Zion the narrows
 

What should I wear to do the narrows in June? Lots of conflicting advise regarding footwear. Can I wear good solid running shoes? ( I plan to throw them out after) some people say to rent shoes others say they got blisters from them. Thoughts

Are you doing the full hike? If you are really throwing out the shoes immediately and have brought dry footwear with you for the hike out, then in the summer, I think you could get away with an old pair of regular running shoes. But you must absolutely wear something that protects your toes and you should wear socks (ideally something like neoprene) to keep yourself from getting blisters. You can order cheap neoprene socks (about $10) and I think that's a worthwhile investment for this hike.

I have hiked the Narrows twice. The first time in running shoes. They had decent traction but trapped a lot of sand/grit which was uncomfortable. The second time I used NRS boating shoes with large opening for water to drain. They were much better. Can't recall if I also used a thin sock liner as extra precaution to eliminate any rubbing.

The hike is so beautiful - especially when the wall flowers are in bloom - that even with less than perfect footwear it is worth it.

Hope this is of some use to you. Enjoy the journey.

We will be doing hike from bottom to orderville and back. In June can we wear shorts and a t shirt ?

In June you can wear shorts and a t-shirt. It's one of my favorite hikes anywhere.

I strongly recommend a walking stick - you can rent a sturdy wooden one for about $5 at one of the outfitters in town, or the one just outside the pedestrian entrance to the park where you pick up the park shuttle buses.

Some friends and I did this hike in July, and we rented the neoprene boots and walking sticks from a place in Springdale (right across from the Quality Inn). Definitely saved my ankles from being sprained, but I have bad ankles anyways. It was about $25 to rent both for the day, so I definitely thought it was worth it. Make sure they fit though, mine were a little tight and my feet were hurting by the end of the day. So much so that I took them off and hiked barefoot back from the start of the Narrows to the bus stop.

Our family wore old athletic shoes that we pitched immediately afterwards which worked OK for us. It is a beautiful hike - have a great time!

Thanks everyone

In June you can wear shorts and a t-shirt, but carry something warmer, it can get quite cold after you've been in the water for a few hours. You may be shivering by the time you get to Orderville.

Most definitely have a walking stick.

It's a fantastic hike, enjoy!

Like what ? Won't that get wet also?

like a long sleeve shirt.
put it in a plastic zip bag in your backpack.
you'll want to do the same thing with your food, and double bag your camera.

In June you'll be walking mostly either on dry land along the bank, or ankle/knee depth water. In the very narrow parts the water will be knee/waist deep, so you can hold your backback above the water in those deeper sections.

But chances are very good that you will get wetter if you hit a deep spot, or slip & fall over once or twice.

I was thinking of some kind of a fleece pullover or sweatshirt, but a long sleeve shirt will be OK. Correct, carry it inside a plastic bag in a day pack that should be above water level most or all the time. I'd also bring some kind of light shell layer in case it's windy.

I hiked to Orderville in the morning on a day in July that was going to be 105 degrees at the Lodge. People who only had shorts and a T-shirt were shivering in the canyon shadows at Orderville. Everyone else pulled on their extra layers, so it's not overkill to carry some additional stuff.

There is a technique you'll learn about the best place to cross the river - when possible it's not the slow moving deep pools.

It's a fantastic hike, enjoy!

Thanks

how much water do we need to take in june? is a camelpak enough for each person?

It depends on how long you are planning to hike, and where.

If you are talking about the narrows, and only a 1/2 day hike, then 1 liter should be sufficient. For the narrows you don't need to overthink it. It is shady and cool, even in the summer since you'll be in the water a lot. If you are hiking the full bottoms up & back, that can be a 6-8hr day, so drinks and food are obviously more important the longer you plan to hike.

If you are talking about one of the more strenuous 3-4hr, open (not shaded like the narrows) hikes to Angels Landing or Observation point, then I would bring 2 liters. One in the camelbak, and several bottles of electrolyte drink.

Can't really say if a Camelbak is enough because they come in different sizes (30 to 100 ounces).

Drink up before you start out. A liter should be fine. When you get to your turnaround point, check how much water you have and dump some if you haven't drunk half of it yet. No point in carrying extra weight on the return trip which should be a bit quicker then the hike up.