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Luck or persistence. It's sometimes hard to know which is responsible for our good fortune. While I've visited Zion National Park on dozens of occasions since 1984, I had never seen the waterfalls that are purported to occur when it rains. Not that I really doubted their existence. The high sandstone cliffs that surround the main canyon would provide the perfect conditions were there ever to be substantial rain in the area. I had just never been lucky enough to be in the park to catch the occurrence. On October 30, 2000, however, my luck finally changed . . . or persistence paid off, take your pick.
I had arrived two days earlier to do some weekend hiking with friends. They had arrived the day before and had been treated to a heavy rain. They were quick to point out that they had seen the waterfalls, and what an impressive sight they were. I tried to smile and agreed it must have been wonderful. We photographed some autumn colors at higher elevation the following day. They returned home, but I planned on staying a few more days to play with the colors, which happened to be a little on the late side down in the canyon. On Monday morning the shuttle stopped running for the season, and I was able to drive into the canyon. Just after I arrived at the far end of the canyon road it started to rain. It wasn't long until it was raining hard, and it kept raining for at least two hours. I actually started wondering if it was ever going to let up enough to allow me to get out of my pickup to take pictures. Still the sight from inside the vehicle was incredible. From where I was parked I was able to watch a 1000-foot waterfall come into existence right before my eyes. It started with a few wisps of water flowing over the canyon rim and grew to a thundering torrent as it struck the boulders below. I was really savoring the possibilities that might exist if I could ever get out and start shooting.
That attitude was, of course, a bit selfish. Water in the desert is a precious commodity. Big rains like this one are rare. While the rain could provide me with a once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunity, it might also provide a once-in-a-lifetime drink to the numerous species of plants and animals that live in the park which come into existence only briefly when a rain such as this occurs. Since I wasn't able to photograph, I drove the canyon road and was astonished at how much water was pouring into the canyon. While I had knowledge of where to look for two or three main falls, I was surprised to see hundreds. The entire rim of the canyon was lined with pour-offs going full tilt to empty their contents over the rim. The visual symphony of the falls was accompanied by a white-noise symphony. Lowering my window anywhere along the road I could hear the rushing sounds as sandstone halted or slowed the plunging water. Persistence? Luck? Who knows? I was glad to be here.
As soon as the rain let up, I started searching for pictures. There was water running everywhere. The roar of falling water was especially loud in the area of Weeping Rock, so it was my first stop. The twin falls here came as a complete surprise. Though I am aware of a slot canyon up high that drains into this area, I had no idea it would terminate in a hanging gusher right over Weeping Rock. The second waterfall to the left and the colorful autumn leaves combine with the main falls, I think, to make a rare and beautiful composition. Take away either waterfall, or change the leaf color to green, and the picture is greatly diminished. The image was shot with a Nikon FM2 camera and 24-120 mm Nikkor zoom lens set at 24-mm. A polarizer was used to cut the reflecting glare of the wet rocks and leaves. Exposure was probably around one second at f/22 on Fuju Velvia film.
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Twin Falls, ZNP
