Slickrock and Shadow

Zion's Right Fork has much more to offer than the stunning Double Falls Zion National Park has a less-crowded, almost private canyon for exploration called the Right Fork.  Also known as the Great West Canyon, this Right Fork is just south of the Left Fork and the famous Subway.  This canyon is longer, deeper and requires more time to explore.  It's a full 6 miles of hiking just to reach the good stuff. Doubles Falls is the first amazing sight you will find here.  There isn't a prettier waterfall in Zion National Park.  I would argue this is the prettiest waterfall in all of Utah.  The setting is serene and so remote.  I swam here on both my visits and loved the showers coming off the upper shelf. Photography here is rich in possibilities.  This trip I took of photo of my wife and the canyon from behind the falls which you see above.  The water drops in 4 different wet sheets while I have a view down the Great West Canyon.  If ...

Waterfall, flowers and redrock located in Zion's Right Fork of North Creek Ever since hiking to Double Falls in 2011, I have wanted to return and explore further.  I made it happen this year and hiked all the way into the deepest part of the canyon possible without ropes, harnesses and such:  Barrier Falls.  While Barrier Falls is not particularly scenic, seeing the "Barrier" remains quite an accomplishment because the hiking here is so slow, rocky and wet.  The last mile is pure bushwhacking and bouldering. Below Barrier Falls, this smaller and idyllic pool and waterfall are located.  The waters are cool on my legs.  I'd often wade up to my thighs and sometimes higher.  I loved the sound of falling water on the rocks and a breeze through the trees.  No other disturbances in this remote location. I loved these little red flowers.  As I saw them, I wanted to include them somehow in a grander photograph of the surroundings.  Getti...

At the end of September I began a hike that I had planned on doing for several years: hiking up the right fork of North Creek in Zion National Park. This fork is adjacent to the more famous left fork, a.k.a. The Subway. The right fork is scenic in its own way but you work for your reward: 6 miles one-way hiking to reach the destination of Double Falls. This beautiful waterfall is part of a series of cascades coming off of slickrock. This is a perennial waterfall. While I was hiking in, I discovered a coyote following me, I came face-to-face with a raccoon and I discovered a very recent landslide which had created a very large pond where the trail had been. I decided to hike up the landslide and then descend back onto the trail farther along. This took a long time. On my way back, I chose to wade neck-deep to pass this obstacle. Double Falls is beautiful, private, clean and perfect.  The main waterfall splits into two separate falls just above a lovely pool.  I spent 2 t...