Before the weekend begins. Zion National Park has released what seems (but is not specified as) it’s final draft backcountry management plan. What stood out to me, after slogging through the 88 pages, was the extent to which it doesn’t change the status quo. And that is, I think, for the most part okay. The backcountry of Zion is for the most part in pretty good shape.

The numbers are interesting. While total park visitors have remained essentially stagnant for the previous 8 years (around 2.5 million a year), the number of users in the backcountry has increased from 11,000 to 27,000, and the number of “Narrow Canyon Day Users” (ie, canyoneers and Narrows hikers) increased from 4,500 to almost 19,000 in the same eight year period. (See Table 19, page 64)

What does change is the number of permits, and the size of groups allowed, in certain canyon zones. The Zion Canyoneering Coalition (ie Tom Jones of Imlay Canyon Gear) has an interesting analysis of the research methods used to determine these limits.

Here’s the most illuminating selection of data they took on group size.

I remember filling out one of their mail surveys a year (or two?) ago, and was grateful then that they asked users. Flaws or no, I think smaller groups represent a step in the right direction, though they also raise the daily limit of the Subway from 50 to 80, which is in my opinion unwise. That poor canyon is already quite scary enough.

My letter will be sent off shortly, though I won’t emphasize what I think is one of the saving graces of any such government management issue: that outside the “prime” season one will still find solitude, even in the most publicized of backcountry locals.

The Subway in February is quite lovely, and I’m hatching plans for a Narrows hike around Christmas.