The Virgin Narrows Hike

The Virgin Narrows hike is one of the most unique hikes I've ever done. One reason for this is that for the most part, the Virgin River is the trail. Here are some pictures of the hike itself:

This picture shows a typical river crossing early in the hike. The trail often crosses from one side of the river to the other whenever a shoulder ends. At first many hikers try to avoid getting wet. It quickly becomes inevitable.

Many sections of the hike look like this - where the only trail is the river cutting through the cliffs on either side. The river is filled with many rocks and boulders that create additional challenges - especially when the river is murky and you can't see the bottom. Many underwater rocks become covered with moss, which make them particularly slippery when you walk on them.

 Often, it is easier to just hike in the river rather than climb the embankments. My uncle climbed one such embankment to get a picture of the rest of us as we trudged through the river.

Occasionally, obstacles like this fallen tree will cross the trail. Then you have to decide whether to go over, around, or under the obstacle. This particular tree was at the front of the flood about an hour after we crossed under it.

More pictures later.