Zion National Park in mid-January

[John Knez]

I have an opportunity to visit Zion in mid-January. I'll be flying in
and out of Las Vegas. I'll be able to spend 3 full days at the park. I
have a couple questions.

1. Are the roads between Zion and Las Vegas likely to be a problem a
problem in mid-January? I'll be traveling during the day time both ways.
2. What are some good day hikes in Zion that time of year?

Thanks.

---
John Knez

[Raptor]

John Knez wrote:
> I have an opportunity to visit Zion in mid-January. I'll be flying in
> and out of Las Vegas. I'll be able to spend 3 full days at the park. I
> have a couple questions.
>
> 1. Are the roads between Zion and Las Vegas likely to be a problem a
> problem in mid-January? I'll be traveling during the day time both ways.

They will be clean and dry the vast majority of the time. Major Winter
storms can impact them, but this is not common and lasts less than 1 day
99% of the time. Remember, on one side of the border is a desert getting
hardly any water, and on the other side is a desert getting just a few
inches a year.

> 2. What are some good day hikes in Zion that time of year?

The usual fat tourist trails will be open. The higher trails will
probably be snow or ice-covered in spots: Doable for much of their distance.

Angel's Landing MAY be passable but check carefully with the rangers.
The last time I hiked it in January I could easily have died from an
800-foot fall. It was foolhardy to cross that icy spot, but I did
anyway, claws extended from my fingertips just in case!

--
--
Lynn Wallace http://www.xmission.com/~lawall
"We should not march into Baghdad. ... Assigning young soldiers to
a fruitless hunt for a securely entrenched dictator and condemning
them to fight in what would be an unwinnable urban guerilla war, it
could only plunge that part of the world into ever greater
instability." George Bush Sr. in his 1998 book "A World Transformed"

[dahu...@gmail.com]

You could rent a dry suit from an outfitter in Springdale and head up
the Narrows. One mile of tourist sidewalk, then head up river and
leave everyone behind. In the summer this area is mobbed, enjoy the
solitude. Two miles up is a side canyon (Orderville) you can explore
to get out of the water, or continue up the main channel.

In winter you may be treated to waterfalls coming over the canyon
walls. The Emerald Pools trail is very tame but could be a pretty
choice.

Along I-15 between St. George and Cedar City is the Kolob Canyon
section of the park. These canyon walls face south, so if there is
much snow to contend with in the main canyon this other area may melt
sooner.

As far as the road itself, Vegas --> St. George is 2 hours of
interstate freeway. From St. George --> Springdale is another hour
roughly, of well-populated state road. No problems driving there
either, unless you happen to be in a storm.

Fester

[Raptor]

dahu...@gmail.com wrote:
> You could rent a dry suit from an outfitter in Springdale and head up
> the Narrows. One mile of tourist sidewalk, then head up river and
> leave everyone behind. In the summer this area is mobbed, enjoy the
> solitude. Two miles up is a side canyon (Orderville) you can explore
> to get out of the water, or continue up the main channel.

Definitely! The stream will be low enough that you could get by with hip
waders, though hiking a distance in those might be no one's idea of fun.
But starting about a quarter-mile beyond the end of the sidewalk, the
canyon just gets cooler (in oh-wow terms) with every step. And
Orderville is very much worth the walk.