UT Outdoors blog profiles the not-so-miserable Misery Canyon:

The approach canyon started the day off right. Tall cliffs through a deep open canyon covered with all types of vegetation. The contrast of green tress and bushes in front of soaring red and white cliffs is one of my favorite features of the Utah desert, and Zion never disappoints, even in random, unnamed, un-hiking-guided canyons like this one. The canyon was beautiful and shaded in the morning light, nothing miserable about this.


After crossing the pass we made our way along the base of the cliffs and into the drainage we planned to descend that day. The canyon was wide and shallow but we marveled at the micro eco-systems found in each pool of water we passed. Insects, tadpoles, frogs, and who knows what else all called these pools home.

As to the canyon’s name:

In case you are wondering, the name Misery Canyon is a shortened version of another name it is known by; “Fat Mans Misery.” There used to be a section of the canyon where skinny people could squeeze through a small hole to bypass one rappel. The feature has since eroded away so the name really doesn’t apply anymore because it’s never narrow enough that a fat person couldn’t fit (unless you are REALLY fat).

This canyoneering trip also is posted at Backcountry.com’s blog, where it’s possible to earn a discount on the e-store’s goods if you contribute adventure reports.