April 30, 2008 - Time Tunnel

Canon 5D, 24 - 105 mm f/4L IS 2 65 mm, f/16, 1/25 sec., ISO 400

We made a short trip to Zion NP this past weekend, in part to briefly escape the "big city". While we were only there about 24 hours, it was definitely worth the trip. One of the great things about going to a place like this - one you've visited a number of times before - is that you can ignore all of the iconic spots and seek out places that are rarely visited by the average tourist.

This slot canyon in the middle of a wash on the eastern side of the park is such a place. The further I walked into the wash, the quieter it got. I had decided on hiking into this area mostly because I've seen bighorn here on a previous trip. I didn't expect to see any in the middle of the day, but I was curious. This was, after all, a major thoroughfare for them. Well, some of the answers soon became obvious. There is a major water source here (a small pool at the base of a cliff). There is food here. And there is cover here (like this slot canyon).

Standing in this spot, the evidence of major water erosion is very evident. You wouldn't want to be standing here during a major rain storm. There are places here where the sand is as fine as what you'd find on any beach. How many flash floods have torn through this canyon over the centuries? How many people like me have stood in this spot, in this cool darkness, in complete awe of this ageless story of water and rock?