It was five years ago when we first explored Little Wildhorse slot canyon west of Goblin Valley State Park in Utah. Scenic and relatively easy, it was a natural choice for one last walk this spring before we started the 20-hour drive back home to Alberta.

We arrived at the parking lot to find new restrooms and a registration box -- welcome improvements. Five cars sat in the lot, not bad for a sunny with temps in the high 60's. Our goal today was a hike up Little Wildhorse, west across the four-wheel drive road at the top end and down Bell Canyon (which meets up with Little Wildhorse just up from the parking lot). It's approximately a 7-mile hike in total.

The wide sandy wash quickly narrows with a short chalkstone causing most to climb the left-hand cliff to get around the obstacle, but it is possible to climb over for any with moderate athletic ability. The trail soon splits with the left fork going up Bell Canyon (wooden signpost labels canyons if you're really lost!). Sandstone cliff close in and the hike rapidly gains interest. Water-worn walls bend and curve in an endless array of designs. As the band sky overhead narrows, the light becomes golden and reflect pink off the rock. Time to haul out the camera.

In the upper section of the narrow slot we ran into a surprise -- water. Three stretches of up to knee-deep, toe-numbing, muddy water. Five years ago, also in the spring, the entire route was bone dry. This season, we shed socks and shoes and gingerly picked our way along the sometimes slippery, sometimes rocky creek bottom. And just when I thought it was getting too cold to handle I saw a patch of sunlight hitting the wider section of dry canyon floor ahead. The best part though was listening to the band of boy scouts behind us shrieking like schoolgirls as they attempted to race through the watery route.

Above the water, we picked our way through the long boulder and slab stretch, climbed through the chalkstones to one side of the impassable dry pouroff, and enjoyed the heat of the sun and the sound of canyon wrens echoing across cliff walls. The signed cutoff for Bell Canyon marks the end of LW and it's an easy 1 1/2 mile trek along the road, up over a low rise and down to Bell.

Bell Canyon at the top end becomes interesting almost right off the start, but the walls never get as high as they do in LW. There are a few more rocks to pick your way around and drop off of in Bell than there are in LW. When the canyon opens up again and cuts sharply to the left (heading down Bell) you know you've come to the junction of Bell/LW. Hike is almost done!

If you go:
For more information on hiking the Little Wildhorse/Bell Canyon Loop visit the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) website.