Zion in June

[Scout Master]

The Boys have chosen to make Zion NP their destination this year and want to do it the first week of June. I am concerned about high water in the canyons. I would like to hear some comments on what canyons may be accessible, what kinds of conditions we can expect and what other alternatives we should consider.

[oldno7]

I can't imagine anyone giving you a good answer for at least another couple months. As of right now I would say find somewhere else, lots of snow--high and low in the entire drainage.

[tanya]

How about Birch Hollow. A fun one to take the kids on would be Red Cave.


http://www.zionnational-park.com/zion-red-cave.htm

[Scott Card]

You gotta bump this to the canyons section. What gear will the boys have, specifically, will they have wet suits?

[Scout Master]

Ropes Harness and Helmets but NO wet suits.

[Scott Card]

How many in your group? Remember the stupid permit limits. Your choices without wet suits may be limited in the Park proper. My guess, yes guess, is that most canyons if not all will still be tippy top full. Canyons you can do where you are mostly dry would be Mystery until the end (have fun with the permit system) Behunin - but then heat will be an issue unless you get an early start, Spry may be ok. Echo may be ok since the exposure is short and Keyhole is also short. Others who have more experience than I please pipe up. Also, Tanya's suggestion of Red Cave is a good one. It is a fun little place that does hold some water but is short and one can explore as much or as little as you want.

[trackrunner]

So far there is a large snow pack for the Virgin River, see the other thread in canyoneering form. If it keeps up early June may prevent any canyoneering that ends in the narrows. Birch & Misery are close to the park but not in the park and no permit needed. Misery will have water and ends in the east fork of the Virgin, but I'm not sure on how swift it will be there. Birch does not have flowing water (when not flashing). Yankee Doodle is out by Silver Reef (not right by the park) and would be fine. Water Canyon out by Hildale is an easy hike.

If still going in June I'd mix it up if you can't get into some classic canyons that end in the narrows go to the other mentioned canyons. Mix it up by also non tech-hiking in the park and nearby. There are neat things to see inside the park and out. Check out Tanya's webpage for hikes in the park and outside the park.

[jb]

Echo may be ok since the exposure is short

Echo is the only Zion canyon I have done in high summer (late June) and I found plenty of water. It took our group of seven perhaps 3-4 leisurely hours from drop-in to rejoin the trail, and nobody was too warm, even with 5mm of neoprene. Personally I wouldn't consider Echo without a suit, but then I am mostly skin and bone.

[trackrunner]

Echo may be ok since the exposure is short

Echo is the only Zion canyon I have done in high summer (late June) and I found plenty of water. It took our group of seven perhaps 3-4 leisurely hours from drop-in to rejoin the trail, and nobody was too warm, even with 5mm of neoprene. Personally I wouldn't consider Echo without a suit, but then I am mostly skin and bone.

I've heard Echo can be cold. I’m also skin & bones. Someone also mentioned Keyhole and I thought I should share my two cents in on Keyhole, it has water too. The one time I did it the temp was in the 90's. I took my time and was cold. Once I started to shiver I got out of there ASAP to get warm in the heat. Pinecreek would be about the same without a wetsuit. If your going to take young scouts through some cold water canyons they’d need to have done the canyon before to tell for themselves if they don’t need a wetsuit.

[Scott Card]

Given the fact that I am the one that suggested Echo and Keyhole, I found Keyhole to be a fast fun romp. I have done it several times w/o a wet suit but then again, I haven't been accused of being skin and bones since high school. All canyons depend on skill experience and conditions. When I did Echo, I don't remember getting wet but once. But that was at the end of a dry summer. So...... again, ask the question in a couple of months when we have a better feel for the snow pack. Also, ask the question in the canyoneering forum since I know many of the gurus don't dabble in this general section of this site.

[trackrunner]

Given the fact that I am the one that suggested Echo and Keyhole, I found Keyhole to be a fast fun romp. I have done it several times w/o a wet suit but then again, I haven't been accused of being skin and bones since high school. All canyons depend on skill experience and conditions. When I did Echo, I don't remember getting wet but once. But that was at the end of a dry summer. So...... again, ask the question in a couple of months when we have a better feel for the snow pack. Also, ask the question in the canyoneering forum since I know many of the gurus don't dabble in this general section of this site.

Scott it all depends on the weather and the water. When it is 110 outside Keyhole when done fast in lower water might be all right without wetsuits, Echo might be the same. Pinecreek can be done without wetsuits and some times wetsuits are a must.

[tanya]

Given the fact that I am the one that suggested Echo and Keyhole, I found Keyhole to be a fast fun romp. I have done it several times w/o a wet suit but then again, I haven't been accused of being skin and bones since high school. All canyons depend on skill experience and conditions. When I did Echo, I don't remember getting wet but once. But that was at the end of a dry summer. So...... again, ask the question in a couple of months when we have a better feel for the snow pack. Also, ask the question in the canyoneering forum since I know many of the gurus don't dabble in this general section of this site.

Scott it all depends on the weather and the water. When it is 110 outside Keyhole when done fast in lower water might be all right without wetsuits, Echo might be the same. Pinecreek can be done without wetsuits and some times wetsuits are a must.

It's been a wet year, so I would guess Echo is quite wet. I have done it when there was hardly a drop of water in there and with Shane and Bo when there was quite a bit. I would not have wanted to be in there without a wetsuit. I seem to remember Shane shiverring in his thinner suit while he was waiting for me to snap so many photos.

Echo Canyon


But then I would not want to do Keyhole without one either. I am a wimp! I remember the youngsters screaming that went right before us without wetsuits. I think they were a bit chilled!
Keyhole

Keyhole

[accadacca]

Hot Zion babe alert!

[trackrunner]

Hot Zion babe alert!

That is true when a model can play and pose in smelly pothole soup and not dry heave.

This takes skill


nice pics by the way

[deagol]

I wanted to dig up this thread since I will be in Zion this June (2012) and had the same concerns as the Original Poster. I can't rememebr how the snowpack was in 2008, but this year, it is pretty low in my neck of the woods. It is still early to predict water levels for June, but does anyone have thoughts about canyons in Zion this upcoming June (water levels, etc.)

Thanks...

[trackrunner]

way to early to ask. april time frame the status would be more certain. average of the narrows opening (below 120cfs) is probably sometime around mid to late May? You can check yourself with the historical river gauge data online.

Given the current trend going forward the narrows may never close b/c spring runoff.

[ratagonia]

I wanted to dig up this thread since I will be in Zion this June (2012) and had the same concerns as the Original Poster. I can't rememebr how the snowpack was in 2008, but this year, it is pretty low in my neck of the woods. It is still early to predict water levels for June, but does anyone have thoughts about canyons in Zion this upcoming June (water levels, etc.)

Thanks...

"NORMALLY, The Narrows is closed for a week or two in April"... well, hard to say where that quote came from, but it is relatively true if normal means droughtish. Given almost zero snowpack at this point, I would say it is quite likely that whatever Narrows closure occurs this year, it will not extend into June. Into May perhaps. But that is a specific answer about the Narrows - do you have a specific question that is not that?

Tom

[deagol]

I was hoping we could do Mystery (if we can get a permit) and/or Pine Creek, Spry, or maybe even Subway...

I guess I don't have a "specific" question as much as I'm looking for general input about these canyons at what might be a low-water (for June) level (??). We had a trip scheduled for Yosemite this June that had to be moved to Zion for logistical reasons. If snowpack was like it was last winter, I think I would have changed the dates from June, but so many other details were in place that I was burned out on trip planning and hoping the lower than normal snowpack would allow us to do some of these Zion canyons without going through the brain damage of re-scheduling our trip...
So, I guess I am taking a slight gamble by not moving the trip from June to a later time of year, perhaps..

[ratagonia]

I was hoping we could do Mystery (if we can get a permit) and/or Pine Creek, Spry, or maybe even Subway...

I guess I don't have a "specific" question as much as I'm looking for general input about these canyons at what might be a low-water (for June) level (??). We had a trip scheduled for Yosemite this June that had to be moved to Zion for logistical reasons. If snowpack was like it was last winter, I think I would have changed the dates from June, but so many other details were in place that I was burned out on trip planning and hoping the lower than normal snowpack would allow us to do some of these Zion canyons without going through the brain damage of re-scheduling our trip...
So, I guess I am taking a slight gamble by not moving the trip from June to a later time of year, perhaps..

June in Zion, this year - not a sure bet... but pretty close. Tom

[deagol]

June in Zion, this year - not a sure bet... but pretty close. Tom

That's good enough for me....

or at least it will have to be.