Going crazy from lack of movement, my ankle resting days were coming to an end when Jacqueline and I took off on a lovely summer's evening to hike the South Fork of Taylor Creek up in the Kolob Canyons. We got to the trailhead about 6:30pm after dealing with Jacqueline's van overheating once again from too much AC. The last month here has been so hot and dry, that we figured an evening hike would be our best bet. We were right. I did not even know that there was going to be a trail for the South Fork, but there ended up being one. The ankle was feeling well although the stability obviously was not there yet. The drainage was beau
tiful. I could just imagine that without the trail it would be a rough bushwhack to get anywhere. But with the trail, which wasn't much of anything except a sandy trampled down path, we could navigate quite swiftly. Soon we were closing in on where the canyon walls narrowed.
We could see it coming the whole time, but it was still impressive to look straight up on these nearly vertical walls falling a thousand feet down to the comfortable canyon floor. We were so happy for the evening shade provided as it was wonderful to not have to be sweating up a storm being outside in Southern Utah.
The canyon walls continued to close in even more until we were in a virtual slot canyon. Here we found a dead and decaying ringtail cat. Right after that, we found out where the canyon ended with a headwall coming into view. We climbed up aways and then finally hit something that I would not climb without someone experienced belaying me. So we had no choice but to turn around. The view back down the South Fork was just as impressive
as the view going up with the sun coming down on one of the longest days of the year. We enjoyed going back down and I was happy because the healing process on the ankle obviously was doing its trick. There was still some soreness there with the hike, but all and all, the ankle was in rather good shape. We hit the trailhead at about 8:30pm, so the hike itself was only about two hours. Still, I would have to rate it as one of the best short hikes in Zion that I have done.
tiful. I could just imagine that without the trail it would be a rough bushwhack to get anywhere. But with the trail, which wasn't much of anything except a sandy trampled down path, we could navigate quite swiftly. Soon we were closing in on where the canyon walls narrowed.
We could see it coming the whole time, but it was still impressive to look straight up on these nearly vertical walls falling a thousand feet down to the comfortable canyon floor. We were so happy for the evening shade provided as it was wonderful to not have to be sweating up a storm being outside in Southern Utah.
The canyon walls continued to close in even more until we were in a virtual slot canyon. Here we found a dead and decaying ringtail cat. Right after that, we found out where the canyon ended with a headwall coming into view. We climbed up aways and then finally hit something that I would not climb without someone experienced belaying me. So we had no choice but to turn around. The view back down the South Fork was just as impressive
as the view going up with the sun coming down on one of the longest days of the year. We enjoyed going back down and I was happy because the healing process on the ankle obviously was doing its trick. There was still some soreness there with the hike, but all and all, the ankle was in rather good shape. We hit the trailhead at about 8:30pm, so the hike itself was only about two hours. Still, I would have to rate it as one of the best short hikes in Zion that I have done.
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