Puck Boy forgoes skating for hiking the Narrows in Zion National Park

Orderville Canyon
Originally uploaded by hymon.sheer

No skating for me today. Instead I practiced my crossovers wading across the Virgin River in the Narrows of Zion National Park.

It actually was pretty good practice, as often times I had to move laterally across the water, picking up one foot and crossing it over the other.

Plus, and don't get me wrong, the scenery was a tad bit better than your average ice rink. Water temps were running about 50 degrees and I had to wear dry pants, neoprene socks and special canyoneering shoes that were grippy.

I would rate the Narrows as one of the best hikes I've ever taken in a national park -- and I've done a fair amount of hiking in our parks. The accompanying photo was taken in Orderville Canyon, a tributary of the Virgin River.

Here's a link to some other photos from the Narrows on my Flickr page.
--Steve Hymon