The hike to the Subway in Zion National Park is one I've wanted to do for a long time. It's very popular and only eighty permits a day are issued to keep the number of visitors manageable. When you stop by the visitors center to register, the ranger takes time to carefully explain what makes this an extremely strenuous hike and not just a strenuous one, has you sign a document acknowledging you are aware of all the risks you will be subjecting yourself to and finally takes your emergency contact persons' info. There is no doubt it is going to be a long day of hiking.
The trail starts at an elevation of 5,200 feet, and after a flat half mile walk you descend four hundred feet in four-tenths of a mile, about a fifty degree incline. Whatever the slope, it was very steep with lots of loose rocks. We were to find out later that we unknowingly took the more difficult of the two routes down. As you make your way down you can’t help but dread the inevitable climb back up at the end of the day.
From the bottom you then follow the Left Fork of North Creek upstream for about three and a half miles, gaining six hundred feet of elevation along the way. The goal is to find the most efficient route as there is not really much of a trail. Sometimes this involves walking through the river, which has lots of slick rocks and small waterfalls to climb over and at other times walking along the riverbank. You scramble over boulders, under and over fallen trees and there are obstacles everywhere. I lost count of how many times we crossed the river, fortunately it was only waist high at the deepest. It is pretty grueling, especially when you count the extra weight of the water in your neoprene socks and add a thirty pound camera bag to the equation. But the weather was perfect and the fall colors were almost at their peak.
The scenery during this part of the hike is not very spectacular which is probably a good thing as it allows you to focus on keeping your footing to avoid injury. The National Park Service has to rescue lost or injured hikers every couple of weeks and it's a major undertaking as there is no easy helicopter access. It is something you definitely want to avoid.
After a few hours, the walls of the canyon close in as you approach the Subway. All of the scenic highlights are in located in the last quarter mile or so. You know you are close when you can feel the temperature drop and the wind pick up as it gets funneled through the narrow canyon.
First you arrive at a cascading series of waterfalls named Archangel Falls.