Kolob Terrace advice

I'm a total canyoneering newbie who's heading down to Zion for the Labor Day weekend. I've got a permit for the top-down Subway route on Aug.31, Orderville on Sept.1, and plan on hiking the West Rim trail on Sept.2.

My question is, what are the chances that I can hitch a ride on the Kolob Terrace Road to get to my Subway/West Rim trailheads? Is the traffic heavy enough that I could easily find a ride? I checked with Zion Adventure Company and their Subway shuttle is fully booked. I'll check out alternate services, but was hoping I could chance it and hitch instead.

I'd say your chances are about 99% you will catch a ride in 15 minutes if you arrive during the normal morning hours when others are doing the Subway hike. Also folks that drive the road often are usually good about picking up hikers as they understand the situation.

If you or your hiking partner is an attractive female your odds go to 100% and the time frame decreases to 5 minutes. Cute kids also have the same results.

At least that has been my experience, your mileage may vary.

Tap'n on my Galaxy G3

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Originally Posted by 2pter

My question is, what are the chances that I can hitch a ride on the Kolob Terrace Road to get to my Subway/West Rim trailheads? Is the traffic heavy enough that I could easily find a ride? I checked with Zion Adventure Company and their Subway shuttle is fully booked. I'll check out alternate services, but was hoping I could chance it and hitch instead.

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Cool itinerary. Sounds like fun.

Hitching a ride to the top of The Subway is easy. Do that.

For the WR TH, I bet you could easily hitchhike to the beginning of Lava Point Road, but then you would have to hike 2.2 miles down to the TH.

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Originally Posted by Iceaxe

If you or your hiking partner is an attractive female your odds go to 100% and the time frame decreases to 5 minutes. Cute kids also have the same results.

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Curse this Y chromosome I inherited from my father! I guess I'll just try to look as non-threatening as possible. Maybe being Asian will help in that department.

Is there such thing as standard hitchhiking etiquette? Should I offer to contribute $5-10 towards gas?

Also, should I expect similar luck hitching from Springdale to Orderville? Seems like traffic would be much heavier on SR-9.

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Originally Posted by 2pter

Also, should I expect similar luck hitching from Springdale to Orderville? Seems like traffic would be much heavier on SR-9.

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Starting Orderville early is key to a good time. Because the hitchhike would be very long, you might be VERY late starting your hike. I'd hire a shuttle for sure.

The Subway is an easy hitch as it's only a couple miles up the same road.

West Rim is difficult but doable if you are prepared to hike the final road to the trailhead. A large easy to read sign stating Lava Point might increase your chances. I'd hire a shuttle.

Orderville would be an extremely difficult hitch from Springdale, I'd hire a shuttle for sure.



Tap'n on my Galaxy G3

You might want to rethink your top down hike through Orderville...I'm just did it and am going to put up a trip report right now.

BTW...the hitchhiking thing on Kolob road is super easy, I've done it many times. Don't stress it at all.

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Originally Posted by Byron

You might want to rethink your top down hike through Orderville...I'm just did it and am going to put up a trip report right now.

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Interesting. So you would recommend the Narrows bottom-up route instead? In that case would it be better to head up Orderville first in the morning, or hit it up in the afternoon after going to Big Springs and back?

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Originally Posted by 2pter

Interesting. So you would recommend the Narrows bottom-up route instead? In that case would it be better to head up Orderville first in the morning, or hit it up in the afternoon after going to Big Springs and back?

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Might want to re-think the Narrows Hike "Bottom Up" to Orderville?
http://www.zionnational-park.com/zio...lle-canyon.htm


Travel upstream into Orderville Canyon or beyond Big Spring is prohibited. It is 2.5 miles upstream from Orderville to Big Spring, making the roundtrip hike up to Big Spring and back to the shuttle stop 10 miles. No permit is required for this day hike. Group size limits (12 people per group) do apply beyond the junction with Orderville Canyon. Please remember to use the restroom at the Temple of Sinawava before starting your hike; there are none in The Narrows.

And for what it's worth...The Orderville hike is FANTASTIC! Hope you enjoy!

I agree with Bo, top down Orderville is easily one of the three best hikes in the park. I personally rank it just below Subway and just above the Narrows.

YMMV

Tap'n on my Galaxy G3

Listen boys...I'm not saying Orderville sucks, not by any means. I would just go up from the bottom. It's simply not worth it (in my opinion) to pay ZAC $25 to drive you up there or the brain damage involved in a shuttle of your own for two solid hours of blah.

So the park has a rule forbidding people from going up Orderville without a permit? That's friggin' funny...considering dozens of folks every single day seemed to have missed the memo!

I ran into the first group of hikers that had come up from the bottom at the second obstacle (they had climbed the first). They asked what was up ahead...I told them another obstacle in about a half hour (the big chokestone) that they might not be able to get up (a bunch of kids, fully clothed and soaking wet and shivering) and then a nice little section of narrows just beyond it. After that, it's a dud and just turn around if you make it that far...which isn't really far at all.

Soon after them, I encountered more and more people. So it seems that the park service is hardly enforcing the "rule".

So 2pter...do as you please. I think you might be surprised (like I was) how quickly you encounter people from the bottom once the canyon gets really nice. Save the $25 per person or the gas money for other things. Just my opinion.

One more thing. See the two folks off in the distance in this picture? Ross and I were here at the Big Springs when dayhikers came up from the bottom. As we proceeded downcanyon, we ran into at least a dozen other quick moving hikers coming up that were hell bent on making it to the springs. It's a piece of cake, really, for fit people that can move easily in the river. Again...lots of folks "breaking the rule"...with, I would imagine, zero consequences.

With that said, If I were to take someone brand new to the park, I would pay for the shuttle to do the Narrows from the top down....Orderville, bottom up on another day. Don't try Big Springs and most of Orderville in one day...unless you're pretty badass and can hump all day long.