The Narrows - Utah
If you’re curious to know what hiking in an icy cold river feels like, continue reading on. I promise, you will not be disappointed…..
I hate being cold, so when Kyle proposed his idea to hike “The Narrows” in the middle of winter in a friggin frigid river, my answer was “NO”. Over the next few days, I gave it a thought. I knew his ideas were always unique and full of adventure, so I somehow convinced myself and got on board.
“The Narrows” in winter is truly intimidating on the surface. The temperatures can fluctuate rapidly, and flash floods can happen without warning. We were determined to attempt this hike in the winter, so we needed to have thorough preparation. There are a lot of things to think about that you don’t necessarily deal with on other hikes- water flow rates, flash flood potential, special gear, and the challenge of hiking upstream in a waist-to-chest deep freezing cold river for many many miles.
The day before we decided to attempt this crazy stunt, we researched all about “The Narrows”. We found a store in Zion National Park that rents out special suits for nutcases like us. Next morning, we hit the road on the first ray of light and drove straight to the store. The store owner fitted us with wet suits as well as dry suits. Our package also included porous shoes and neoprene socks. This was the first time I learned about neoprene socks. I’d never worn them before and I have been fascinated by them ever since. The store owner warned us about potential flash floods, and showed us a 20 minute safety video.
We packed all our gear and headed to the Virgin River. I can still feel the chills I got when I stepped for the first time in this freezing river. But a minute later I was perfectly fine. It’s because of these magical little neoprene socks. The way this works is, pores in the shoes let water inside. The neoprene socks trap the cold water and doesn’t let it out. The water inside the sock warms up due to body heat and keeps you warm throughout the hike.
The wetsuit-drysuit combination was pretty fascinating too. The two layers are separated by a layer of air. This void keeps the cold water from touching the body surface completely (unless you decide to do a back flip in it).
What made the Narrows so magical for us was the overall hiking experience. As we hiked through silky, turquoise river flowing between this 2000 feet tall canyon, we couldn’t help but notice the faint beams of sunlight bouncing off the colorful canyon walls. To top it off, the red rocks were all topped with fresh snow.
I was happy I kept my DSLR camera, but at the same time I regretted throwing out all my food to reduce weight in my little bag I carried. Hiking upstream required twice as energy, and by the end of the day dehydration and hunger got to my head and I began to hate myself for choosing camera over food. We hiked about 10 hours out and back in this canyon. Thanks to Kyle for giving me some of his food and dragging me out of there alive. I’d definitely recommend this hike though. It’s challenging, it’s unique, and it will leave you awe-inspired. Just don’t throw out your food and you’ll be fine.
HIKE DETAILS:
There are two ways to do the 16-mile hike. You can either hike the top-to-bottom route which requires a permit, or you can hike the bottom-to-top, which me and my friend Kyle decided to do. The hike to the Narrows begins with a one-mile walk out on a paved trail that abruptly ends at the Virgin River. From there, the hike eventually takes you upstream for as long as 15 miles.
CAUTION:
Do not do this hike if the forecast calls for rain. A strong enough rainstorm can quickly turn a calm and shallow stream into a deadly wall of rushing water. Please check the Wilderness Desk for any advisories.
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