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Continuing downstream beyond the bowling ball obstacle. The trail
that skirts above the bowling ball obstacle requires a
rappel or down climb to drop back down to creek level. After
returning to the creek and progressing down canyon there are
several shallow passages with very clear water.
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Very good section with clear water over sold rock.
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Another great passage along the Left Fork of North Creek.
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Just when you start to dry another very deep pool must
be crossed.
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Red color in the stream bed from heavy iron oxide
content in the rock.
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Continuing down stream.
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One very good passage after another. If you are taking photos
it will take a lot longer to traverse this route.
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This image attempts to show the scale of the canyon walls. This
area was a long narrow chamber with high canyon walls just before the
next to the last chamber of the Upper Subway that contains the famous
tree trunk lodged in the river bed.
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A view back upstream from the next to the last chamber. The famous log is in
this section around a corner downstream.
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View again upstream into the most amazing grotto on the route. We
don't have photos inside this grotto because the cameras were in dry
bags. We took the cameras back out after passing this spot.
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This is a view into the grotto. To access this area upstream you
have to drop about eight feet into a waist deep pool. This pool has six
or more half-circle chambers carved out of the rock on both sides of the
canyon. One of the chambers has an oval window worn between
it and the adjacent chamber. An absolutely wonderful place.
The water is crystal clear and pretty cold. The pool in the
foreground is quite deep and another little swim. This is the last
pool you have to cross.
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View downstream and the canyon walls are several hundred feet high.
This chamber is narrow and not much light at this time of day. When you are sopping wet with no sunlight it gets a bit cool.
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This is a view into the famous undercut chamber that sweeps more than 180
degrees.
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Sopping wet scale figure looking at the famous tree trunk.
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Scale figure shooting the famous tree trunk and getting some sun.
Now you know why they wear wet suites on this hike.
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Sopping wet scale figure reviewing the image of the famous tree trunk.
Quite a privilege to be standing in such a place.
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The famous tree trunk in the Upper Subway of Zion National Park.
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View from the Upper Subway into the pools and grottos of the Lower
Subway.
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Rappel line at the drop-in point from the Upper Subway to the Lower
Subway. This is fairly steep rock and in our water shoes it's a
little sketchy standing and setting up the rappel line.
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Another view from the Upper Subway into the Lower Subway. The Upper Subway is as good as it gets.
Reaching the Upper Subway is a physically challenging trek whether you go
in from top-down or bottom-up and should not be taken lightly.
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