April 2015
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Return to Kanarraville Falls

When we visited southern Utah last year with my parents, Janet and I had the opportunity to take the girls on an incredible creek-walk hike through the Kanarraville Falls slot canyon. The only reason I knew the place existed was because we were hunting a geocache, of course. Unfortunately, at that time the cache was missing (probably washed away in a flash flood), but it still ranked as one of my favorite day hikes ever. This year I was fortunate enough to vacation again in St. George, and I was thrilled to have another opportunity to hike through the Kanarraville Falls slot canyon, this time with my Dad, brother in law, and nephew. The cache had been replaced since my last visit, and I’m very pleased to say that this time there was no trouble finding it at all. Woo-hoo!

In the thinnest parts of the slot canyon, the walls rarely get narrower than 15-20 feet, but there are nice stretches where the walls are nearly vertical and parallel, towering 40 or 50 feet above your head, winding back and forth with the river, always making you wonder what’s around that next bend. There are a couple parts in the narrow slot where you need to ascend a makeshift ladder in order to advance further. The first ladder is pretty solid, if a bit awkward. The second one, however, is a bit sketchy (although it’s quite a bit better now than it was last year). It all adds up to high adventure! Frankly, it’s incredible, and pictures just can’t adequately convey the awesomeness because of the scale and tricky lighting. Nevertheless, here are some pictures to give you just a taste.

The entrance to the slot canyon

The entrance to the slot canyon

Not even a panoramic shot can adequately capture the awesomeness

Not even a panoramic shot can adequately capture the awesomeness

Climbing the first ladder

Climbing the first ladder

Looking back towards the first waterfall

Looking back towards the first waterfall

Entering the second stretch of slot canyon

Entering the second stretch of slot canyon

The "ladder" at the second waterfall

The “ladder” at the second waterfall

Scaling the second waterfall

Scaling the second waterfall

Not as narrow, but the cliff walls were very high here

Not as narrow, but the cliff walls were very high here

The shadows were getting longer, and we had to turn back

The shadows were getting longer, and we had to turn back

Heading for home

Heading for home

What a fantastic hike!

What a fantastic hike!

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