THE SUBWAY

The Subway is named for a particularly fascinating section of slot canyon on the Left Fork of North Creek.  The river has cut a curved keyhole shaped tunnel that really does resemble a subway station, except that instead of trains you get water flowing through, marvelous grottos and pools, waterfalls extraordinaire, chokestones to negotiate, ledges to climb, etc., etc.   Because it is a most photogenic canyon, perhaps the most in all of Zion, and because it is not particularly technical, as many as several hundred people have poured through here on a single day.  Now access is limited to 50 people per day, and although a limited number of permits can be picked up a day in advance, reservations are recommended during popular times of year (weekends, holidays, ...). 

I have done this as a hike up from the bottom, and twice from the top down, starting at the Wildcat trailhead.   The trail is pretty obvious.  A rope and rappel gear can be used, but many groups hand-line down the obstacles.  The former are certainly safer.  See the references for more details.

Photographically, plan on spending several hours in the slot.  It's just marvelous.  The best time of year is October, and the best light in the lower slot is around 3pm.  A tripod is, again, a must.  You will also need a way to protect your gear from water if coming down from above because there are several swimming sections that cannot be avoided.  The best solution is to buy a nylon drybag (better than PVC because it's lighter and more flexible) and make a carry bag out of quilting or fleece that won't shed.  Put your camera in the quilted padding bag, put that in the drybag, and put the drybag in your pack.  Overinflate a bit and you get good buoyancy.  If you have to chimney a lot, you do need to worry about puncturing both your pack and the dry bag.  I have yet to have this happen, though I have punctured the pack.  For added safety and buoyancy I sometimes put a layer of bubble wrap around the drybag.  It doesn't soak up water and provides even more buoyancy along with el cheapo puncture protection.  Always inspect the drybag for pinholes before starting out.

Refs.  http://www.canyoneeringusa.com/utah/zion/subway.htm, http://climbutah.homestead.com/Subway.html , Kelsey, " Canyon Hiking Guide to the Colorado Plateau", Kelsey Publishing, 1999. 

Disclaimer:  The goal of these trip notes is to suggest good photographic locations and what I consider pretty neat hikes.  These paragraphs should not be used as a canyoneering guide.  Seek out good maps and detailed information, and get properly prepared before entering any slot canyon.