The Subway Canyoneering Route and Russell Gulch, Zion National Park, UT

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A late fall weekend. Zion beckoned. Rain in the forecast.

Trail intersection. Some quick notes. More drizzle.

Down the slickrock. Polly and Tom. Andrew takes pics.

Russell Gulch. Pretty fall colors. Short captions easy.

First big drop. Pull wetsuits on. Still chilly.

Nice first drop past pothole. Water knee deep.

Bagging the rope. There is no “I” in Canyoneering

Quick downclimb avoids the water. Polly observes.

Nice walking. All drops bolted. Toss that rope.

Polly Polly Polly Polly Polly Polly.

Beautiful canyon. Fun little drops. Nirvana?

Rain has stopped. Big smile. Awkward start.

Overhanging rock. Free rappel. Polly observes.

Rejoin regular route. Still kind of chilly. Head downcanyon.

Hiking downcanyon. Nice leaves. Purty

Working through rocks. First obstacle. No big deal.

Good stuff.

Entering the water. How deep!? Filled with sand.

Couple of swims. No pictures? Keep camera dry.

Rumours of the potholes’ demise were greatly exaggerated. The beautiful pools are somewhat filled with sand and the experience was definitely different. Perhaps the meltoff from this winter’s snow will wash a bunch of the sand out. It’s not bad, just somewhat different.

Nice Pools. Very gentle light. Feel Solitude.

Some people ask, why is it called “The Subway.” Seems obvious to me.

Rain picks up. Time to motor two hours out.

Heat no problem. Pizza Noodle beckons. Let’s go.