ZION NATIONAL PARK -- In the dead of winter, why take a stroll up an icy river in a sunless canyon?

And why drag along the family, including a 9-year-old for whom knee-deep water hits at the waist?

Because it's the Virgin River Narrows in Zion National Park, and there's nobody doing it but a few French tourists.

Those willing to try it will need to be equipped (more on that later), but the reward is a unique view of the stunning gorge with its 1,500-foot cliffs, parts of them covered in sheets of ice. The river generally is lower than in spring, and the off-season keeps the crowds manageable at Utah's most popular national park.

The going can be slow, particularly when traveling with children. It takes a couple of hours to get even a mile beyond the end of the paved "riverside walk" at the mouth of the Narrows. But the rewards start as soon as the group rounds the first corner, leaving most of Zion's winter visitors behind.

When hikers stop sloshing through the glacially cold Virgin on a clear afternoon, the only sounds they hear are from occasional ice chunks breaking lose and caroming down the sandstone. The only wildlife they see are water ouzels, small birds that speed along the water's surface, occasionally dipping their beaks into the water before stopping on the cliff's edge.

There is a way to start up-river from the Narrows and make a one-way journey down, but it's generally an overnight trip. By starting at the bottom and walking up-river, the hike can be as long or short as desired.

Falling ice occasionally forces the National Park Service to close the riverside walk, said Ron Terry, public information officer for Zion, who did not know of Narrows hikers being injured by falling ice. All Narrows hikers are advised to check beforehand with the park service on weather conditions and river flow. The canyon is legendary for flash flooding, and even winter flows can vary widely.

"Zion is starting to become 12-month," said Kimberly Clark, manager of Zion Adventure Co., one of two outfitters who rent Narrows gear in Springdale, the town just outside the park.

For winter, the gear consists of three essential elements:

* A dry suit. Made of waterproof material and fitted with inner-tube-like rubber gaskets at the ankles and wrists, the suit keeps wearers absolutely dry, save a little perspiration that condenses on the inside. The suit is not insulated, so hikers wear fleece underneath.

* River shoes. Worn with neoprene booties for warmth, these sturdy, quick-draining shoes are really the only reliable footwear for the Narrows. Even in summer, the rocky river bottom will quickly shred feet in river sandals.

* Walking stick. Low-tech as they can be, a hardwood stick provides balance in swift current and works as a probe to test water depth.

The gear can be rented for $30 to $35 per day. Clark says she has fitted children as young as 5 or 6, although there are several spots where children need help with the depth and current.