No Escape

   Utah is home to the majestic Zion's National Park. During the summer Zion's is extremely popular, bringing tourists from across the globe. Zion's is famous for its immense red rock cliffs and its narrow slot canyons. For those who don't know, slot canyons are narrow cuts in the rock, typically with stream and pools covering the bottom. Canyoneering is a popular sport in Utah, but it requires technical spelunking and repelling skill. However the challenge is well paid off by the beauty of the red sandstone walls, which reflect the sun through the canyon. Although these canyons seem perfect, they are able to turn in an instant. When rain hits Zion's NP, these slot canyons fill with water in minutes, if not seconds.
   
   As you can tell from the video, water comes from all sides of the park. The video was taken on a hike called angels' landing. That hike is a massive overlook, and still it was collecting a large amount of water. The slots fill with all the water falling from the sides of the park, which is an unbelievable amount. The video mentioned the seven hikers that were killed in Zion's popular Keyhole canyon. The storm system moved in quickly on September 14th, and the hikers were unaware of the impending danger. This is not the first time flooding in the slot canyons has killed someone, and it won't be the last. The problem is that flooding doesn't hinder thrill-seeking hikers. The day of the flooding, there was a 40% chance of heavy rain, and a flash-flood warning was issued.
 
   Park officials have thought long and hard about how to prevent unnecessary deaths in the slot canyons. While park rangers do close the canyons if rain is imminent, that does no good to the hikers already in the canyon. The National Weather Service, also issues flooding warnings, but in Zion's, that warning appears almost every day in the summer. So once again, it is not the greatest help. One idea that has surfaced, is to place ropes along the slots which could be used to escape if needed. However, preservationists do not care for the idea, as it pollutes the park and it would be costly and time consuming to maintain. One other option it to install a siren system that would warn hikers as soon as there is danger. This would involve wires and speakers throughout the park. The downside is the pollution of the natural beauty of the park. It boils down to the advantages and disadvantages of having technology throughout the park. Which is more important to care for, the park or the tourist? How much would a few speakers and wires really disrupt the habitat? There already are bathrooms all down the canyon, and a massive lodge is located in the middle of the park. It would be worth the slight disruption of the land to preserve the lives of hikers.
 
  One simple solution would simply be for hikers to be aware of the upcoming weather, and to stay away. Though, for some, the thrill is more important than the danger.