Subway Duet

MonikaC

MonikaC

Well-Known Member
I went to the Subway for my first time in February. My husband got there a few hours ahead of me & pulled the permit as he was getting a bivy permit for a big wall rock climb. I woke up early & decided to go ahead & head on out because, what the heck, how can it hurt? Well...... it started to rain lightly before I'd even left Springdale. Because my husband pulled the permit, I didn't see the "don't go in if it's raining". It was still dark & raining as I pulled into the parking lot, but I figured I'd just take my time. Of course, I lost the trail (remember: dark, walking by headlamp, hood down for the rain) early on. I got to the rim in about the time it was described, so I didn't know I was lost yet. I started looking for the trail down and couldn't find it. Walked along the rim looking, followed animal trails. Then decided I'd lost the trail somewhere & started walking back, checked out other animal trails, repeat about 3x, walking a little further back towards the trailhead each time. Finally I went far enough to find the trail & went on down. This was after 1 1/2 hours, so at least it was now light out. The directions I had said to cross the stream at the 1st likely place. NPS website said knee deep water. I put my waders on, but didn't attach the shoulder straps, just leaving the top flopped down in front. When I was mid-thigh deep in water, I was wondering if I'd made a mistake in doing that. Fortunately, it was just a few steps before it got shallower. Then it was just a slog in to the Subway. The amount of water rushing through there made the rock slabs under my feet shake and it sounded like a train was coming, just like in an urban subway. There was nowhere dry to put anything down, so I was juggling trekking poles, tripod & backpack to try to get set up for any shots. The water was too deep & fast to even consider getting to where most people shoot from. I couldn't even see the pools that make up the standard foreground and had no idea there were pools on the other side. All eddies were full of yellow foam.
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subway-panoB&W.jpg
 
MonikaC

MonikaC

Well-Known Member
Then I went back in November. Kind of a shock to pull into the parking lot and see a handful of vehicles! Lighter pack, didn't get lost, familiar with the trail, didn't need waders for any of the crossings. Instead of 12 hours car-to-car, it took less than 6 1/2. I tried to go further back through the pools, but the first pool was deep enough that the water came up over the top of my waders! Refreshingly cool! I emptied about 2 quarts of water out after I was done shooting. I was leaving probably around noon, but talked to a fellow when I was halfway out who said that when he was there in late Oct, he thought that the sun may go further into the Subway in mid-afternoon, so he was shooting for 2:30. Aperture Academy was going in late like that, too. Food for thought. C & C always welcome!
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This time there was sunshine & nice reflected light in the Subway.
 
AlanLichty

AlanLichty

Moderator
Quite the tale of your adventure. This is one place I have not visited at Zion that is on my "I need to try this someday" list of things to do. I like both the story and the images - not the usual Subway image point of view and it adds some perspective for this of us who haven't been there.
 
JimFox

JimFox

Moderator
Staff member
Hey Monika,

What an adventure you had! I can certainly understand getting lost there. I am glad the first time I went in there I went with someone who was familiar with the hike. For as straightforward as it might seem, there are just too many spots to get off the trail.

You have some really cool shots here. I do like that pour off in #1. I can imagine how hard it would be to even walk in the subway in February. That rock in the subway is very slick even in low water conditions like the fall season, so when it's all wet and under water? Wow, that would require some very careful stepping.
 
Kyle Jones

Kyle Jones

Moderator
That second B&W is awesome. I can't imagine that much flow in there. I'm trying to figure out what that reflection is in the color image. Is there that much water?
 
Ben Egbert

Ben Egbert

Forum Helper
Staff member
What an adventure you had, and you went back again, more power to you. Great images to go with your story.
 
MonikaC

MonikaC

Well-Known Member
Kyle Jones said:
That second B&W is awesome. I can't imagine that much flow in there. I'm trying to figure out what that reflection is in the color image. Is there that much water?
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Kyle,
Yes, there were only a few spots out of the water. Everything in the frame was under water. Frankly, I was too cold from the water that got into my waders to remember to turn my polarizer.... If people think it's too distracting, I can clone much of it out or darken the foreground so it isn't as obvious. Actually, in the print version, it isn't as obvious. Let me know what you think.
 
Kyle Jones

Kyle Jones

Moderator
MonikaC said:
Kyle,
Yes, there were only a few spots out of the water. Everything in the frame was under water. Frankly, I was too cold from the water that got into my waders to remember to turn my polarizer.... If people think it's too distracting, I can clone much of it out or darken the foreground so it isn't as obvious. Actually, in the print version, it isn't as obvious. Let me know what you think.
Click to expand...
I think it is really cool and somewhat unique - I wouldn't change anything. I was mostly just a little confused having been there recently. I couldn't picture how you got that much water in the foreground.

I actually stripped down to my shorts and swam back to the next waterfall when I was there in late October. I'm glad I checked it out but it was really cold.
 
MonikaC

MonikaC

Well-Known Member
Kyle Jones said:
I think it is really cool and somewhat unique - I wouldn't change anything. I was mostly just a little confused having been there recently. I couldn't picture how you got that much water in the foreground.

I actually stripped down to my shorts and swam back to the next waterfall when I was there in late October. I'm glad I checked it out but it was really cold.
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Stripped down to your shorts? You are one brave dude! I was hoping to shoot, so I had my pack held up over my head, just praying I didn't drop it!
 
Douglas Sherman

Douglas Sherman

Staff
What a story, Monica. Nothing like a little adventure to add to the memories of these wonderful images. I have always wanted to do this trip but never got around to it. I think my time has past now that I am 77 and don't have the balance I used to .
 
MonikaC

MonikaC

Well-Known Member
Kyle Jones said:
I think it is really cool and somewhat unique - I wouldn't change anything. I was mostly just a little confused having been there recently. I couldn't picture how you got that much water in the foreground.

I actually stripped down to my shorts and swam back to the next waterfall when I was there in late October. I'm glad I checked it out but it was really cold.
Click to expand...
Kyle, it took a while to remember, but it rained the evening before in Springdale & the forecast for there & north (which feeds into the Virgin) was for 30% chance of rain/snow, so it must have dropped enough precipitation that the levels of the N Fork came up over what you had a few weeks earlier.
 
MonikaC

MonikaC

Well-Known Member
Douglas, I'm sure you have your own stories to tell. Now you can enjoy other folks' foibles and shake your head at their foolishness!
Douglas Sherman said:
What a story, Monica. Nothing like a little adventure to add to the memories of these wonderful images. I have always wanted to do this trip but never got around to it. I think my time has past now that I am 77 and don't have the balance I used to .
Click to expand...
 
Kyle Jones

Kyle Jones

Moderator
MonikaC said:
Kyle, it took a while to remember, but it rained the evening before in Springdale & the forecast for there & north (which feeds into the Virgin) was for 30% chance of rain/snow, so it must have dropped enough precipitation that the levels of the N Fork came up over what you had a few weeks earlier.
Click to expand...
That makes a lot of sense. I think that rain gave you something special.
 
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