After a cloudless sunrise today (Towers of the Virgin behind the museum) I am charging the batteries in the campground's lobby and heading to the Narrows later. I got the permit for the Subway for tomorrow - anyone else going there tomorrow?
As to the fall colors update: most of the trees are still green with maybe 20-30% yellow or turning yellow. No brown leaves as I saw two weeks ago in the Eastern Sierras. And it is cold at night, especially if you are stupid enough to camp in a tent by the river
Typically, early November is the best time for colors there. It certainly ain't stupid to camp near a river. You probably did not have the proper sleeping bag.
Have fun up there and stay warm next to that river. I'll be doing the same in few weeks otherwise I'd join you. I'm stupid too. In a few weeks it will be colder.
Boil some water, bottle it and throw it in you sleeping bag!
Thanks for the update,
I'll be out there over Halloween wknd if any one wants to hike the subway with me?
I'll be camping at mosquito cove along the river
Kurt
I'm there Nov 1 through the 11th. I figure I'll have a good window of opportunity. Thanks for the update! I plan on doing Subway during my stay there at some point. If anyone who is there the 1st through the 11th sees a young dude in his late 20's shooting an 8x10, it's probably me.
"Bottom-Up" is just a long hike and the one I'm taking.
tibber59 wrote:
In reading info on the Subway, it sounds like its quite a technical hike (rope repelling). Can someone who has done the hike confirm this?
Good to know and thanks for the info! On the bottom up hike, how long of a hike it it (time and distance), and do you need to rent the wet suits that The Zion Adventure company rents to hike the narrows?
The long way is from the East Fork trailhead. It's about eight miles roundtrip with fair amount of stream and boulder hopping. The descent from the trailhead down into the canyon is quite a grunt coming back out. Wear shoes that you can get wet but no need for a wet suit. Start early in the morning or you'll be hiking back out in the dark.
I was there Thursday, a week ago. Here is a link to a hidef video I shot of the hike and a few stills in a slide show format. YouTube hidef is pretty sucky, so excuse. The young bearded fellow works for me in my gallery near St. George...his name is Tyler and a pretty accomplished photographer.
I am currently in Zion, typing this on my iPhone at a campground picnic table.
I drove up the canyon today to scout some shots. The color is starting to look very good at the far end of the canyon (the area around the narrows, as well as the grotto). I'm pretty sure it will be in it's prime later this week.
I shot a few photos of the river this afternoon, and got a bottom up permit for subway tomorrow. I am planning on a super early start for subway.
Those of you who are arriving in a week should have some pretty good conditions. However it is already perfectly shootable as is.
I hiked subway today. I started early, around 4:30AM, and finished just after 6PM. I ran into quite a few FMers today. I will be taking it easy tomorrow, no big hikes.
Fall color is past it's prime along the Left Fork on the hike to subway. It will be nearly gone by the weekend. Not many photos in that area rely on fall color though. If you are planning on shooting the cascades over the red sandstone, it is still quite a nice shot, but the leaves are nearly gone
The light is best on The main part of Subway in the early afternoon. Morning gives pretty good light too, but it is very ideal after 1PM.
I descended The Subway from above with Bart and Robyn yesterday, and had a 'full day', 12 hours on the move with a number of mishaps and misadventures, but still glad for the experience to see such an amazing place that was hard to believe it was real. My tripod and ballhead now rest at the bottom of a deep icy black pool. It was nice to meet Ben shooting just below the final rappel point. I wish I was able to be more social, but hypothermia and muscle cramps were getting the best of me, and I just had to focus on getting out of there.
Icypeak wrote:
I descended The Subway from above with Bart and Robyn yesterday, and had a 'full day', 12 hours on the move with a number of mishaps and misadventures, but still glad for the experience to see such an amazing place that was hard to believe it was real. My tripod and ballhead now rest at the bottom of a deep icy black pool. It was nice to meet Ben shooting just below the final rappel point. I wish I was able to be more social, but hypothermia and muscle cramps were getting the best of me, and I just had to focus on getting out of there.
I got back today from the Zion. Yellows are peaking right now in the park. Gorgeous. We didn't go up Subway. There aren't any reds left (it's been too cold this year). A few days left!
