TRIP REPORT PHOTOS
We started hiking down Marble Canyon from the junction with Dead Horse Canyon, which is just behind us in the picture. To get to this point, you will need to hike about 5 miles up Marble Canyon from the beginning:
We started out in a narrow slot on a cold February morning, but just ahead the canyon opened up with bright sunshine:
Easy walking through the wash after leaving Dead Horse Canyon behind, as seen in the next two pictures:
Looking high up the canyon wall from down in the wash:
Notice the flat slab that we passed by to the right:
Looking down at the ground at this spot, it is evident that water flow has sculpted small channels in the past:
At the stunning entrance into the 3rd Narrows of Marble Canyon:
Notice the small white band going across the rock in this picture:
As we continued progressing through the 3rd narrows, we wondered what was around each corner:
A very narrow passage passing between beautiful walls on each side:
Zooming in on the rock to look at the interesting texture:
The next three pictures give you an idea of the pretty rock which lined the canyon walls:
And then we found the highlight of the 3rd narrows, which was the alternating white and grey bands on the rock:
A close-up of these bands, which were different from the large wavy bands we found in the 4th narrows of Marble Canyon:
Notice how the wall curves over while displaying these amazing bands. The bands almost look like zebra stripes:
Steve getting a picture while leaning against the rock wall here:
Notice how the canyon wall is interrupted in the middle, but the bands continue across to the other side:
Past the pretty bands, there was still more to see in the 3rd Narrows:
Notice how the passage twisted around the rock outcroppings sticking into the canyon:
A neat spot where there is an indentation into the canyon wall:
Morning sunlight shining onto the walls high up above the canyon:
A sloping wall off to the right that we passed by:
Beyond this spot, we exited the 3rd Narrows and the canyon opened up:
Going around a bend in the canyon with a towering rock wall on the right:
More impressive scenery on display in the middle canyon area:
Notice the unique patterns and rock surface in the next two pictures:
The mountains in the background were high much of the time through the canyon:
This is one of those areas where the canyon constricted a little bit:
The next two pictures show an oddly shaped rock we passed by that was guarding the canyon like a sentinel:
Varied canyon walls on each side of us as we passed through:
Our group of five was hiking at different paces down the canyon. I was usually in the back of the group, spending a lot of time taking pictures and carefully examining my surroundings:
I finally caught up to the group just around this corner, where they were resting and having a snack:
Off in the distance, it was evident that the canyon narrowed down once again:
Taking a look at the different rock layers on the hillside:
Now for another Marble Canyon highlight. We are about to enter the 2nd Narrows:
Sunlight getting into the narrows near the beginning:
We immediately realized that this was going to be a special place as we started walking through very tight narrows with massive polished walls towering way above:
Many times you could only see for about 20 to 30 feet ahead of you, before the canyon would make another turn:
A landscape shot of the same picture from above, showing more of the marble walls:
Pretty white streaks could be seen stretching down the walls:
As we moved through the 2nd narrows, some of the walls started glowing shades of yellow and gold:
Rounding another quick bend in the narrows:
More white streaks heading off into different directions:
A nice contrast of light and dark in the canyon:
Alternate view from the same spot showing higher portions of the walls:
Notice the dramatic curves in the walls of the narrows:
Sunshine bouncing off of the canyon walls making for beautiful pictures:
And this was my favorite spot in the entire canyon. We hit this place at just the right time, perfectly contrasting the marble walls with a golden glow in the background:
Steve getting a picture at this place which we will never forget:
Looking high up and seeing how much the narrows towered over us:
Check out the huge tilt in the canyon at this spot, which is taken from a true perspective while walking through:
One of my favorite pictures taken in Marble Canyon highlighting the beauty of the narrows:
We had a good view out of the narrows at the cliffs above the canyon at this spot:
The 2nd Narrows continued on with more to see:
More dark passages to explore in this spectacular place:
One final bend and then it was time to exit the 2nd Narrows:
The canyon fully opened up again as we continued our hike:
Soon we encountered a dry fall with a huge boulder or chockstone blocking further passage:
But there was an easy bypass trail off to the left which we took. This was the view looking down canyon from the bypass trail:
Upon getting back down on the canyon floor, we hiked back up to the chockstone dry fall and took this picture:
At this point, we were in the 1st Narrows, which were the least spectacular of the three sets in Lower Marble Canyon, but still beautiful to see:
One thing that really stood out here is the variety of colors on the hillsides:
And also the interesting variety of rock layers on the walls high above the canyon:
A pyramid-shaped peak above Marble Canyon. I know of at least one hiker who made it to the top of this, but he described it as a scary experience:
The next two pictures show an interesting Moqui Marble type feature on the canyon walls through here:
The 1st Narrows were indeed narrow with a decent amount of height to the walls:
Yet another very colorful section of the 1st Narrows:
More dramatic scenery around another bend:
Patterns galore in this section of the 1st Narrows:
Up ahead, it appeared as if we would soon be exiting the canyon:
But not before we passed through a few more dramatic spots:
Passing by a very impressive canyon wall:
Streaks of different colors stretching down the rock surface:
The last section of canyon in the 1st Narrows:
And that's it for Marble Canyon. Outside of the mouth, a long wash drains into Cottonwood Canyon:
