Why you should Canyoneer on your Next Visit to Zion National Park

By Kelsey Bumsted, Explorer X Marketing Manager

“So, how was it?” the infamous question upon arrival back from every vacation. For Zion, the only word that came to mind was: MAGICAL. Everywhere I walked, biked, swam and hiked, I was met with amazement as I looked up at the towering red walls around me that looked utterly different and more brilliant as the daylight changed. Being an American who’s lived on both coasts her entire life, it was really the first time I spent exploring the American desert - I romanticized about the colors, dry heat, open skies, horses and relentless sunlight - and they all lived up to my expectation.

The part of my trip that left a mark on my heart (and for a brief time, my right elbow) was the excursion that challenged my fear of heights - a fear that I didn’t know I had until I stood on top of a ledge staring down at the dusty ground 60 feet below me. Canyoneering was a mystery to me but allured me with it’s closeness to an environment I’ve never touched before. I jumped into it open-hearted and a bit terrified and left yearning for more.

Gripping the sandy walls, my fingers begged for a puny ledge to hold onto. Trusting the old nike sneakers I brought on my journey with me, I pulled my body weight upon the surface of the rounded rock while simultaneously imagining myself falling backwards into the arms of new friends. My legs, chest and arms ‘sploofed’ as I awkwardly scrambled and rolled onto the closest surface that felt “flat." How did the instructor manage to look so smooth and angelic hopping onto their toes at this point? I stood up and turned around, my colleagues clapped, cheered and giggled. As the adrenaline subsided my perception, viewpoint, perspective and grappling desire for something more challenging washed over.

These internal and physical challenges, thoughts, and feelings are difficult to summarize in a, “So, how was it?” generic office vacation question. Deconstructing the impact that this small ledge I encountered on an incredible vacation isn’t the most showstopping answer to the question. What makes it magical, is the impact that it had on my mind, heart and soul and the desire it gave me to experience more, to challenge myself differently, to approach adversity with a different perspective.