Hiking Zebra Slot Canyon in Underwear

Wanderlust Wednesday-Week 19
We do a lot of hiking, but this trek was full of big risks and lots of firsts for us. 
it was our first time hiking in a slot canyon
it was the first time experiencing a flash flood and the first time hiking in underwear

How did this happen? Let's start at the beginning shall we?

During our Mighty 5 Southwest Road Trip, we decided to take the scenic route through grand staircase-escalante monument in order to hike zebra slot canyon.  

Starting out with cold and cloudy weather, we immediately ran into another hiker who informed us that zebra slot canyon was closed. Closed? The weather forecast stated 0% chance of rain, but it was clearly cloudy and drizzling. And you absolutely CANNOT enter a slot canyon when it's raining, because it will fill with water and you will be trapped. But we have this huge fear of missing out. Knowing that we will probably never be in Utah again, we decided to at least hike to the entrance and look into the slot canyon. 

Along the way, we ran into a few more hikers who also told us that the slot canyon was closed, but the longer we hiked, the more the weather improved. The sun came out and we found ourselves in a field of desert flowers.

With this now gorgeous weather, we were feeling pretty optimistic that we would be able to enter zebra slot canyon. 

But when we finally made it to the canyon and rounded the corner, my heart sank as I realized what the other hikers had meant by "closed". They weren't talking about the threat of rain….they were referring to the fact it had rained in previous days and the canyon was now filled with water. Closed huh? We'll see about that. 

Yes the canyon was filled with water, but that didn't necessarily mean that we couldn't go in. Having no water gear with us, we decided to wing it. Not wanting to hike back in wet shoes,our boots and socks were the first things to go. I began rolling up my pants and looked up at husband who was just standing there in his jeans. Well jeans and water don't mix, so those had to go too. And that's how husband ended up in hiking through zebra slot canyon in his underwear. 

If you're even a little claustrophobic, slot canyons are not for you, as they tend to get narrower the further in you go…which is why I was wishing my butt wasn't so big 

We ran into a few surprises along the way…like a dead bird, snakes, and a giant boulder to climb over. Plus, the path eventually became so narrow that you couldn't even walk anymore. You had to support yourself against the canyon walls.

Just as we were exiting the slot canyon, it began to rain causing a flash flood. People literally die getting caught in canyons during the rain. That being said, I've never moved so fast through any physical obstacle in my whole life. But in few minutes it took us to get out of the canyon, the water level raised about a foot. 

This hike is at the top of the list for dumbest and most dangerous things I've done, but I don't even care. Zebra slot canyon was gorgeous and happens to be one of the most unique awe-inspiring experiences of my life. So we wouldn't trade any of it for the world...dead birds, snakes, flash floods, and all.