The first car that wakes me up travels down the bumpy graveled Hole-in-the-rock-road at about 4:30 am. Just outside our open window with only a couple Juniper Trees to block the noise I stir, this wouldn't be my first choice of campsites. However, upon our arrival yesterday afternoon, it is the first camp we could find close to all our intended destinations. It also was about all our bodies could handle the rough road yesterday.

I drift back to sleep, but soon there is a constant sound of vehicles, so I decide to get up and get ready to go. I'm excited about today's adventure, the temperatures are pleasant, and our hike isn't long. Looking outside, I see a slight stir of the trees, and I'm grateful that the breeze continues to blow the dust to the east. The sun is rising as we put plenty of water in our packs, load the ATV, and head to the trailhead.

Zebra and Tunnel Slot Canyon trailhead parking lot already has about ten cars in the lot as a couple cross the road and head down the trail. By the time we are ready to leave, they are out of sight, and another car pulls into the lot. Zebra is a very popular hiking trail, and I expect it will be busy on a Saturday. The walking is easy, and the course is well marked as we follow the wash into the backcountry.

Unnecessary cairns mark a well-traveled path, some people are offended by cairns when they are not needed, but I love them and love to see the creative nature of people who use stones to tell a story. As the ravine grows more profound, we drop into the stream bed and cross back and forth from bank to bank. There is still mud in spots, and I would hate to be on this trail during a rainstorm. The canyon walls are beautiful, and it's not hard to see where Zebra Canyon gets its name as colorful strips begin to appear in the rock.

We finally drop into Harris Wash and trek almost due north to the Zebra Slot Canyon entrance. We meet a couple on their return who mention they were "turned back by water." Zebra has water in it, not surprising; however, I am a little surprised because it hasn't rained in quite some time. I was hoping for a dry canyon, but we came prepared to get wet.

Linda is averse to the cold, and slot canyon water is always cold. The sandstone rock's porous nature creates a refrigeration system as the water evaporates, and even in the hottest of days, the water is cold. It doesn't help that a dead mouse has washed up onto the sand at the edge of the water. I step in; it's cold, but my body quickly adapts to the chill, and the water is only about shin deep. Using my hiking pole, I prod the water ahead, feeling for any potholes or rocks. I make progress, but the water is growing deeper. Soon it reaches my thigh, then my waist. As the hiking pole is completely underwater now, I worry that we might not proceed much further. Linda is already up to her chest in the cold water. We find a high spot around the next bend to talk about how far we want to go. Probing the water with my hiking pole, I can't reach the bottom. That means swimming. We turn around.

Dropping onto the slick rock, making sure we have plenty of sunshine, we eat a snack. We sit at the next canyon's mouth to the east of Zebra when a couple emerges from the high trail. That is our next direction of travel. The track is faint compared to the freeway trail of Zebra, but we make our way through the sand and along the rocky rib. Connecting with a massive sandstone plateau, we hike and explore the area as we zig-zag along the rough outline I have on the map. We soon spot a few Mokie marbles, then a few more. Soon the ground is littered with the round balls of iron. It almost appears as if a Mokie marble hail storm occurred in the area, and we walk among them, looking at the odd and sometimes perfect shape of the stones.

The next canyon appears, and we work our way to the bottom, again following a faint trail. This canyon is large with a sandy bottom. The occasional rockfall creates some bouldering moves to get past, but it is easy traveling by in large. Two obstacles exist before reaching the Tunnel Slot Canyon. The first obstacle is a deep pool with a thick brush in the middle of the wash. We passed on the right-hand side, with a grip and drop to the sand move, along a thin shelf. The second obstacle is also water; this time, a large pond. It might be possible to walk through the water using the connecting sand bars to arrive at the opposite side. We climbed up the slick rock on the left-hand side and passed along the dry fall before reentering the sandy area. At this point, a juncture of canyons exist; turning right, we spot the entrance to Tunnel Canyon. More water.

Me, trying to negotiate the boulder field.

Tunnel Slot Canyon is exquisite in its formation. Too narrow at the top, the canyon has filled in with rock and debris, closing the lid and creating the tunnel effect. While at ground level, it is wide enough to pass through while keeping hands on both walls. We see the light at the opposite opening, and I guess the tunnel is just a short walk before opening up into another wide canyon. My hope is we don't have to swim, but the truth is we need to pass through this way or backtrack all the way around. Linda and I enter the mouth with some trepidation.

Thankfully the water isn't too deep. It reaches above my waist; Linda stems the canyon's deepest part, but it is worth the short amount of time being wet; the canyon is stunning. I would add, if you don't plan on getting wet, don't hike to Tunnel Canyon. From the dry riverbank, looking in the mouth is not worth the hiking effort to arrive here. Jump in, get wet, and enjoy this fantastic slot canyon.

We exit Tunnel Canyon into Harris Wash and walk along the drying river bed back to the main trail. We have only bumped into the occasional hiker, we only saw one trail runner near Tunnel Canyon, but back on the main track, we pass a dozen or so hikers heading toward Zebra Canyon. It is a popular hike, but I'm happy we made the complete loop. We arrive at the trailhead, and the parking lot is full. Twenty-five or more cars fill the lot as I marvel; we didn't see more while hiking. Spread 50 or more people across 7 miles of trail, several canyons including nooks and crannies to explore, I guess I shouldn't be all that surprised.