"They may already be in harm's way at that point. "One of the challenges we face in terms of messaging in situations like this is they don't get the warning at 3 or 4 in the afternoon, when they're out of cell coverage," said Randy Graham, the meteorologist in charge of the weather service office in Salt Lake City. A second, bigger band would come about two hours later. "ACT QUICKLY TO PROTECT YOUR LIFE."įorecasters say an initial band of weather moved north through the area around 2:30. "MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND NOW," the service forecasters wrote with their typical uppercase intensity. Twenty minutes later, the weather service issued a flash flood warning for southeast Zion, the area that includes Keyhole. At that point, she said, there was still only a chance of rain.Ĭlearly, she said, "they were being extra cautious and taking every precaution they could." About 2 p.m., as they drove into the park toward the canyon, they would have lost their cellphone coverage, Bottcher said. MacKenzie's sons believed his "maybe" was a sign their father was keeping an eye on the weather.Īround 1 p.m., someone in the Keyhole hiking group phoned a family member to ask about the weather forecast, according to Bottcher. "Eating lunch, this is my view," he wrote. At the Zion visitor center, a ranger wrote on a cardboard sign that flash flooding that day was "probable." Rangers also informed people verbally when they sought permits.Īt 12:53 p.m., MacKenzie texted his family with a photo showing blue skies and puffy white clouds on the horizon. Less than an hour after the California group received a permit to Keyhole, the weather service raised the chance of rain to 50 percent. It specifically noted the potential for flash flooding in slot canyons. It also revised upward the risk of flash flooding - raising it to moderate, the second-highest level.
14, the National Weather Service updated its forecast for the Zion area: 40 percent chance of precipitation, with the possibility of heavy thunderstorms that afternoon. "Now, on a given day, there are 400 canyoneers and the same 20 climbers." "Maybe 20 years ago, there were 20 climbers at one time in Zion National Park on a given day and 20 canyoneers," said Bo Beck, a longtime search-and-rescue volunteer with the National Park Service. Steve and Linda Arthur, grandparents of seven, wrapped arms with Robin Brum, a hairstylist from their hometown.ĭespite the risks, canyoneering has been increasing in popularity. Teichner stood in the foreground, his right foot straddling a boulder, a gregarious explorer with tree-trunk quads and a bit of a belly. Wearing wetsuits to ward off the cold waters, they posed for a photo in the middle of their descent through Keyhole that afternoon. "A small amount of danger or risk, while still being safe, can also add to a hike's enjoyment."Īfter the class, the group made its way to Keyhole, regarded as one of the park's most accessible "slot" canyons. "We are not a beginner hiking group," Don Teichner, one of the club's founders, emphasized on. While three men and three women started the class, another man in their group went down the road to the park visitors center and bought a $15 permit to descend into Keyhole that day.Īll of them in their 50s, many had met through the Valencia Hiking Club, a group that organizes outings ranging from strolls through downtown Los Angeles to long hikes in Joshua Tree National Park. "People can go from mild-mannered civilians in the morning to independent, competent canyoneers by the afternoon," the company touted on its website. All but one took a five-hour canyoneering class offered by the local Zion Adventure Company on Sept. The group of seven hikers - six of them from California - had been planning their descent into the canyon for months.
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