Just a little background detail, Mystery Canyon is a slot canyon located inside Zion National Park. Only twelve people are allowed through the canyon per day so it is very untouched by human hands (with the exceptions of bolts, anchors, etc.) It takes about eight hours to complete the canyon and is approximately six miles long.
As I have mentioned in previous posts, I have completed Mystery Canyon twice. Once in 2008 and once in 2012. I decided to re post the details of my trip through from a post I published on our family blog because it is a not as commonly seen but a spectacularly gorgeous part of Zion National Park.
While the trip through Mystery Canyon that I am describing wasn't new to us, it was even more enjoyable the second time through because we found ourselves discovering new details and enjoying the experiences even more.
We followed the East Mesa trail head because it eliminates the need to hike from Weeping Rock (which involves a huge elevation gain). The only complication to this is that it involves a shuttle system with cars which makes it a long day for the drivers. The hike to the canyon overlook is 2.5 miles and the view is absolutely breathtaking.
The first part of the descent is into the aptly named "death gully" (I agree with the name because the first time that we went through Mystery Canyon there were numerous occasions where I slipped and fell on my butt and also where I nearly tumbled headfirst down the hill.) This time I was more wise in my choice of footwear and gloves, and also in my use of the "five-point climb." The hike down is about a half-mile and the elevation changes by 1,000 feet which tells you just how steep it is.
It was amazing to me how different the canyon looked during the Fall as opposed to the Summer. The leaves were gorgeous and we were able to enjoy them for another half-mile as we hiked along the narrowing walls of the canyon.
The surface of the rock is fascinating because of the weathering that has occurred over time. I especially loved the towering waterfall. I am sure it would be a very dangerous sight to behold in a flash flood so I would rather be very far away from this canyon during a storm.
We made great time during the first seven rappels. My husband is very experienced in preparing the ropes and we were lucky to have our neighbors along who are very experienced at belaying and could help guide us over the tricky parts of the rappel (including those with lots of water). After the first rappel we caught up to the only other group allowed in the canyon for the day and they let us pass because they had young teenagers with them.
There were only a few rappels that had water at the bottom, and that water was surprisingly deep! Those blessed with height and long legs (not me) and in the case of my brother-in-law Spider-Man capabilities, managed to successfully avoid every single pool of water. I unfortunately was not blessed with those skills and so when stemming was no longer an option, I gave up and fell into the water. It was the coldest water of my life, and came up all the way to my neck! My sister fell in too so I didn't feel so bad, and the neighbor because he lost his balance. As a result I was wet for the rest of the day.
Continuing on we came to more level ground and arrived at "Landslide Lake." The landslide happened sometime during the 1970s when a giant slab of the wall came crashing down. When we completed the canyon in the month of June the lake was dried up and it was a pleasant walk to the top of the landslide. We noticed lots of broken wood in the area this time which means that a flash flood swept through the canyon within the recent time period and there was a LOT of water in the "lake." It only came up to my knees but it was murky stagnant water. I don't know what sense of bravado came over me at that point but I volunteered to go first. I figured I was wet already. Not thinking very clearly and just wanting to get it over with, I walked straight through the middle. The others were smart enough to go around on the side where it wasn't as deep. When I got across the lake I scrambled to the top of the landslide as fast as I could because I saw a large cave with animal scat outside.
We enjoyed nice scenery at the top of the pile while we ate our lunch.
Our next rappel was quick and soon we made it to one of the bigger rappels, into Mystery Springs. The rappel involves walking out onto a sloping ledge about forty feet to get to the anchor point from which you rappel. On our first experience in the canyon there was no hand-line to hold as you walked out the forty feet. Thankfully since then someone has added a rope that you can use to strap yourself into as you walk (or crawl in my case). It is a really cool rappel if you can get past the sloping ledge. It is the ninth rappel and is about 135 feet total. It involves rappelling onto a boulder, and then into the springs (if you aren't lucky enough to be pulled over the springs.) The rappel is well worth it because the scenery is beautiful. Imagine a "hanging gardens" of sort with water seeping out of the walls and one pretty deep pool (which was thankfully warm.) I have heard that Mystery Springs is where the name Mystery Canyon comes from because the source of the springs is unknown. I have also heard that the name Mystery comes from the fact that the canyon wasn't explored until the 1960s. Our group made it down the rappel with one slight mishap. when we pulled our rope down it got wedged between the boulder. In most situations this could mean the difference between being stuck in the canyon overnight or not. Quite thankfully the group that was behind us showed up at the right moment and were able to unwedge our rope.
From this point there is one more minor rappel and some down climbing in flowing water. The last rappel is my very favorite, despite the fact that it can be a little intimidating. It is a 130 foot rappel down a waterfall and into the Narrows. The rappel is slippery but amazingly fun! Usually there are tons of tourists watching from the river as you come down, and it is really just delightful. It is always my proudest moment because I am finished and have conquered the canyon. It doesn't hurt that it makes for a pretty awesome photo-ops too.
And truly when I am finished with the Canyon, I can't think of a better way to spend the evening than watching the sun set over Zion National Park and then heading to
Oscar's Cafe in Springdale for a delicious meal. My husband would add sleeping in a nice comfy bed to the list on the perfect way to end a long day in the canyon, but usually we aren't that lucky because we are much too tired to drive home. A night of sleeping under the stars is also nice.
