Zion Narrows conditions in 2 weeks?

[hike.higher]

I have a permit for a day hike through the narrows in two weeks.

I have been watching the water and it is still really high. Its still closed.

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ut/nwis/uv/?site_no=09405500&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060,00010,72020

Any thoughts on if the water will drop enough in the next two weeks to let me go?

I have done it several times as an overnighter, but this will be the first time as a day trip.

Thanks for your expertise.

[ratagonia]

I have a permit for a day hike through the narrows in two weeks.

I have been watching the water and it is still really high. Its still closed.

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ut/nwis/uv/?site_no=09405500&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060,00010,72020

Any thoughts on if the water will drop enough in the next two weeks to let me go?

I have done it several times as an overnighter, but this will be the first time as a day trip.

Thanks for your expertise.

It is super hot out now, and it continues to glide downward. Kev has retreated to the Great White North. Both of these are signs that the Narrows will be opening soon!

Tom :moses: who has been enjoying canyons in Zion since 1986

[nonot]

I'm in the same boat, really really hoping the water will get lower soon...come on heat! :angryfire:

[sarahlizzy]

Arriving on the 17th, really wanting to descend Mystery. Melt, snow, melt!

[Cirrus2000]

Arriving on the 17th, really wanting to descend Mystery. Melt, snow, melt!

Based on the current trajectory of the graph, it looks very hopeful. Hope it works out for you! I'm jealous, if so - really hoped to take my kids through there. Have fun, whatever you do!


So Kevin, I would like to thank you for leaving our country as the river finally has a chance to calm down so we can get some good canyons in ;) From what I hear, the mighty Virgin tends to wait until you have "left the building" before relaxing for the rest of us.


It is super hot out now, and it continues to glide downward. Kev has retreated to the Great White North. Both of these are signs that the Narrows will be opening soon!

Man, I'm gonna get a complex... :haha:

[trackrunner]

Virgin under 200 csfs. 199 right now. My guess it will open this weekend

[Cirrus2000]

Most recent instantaneous value: 133 06-15-2010 23:45 MDT
It's below 140! Now what is it, a three day average? If it stays this way, it will be open on Saturday! :2thumbs:

Lucky dogs, all of ya. Have fun, Sarahlizzy and hike.higher!!!

[jman]

It's below 140! Now what is it, a three day average? If it stays this way, it will be open on Saturday! :2thumbs:

Lucky dogs, all of ya. Have fun, Sarahlizzy and hike.higher!!!

Kev, I posted this in the current conditions stickie a few days ago and noticed that Zion is giving "day use permits" (which means from chamberlain ranch) starting on June 27th. So definitely it will be open on the 27th(Sunday)...but given current trends - maybe this weekend? Even so, I would remain cautiously optimistic until the 27th.

[thedesertnomad]

I thought it would be open today, but yesterday afternoon it spiked all the way to 143!!! That is sooooo much more dangerous than the 138 that it was for most of the day, lol. I understand they have their rules. It's currently at 131, but all we need is less than 140 for 24 hrs for a bottom up hike (or Imlay & Mystery) and less than 120 for 24 hrs for a full through hike.

[Cirrus2000]

Ah - it's only 24 hours? For some reason I had 3 days in my head... Well, that sounds good!

How weird is it that I'm still checking the flow, when my next trip to Utah isn't until September? :ne_nau:

[sarahlizzy]

I am hoping to get a walk-in Mystery permit for this Saturday, so hopefully now it's under 140 (and looks like staying there?) we should have some good news later today or tomorrow.

If the permits site is still showing Mystery as closed tomorrow, am I to understand that I'd be wasting my time by waiting outside the window overnight to get a permit for Saturday? I can think of much nicer places to spend the night :roll:

[Cirrus2000]

I'd give the BC desk a call, if I were you, to see whether it's worth it. 435-772-0170. That said, they'll not commit, I'm sure. Give them a hypothetical "If the flow were to remain below 140 for all of Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, when is the soonest I could get a permit for Mystery..."

[sarahlizzy]

I'd give the BC desk a call, if I were you, to see whether it's worth it. 435-772-0170. That said, they'll not commit, I'm sure. Give them a hypothetical "If the flow were to remain below 140 for all of Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, when is the soonest I could get a permit for Mystery..."

Will be there tomorrow lunchtime, so I will walk in and have a chat with them, assuming its not already open anyway (I'm one of those strange people who dislikes using phones, other than with friends).

[Cirrus2000]

Will be there tomorrow lunchtime, so I will walk in and have a chat with them, assuming its not already open anyway (I'm one of those strange people who dislikes using phones, other than with friends).

Sweet!

Jealous!

(Yeah, I'm not a big phoner either - my wife gets on my case about it, actually. I totally get that.)

[trackrunner]

134 csfs right now. looks like it has spiked back up a little. was under 130 at one point this day.

[sarahlizzy]

The permits site is now showing the narrows as being open.

[jman]

The permits site is now showing the narrows as being open.

Hmm.. On the slot-canyon permits, it lists the day-use trail opening on the 23rd. I misread initially and thought it was the 27th, but it looks like the 23rd is when permits are being issued.

From the bottom-up, yes its open.

[ratagonia]

Hmm.. On the slot-canyon permits, it lists the day-use trail opening on the 23rd. I misread initially and thought it was the 27th, but it looks like the 23rd is when permits are being issued.

From the bottom-up, yes its open.

What it says on the website - don't get too worked up about that. They have a rule, and they are very good at following rules. Under 120 two days in a row - it opens from the top. It has been totally stinkin hot out down here, so it is unlikely to go back up again after going under 120. Any day now.

Tom

[sarahlizzy]

Hmm.. On the slot-canyon permits, it lists the day-use trail opening on the 23rd. I misread initially and thought it was the 27th, but it looks like the 23rd is when permits are being issued.

From the bottom-up, yes its open.

And they're also listing walk in permits for Mystery, Englestead, Imlay & Orderville as being available.

[sarahlizzy]

What it says on the website - don't get too worked up about that. They have a rule, and they are very good at following rules. Under 120 two days in a row - it opens from the top. It has been totally stinkin hot out down here, so it is unlikely to go back up again after going under 120. Any day now.

Yeah, the N/A thing seems not to be taken all that literally - a few hours ago Mystery was "N/A" for the next 7 days. Now they are showing availability for tomorrow (Thursday as I write this).

[jman]

Yeah, the N/A thing seems not to be taken all that literally - a few hours ago Mystery was "N/A" for the next 7 days. Now they are showing availability for tomorrow (Thursday as I write this).

Hmm.... Didn't know about that rule. That's interesting, because I would have assumed by the NPS website and not have checked back for available until that date it says its open...and would have been screwed realizing it opened up earlier...

Are there other rules similar to this too?

[Iceaxe]

Looks like the Zion Narrows will be openning up.... the river is at 121 cfs this morning and 120 is the magic number. :clap:

And I assume the reason Mystery is now shown open on the NPS page is because that canyon opens up at 140 cfs. :nod: