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TRIPS AND TRAILS

TAYLOR CREEK TRAIL

Located in the Kolob Canyon section of Zion National Park

LENGTH :               2.2 miles (one way)  

TIME REQUIRED :   3 to 5 hours

DIFFICULTY :          Easy to moderate

ELEVATION CHANGE :  Gradual 500ft ascent up the canyon

TRAILHEAD :           From St. George, take I-15 north to the Kolob Canyon Visitors Center and pull into the marked parking area. The Middle Fork of Taylor Creek and the North Fork of Taylor Creek share the same trailhead.                 

BEWARE--Rattlesnakes are a real problem along the trail during the hotter months of the year. I did the hike in November, so I did not have a problem with any rattling going on.

If it were not for the snakes, this would be an ideal family hike.

There is a lot of vegetation along the trail, which makes an ideal hiding place for rattlers.

The trail is pretty well maintained and stays close to the banks of Taylor Creek and makes several crossings along the way.

Although the hike is fairly level and easy going, there are a few spots where you will be hiking up and down the banks of the creek, and over or around large boulders.

As always, Mr. Bill has my back.

After about 1.2 miles, you will encounter the first of two cabins located along the trail. The first, Larson Cabin, is located among a grove of Pines and Juniper trees, a little off the trail on the left.

I think I could of handled this residence way back when. At least for a little while.

About a half mile upstream from the Larson Cabin is another cabin called Fife. Arthur Fife built this cabin in 1930 and lived here after leaving college and raised goats.

The maintained trail ends at the highlight of the canyon: The Double Arch Alcove.

The Alcove is a beautiful spot to relax and have some lunch or just a snack before heading back to the trailhead

Mr. Bill taking a break in the pine tree.  Ohhhhhh noooooo.

HOME SWEET HOME

I found a good spot to spend the night, but not a very comfortable one. I spent the entire night just trying to stay warm enough to get a few hours sleep, but seemed like I spent more time awake and shivering than I did sleeping.

When the sun finally started to show itself the next morning, I did nothing but thank God for the light and the fact that I had made it thru another cold night of shivering and trying to stay warm. I decided that day that I was not going to go anywhere. I was going to sit there and wait for any sign of people or maybe the sound of a chopper. Besides, I was too beat up and exhausted from bushwhacking and not getting any sleep. Finally around 10am that morning, I hear the faint sound of a chopper. Getting louder by the second, I knew they were out there for a reason and was hoping that reason was me.. Growing louder and getting closer, I see him coming over the ridge behind me and almost lost it with joy. I jumped up, grabbed my red bandana and started waving it hoping that they would spot me down below. They flew right over me and kept on going. Hopes were shattered just for a few seconds until I see them make a U turn and fly back to my location. When they got to me, they stopped and hovered above for a couple minutes, and then flew away. Not knowing what was going to happen next or what their plans were, I tried to relax and stay calm until the 2nd stage of the rescue took place. It was about 4 hours later that I heard someone yelling in the distance. They had finally arrived at my location. I yelled back again and again. They had come to my rescue :) 

I find out later the story behind the rescue effort and the chopper coming and going. As they were hovering above me , they were getting a GPS track on my location. They then flew back to the trailhead and put together a hiking team to hike up to my location. I can't thank WCSAR for their expertise and their concern about the condition I was in when they found me.      

So that's my story and I'm sticking to it. It was an experience that I will never forget and one that I hope I never have to go thru again

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