find the route they used. I don't think it's the one west of Checkerboard Mesa that's currently used.

Anyway, my dad is going with us this weekend. I'll bring my Zion maps and see if he remembers anything more.

[ratagonia]

That would be my guess, but I'm not sure. I remember from previous coverstations that they apparently approached the canyon from just outside the park (?), and if so the east fork would be more likely. It would be interesting to find the route they used. I don't think it's the one west of Checkerboard Mesa that's currently used.

Anyway, my dad is going with us this weekend. I'll bring my Zion maps and see if he remembers anything more.

Bump. And?? :moses:

[Scott P]

Bump. And??


He wasn't positive which one (it has now been 40 years), but probably the east fork. He thought they didn't enter the national park until they were in Parunaweep, so if this is correct, it would be the east fork.

One clue to be sure might be to find out which entrances to the heads of either canyon would be accessible without any big rappells (I have not been to either canyon). They only used lasso tricks and handlines and no rappelling gear.

[ratagonia]

He wasn't positive which one (it has now been 40 years), but probably the east fork. He thought they didn't enter the national park until they were in Parunaweep, so if this is correct, it would be the east fork.

One clue to be sure might be to find out which entrances to the heads of either canyon would be accessible without any big rappells (I have not been to either canyon). They only used lasso tricks and handlines and no rappelling gear.

I've only looked down from the top into the East Fork, but I suspect it can be entered without raps. And from the Park Boundary, it looks pretty easy to get up onto the Mesa top, from which I looked down into the East Fork.

Tom :moses: