Wall Street

This morning we awoke and went to a local outfitters to rent some gear for our next adventure. Canyoning. There is an area of the park that is called "The Narrows" and it involves walking up river for several miles. After getting fitted with the appropriate gear we set off up the dirt trail until it ended at Virgin River. We put on our special aqua socks and shoes and set off.

We started off in ankle deep water walking up the river. There are no trails or sidewalks where we were headed. You had to pick your way up the river, jumping from rock to rock or wading through the cold water. The shock of the 65 degree water hitting your lower extremities certainly got my attention. We tried to stick to the shore line where the water was shallow instead of charging down the middle of the river in chest deep water.

As you start up the river the only noise you hear is your feet breaking the surface of the water and the sound of rushing water over rocks. The sounds echo off the cliff walls. We set off early in the morning so the sun wasn't high enough in the sky to shine down on the canyon floor. The width of the river at this point is about 50 to 75' across. The cliff walls soar up to a dizzying 800 to 1400' above your head. Here the biggest killer is Flash Flooding. If it were to start raining miles up stream we would be hit with a wall of water that would sweep us downstream while we bounced off the cliffs and rocks.

At some point during our trek the water would get up around our waist and the cold would quickly shot through our body. We were thankful as the sun rose higher in the sky so that it started to shine down on the river where we were. The heat felt so good. We finally reached our destination after 3 hours of walking, hoping and jumping up river. Wall Street is a section of the river where the walls smother you so that the width is only 20' across. There is no where to hide from the cold water because the water has to squeeze between the towering cliffs and this goes on for a 1/4 mile stretch of the canyon. As you look up for the warming suns rays you realize that this part of the river has never seen direct sunlight because of the cliffs shapes and how narrow the river is in this part.

The sounds are so intense in Wall Street. The rock face is smooth from years of water shaping this area. You find little circular depressions in the rock walls where the water is pushing against the cliffs. As you turn a corner you are greeted by waterfalls that measure close to 150' to 200' tall and showers you with spectacular views. The one thing that we had to keep reminding ourselves about was to stop looking down so much. True, you had to pick where you planted your feet so that you wouldn't fall but all the beauty is hundreds of feet above your head. We would have to stop to just take it all in.

We sat down for a much deserved lunch. Of all the fine restaurants that we have been to around this globe, the view that we had for lunch today was the best. Where else could a peanut butter and jelly sandwich taste so good and have such incredible ambiance?

The walk back down the river was much faster. I don't know if it was because we were both anxious to get back and take off these big shoes or because we were both so tired of fighting the strong currents of the river that we just wanted it over. Tonight, we found a sports bar that has Internet connection and we are enjoying looking at the pictures while having a cold beverage.

Take a look at the pictures because it will give you a better idea of our day.