Huber Wash Hike

Rose doesn't like the flat country, but I always

did-- flat country seems to give the sky such a chance.

from: I Capture the Castle

by:  Dodie Smith

This hike is best done in the fall and winter months due to brutal temps in the summer! It is an open exposed hike with very little opportunity to get out  of the sun along the way.

Mount Kinesava

 There used to be a sign marking Huber Wash, that we discovered this week no longer exists.  The sign was located about 6 miles from of the south entrance to Zion. From the the highway you can see a gate off to the east down in the wash.This is where you should park. Pass through this gate and be sure to close it behind you.  There is a path of use that leads toward the Huber Wash. Follow the beaten path 100 yards and down into the wash. (there is an electrical sub-station to the left.) Turn north (left) once arriving at the bottom of Huber Wash and follow the dry wash . After about .3 miles of hiking in the wash the Park Boundary is marked with a fence and hikers gate just above the wash on the left. Close this gate behind you. Beyond the gate is the national park boundary. Mount Kinesava is the mountain range in the distance.  The Rockville Bench is to the southeast.

Continue upstream, staying in the main wash.  Do not wander out of the wash, to avoid damaging delicate cryptobiotic soil. Look for petrified wood throughout this hike, however scavengers have stolen most of the small pieces. After an easy 2- mile hike the wash ends in an alcove or dryfall. At times there is a nice waterfall in the alcove, but there is always a nice display of vegetation growing in the alcove.  In the winter there can be icicles hanging on the sides.    Be sure to look for the petrified log-jam on the right side of the wash.

I believe most people stop their hike here and turn around and head back to the road. This week our group decided to scale the unique "yellowish" rock to the next level and there we discovered some carins that led us to the Chinle Trail where there was a lot of petrified wood laying about to enjoy.  The definition below helps to explain why the "wood" we saw sparkled like glitter laden stone!! It was BEAUTIFUL!!!

*Cryptobiotic soil is one of the oldest living forms of life. If damaged it can take several decades to repair itself. The crusty ground cover is made up of mostly cyanobacteria, but algae, lichens, moss, bacteria and microfungi are also involved in the makeup. Long ago these were responsible for changing the earths original atmosphere one that is filled with life sustaining oxygen.

*Petrified wood: is the result of a tree having turned completely into stone by the process of permineralization. All the organic materials have been replaced with minerals (most often a silicate, such as quartz), while retaining the original structure of the wood. Unlike other types of fossils which are typically impressions or compressions, petrified wood is a three dimensional representation of the original organic material. The petrifaction process occurs underground, when wood becomes buried under sediment and is initially preserved due to a lack of oxygen which inhibits aerobic decomposition. Mineral-laden water flowing through the sediment deposits minerals in the plant's cells and as the plant's lignin and cellulose decay, a stone mould forms in its place.
In general, wood takes fewer than 100 years to petrify. The organic matter needs to become petrified before it decomposes completely. (thanks wikipedia!)