Precarious Position In Echo Canyon

These dark and foreboding images of Echo Canyon in Zion National Park weren't without apprehension. This point of the Observation Point Trail in the canyon narrowed at a very low area which allowed water to pool to a point where it blocked the trail to a depth of about 2-3 feet. With the prospect of very wet feet beyond this point--not even halfway along the four-mile trail--my wife and I decided to turn back. This probably proved to be a prudent choice--hours later continued rain caused a blast of flash flooding further down the trail. The area in the images above most likely would have been blocked by deep and fast flowing water, stranding us above it. The top image, taken at 9:45 AM, MDT on Wednesday, September 11, 2013, looks past the blocked point and shows pools of water draining into it. The bottom image, taken a few minutes later, looks back toward the direction we had hiked from--and reluctantly returned to. The bottom image also shows fog that prevailed throughout Zion on this day.