Photos:
http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=1137406007/a=38054161_38054161/
Friday 5/22:
Talk about changing itineraries. We were first lining up Capitol Reef canyons. Concerns from the participants about the weather (rains up to 60% with monsoon like storm weather) led to an extensive backup plan at North Wash. Changes in participants. More concerns. More discussions. More changes. Change to new plan to different North Wash canyons, with backup possibility of a Reef canyon. (Pandoras, as Jonas really wanted to do it before he leaves.) More changes. We went from a high of 12 people going, down to eventually four who went. Two of which didn't even get on the list until late this week. Jen and I headed out after work on Friday. We drove the road to the Wizard of Oz canyons (thanks Ryan, for the last minute confirmations of beta and info) and checked it out. It was raining; so we didn't know the road conditions, nor what the clay content of the road was. There was a possibility that Anton and Irena might not get to the camp spot; as they were in a passenger car. So we drove back out to the paved road, and scouted a few other camp spots that I knew of. Jen and I chatted, and decided the Wizard campsite would be the best one, based on our planned itinerary. We waited at the road for Anton and Irena.
When they arrived, we discussed the plan, and they followed me in. They were able to make it to the camp spot, and we set up camp and went to sleep as it was now quite late.
Saturday 5/23:
It had rained most of the night, and into the morning. We had breakfast, and discussed what we wanted to do. The weather looked like it was breaking, and the rain was slowing down; so Jen and I decided to go check out Munchkin; as well as the road to Munchkin. On the way there, we ran into another group; and stopped to chat with them. We gave them a bunch of canyon info, and while doing so; the weather broke and it was sunny. We drove back to camp and picked up Anton and Irena, and then headed back over to Munchkin.
The road to the Hogs start was in great shape; and weathered the rain well. Going down past the hill and farther had some softer spots, and a few wash crossings. Definitely would recommend a high-clearance 4wd to get to these canyons with any inclement weather; and a high-clearance vehicle even in good weather. We arrived at the Munchkin trailhead just before noon; did final preparations, and then headed into the drainage around 12:15pm.
We were told that this canyon wasn't very committing and that there were a lot of exits. Just what we were looking for with weather patterns like this. Due to the recent rains, the canyon was likely as full as it ever gets. Still, there wasn't enough water to really warrant wetsuits. We kept on re-evaluating the weather, as some rain clouds were building and/or moving in. However, the canyon went from narrow to open and back again; there were plenty of exits.
We got into a pretty tight section, but we would be able to climb up if necessary. There were some fun sections in the canyon. The rain had started again, and we had some small cascades coming down the walls. The rest of the group didn't feel comfortable being in the canyons; and I really didn't feel comfortable with everyone in it either as Irena was really new to canyons. Anton and Jen had some canyon experience, but not a lot. We easily found an exit out of the canyon. When we all got to an area that would be able to access the rim, and get the group back the car, I had a discussion with them.
This was likely one of the few times it would be relatively safe to do some canyon work in the rain. I was interested in seeing how much rain it took to build how much flow. I've seen some examples, and have a pretty good feel; but it always helps to see and learn more. I wasn't worried about getting flashed in the canyon, as there isn't a large catch basin, and there are exits all over the place. We made a plan, and I continued down the canyon.
The canyon was a blast. Had around 1cfs flow to start, and it built from the sides up to about 1.5 or 2cfs. Then, it all dried up or went underground. Wild. Even a dryfall I encountered didn't have more than a trickle coming down it. There was no flow all the way down to a confluence, which I reached around 2:15pm. The other fork of the confluence had some decent flow; again around 1cfs. I continued downcanyon, with the flow building as I went. The canyon undulated to tight and back to open. There were some really fun downclimbs; especially with the class C (flowing water) conditions. Made it to where the slot was opening up with lots of vegetation. Debated on going down to the confluence with Trachyte, but didn't want to make the others wait that long. Decided to climb back up canyon.
To save time, I took the slickrock back to the confluence, and then upclimbed the fork of the confluence that had some flow; now around 2:45pm. I called it Munchkin's big brother. It turned out to be a decent little canyon. Had a nice dryfall, which wasn't dry at this time. The rain had continued, so there were some nice waterfalls coming down the walls into the canyon; and in the canyon proper. There were some fun upclimbs, and some nice pools above some of the waterfalls. Made it back to the plateau, and hiked back to the car around 3:30pm. From there, we drove back to camp, and set up a shelter between the two vehicles. We made and shared dinner, talked about the day's adventures, and made plans for tomorrow.
The weather broke again later in the evening, so Jen and I took a hike to the Hog canyons overlook. Showed her the different Hog canyons, and enjoyed the panoramic views. Went back to camp, and had some great Russian food that Irena had prepared. We then visited more until we turned in for the night. It again rained most of the night.
Sunday 5/24:
We woke up with the sun, to a beautiful day. We had breakfast, packed up, and headed over to Witches Cauldron. I figured with all the rain, the canyon would be as full as it ever would be; and I was right. There was a decent amount of water. We started to drop in around 7:45am. Not long after the canyon started to slot up, we put on our wetsuits. The canyon had a few fun downclimb/anchor problems. We sequenced others down, then did a ghost anchor off a small chokestone and then one using a pack. We were at the doughnut pothole around 8:50am; and surprisingly, it was pretty much dry. Just a little mud at the bottom. We then reached the drop into the serious section around 9:30am.
The weather was still looking good, so we relaxed a little and grabbed a bite to eat. Dropped into the committing section which had some pretty tight sections, and some fun downclimbs. The tight sections can be climbed over if necessary. We reached the rappel around 11am, and shortly after found the keeper pothole to be completely full. Was an easy swim across with an arm bar to get out. After that, there was a high stemming section. This was Jen and Irena's first R (or -X canyon, depending on which beta you use.) They struggled a little with the packs at first, but after some pack shuttles, made it across fine. We set a handline for the next downclimb, but nobody needed it. The final rappel was next; which we sequenced down followed by me downclimbing it.
From there, the canyon has a few more small slot sections, and then it opens up. It was now around 1:30pm. The day was still beautiful, so we sat and had lunch here; setting all of our gear out to dry. Packed up around 2:30pm, and decided to attempt a new exit route. The route worked, and we found some full potholes. Anton jumped in one to cool down; as it was now pretty warm doing the exit climb in the full sun. We continued to the rim and started hiking back to the car. We were discussing doing Yellow Brick Road. It would likely put us in after dark, but we should be able to find our way back easy enough based on what I knew about the canyon. However, on the hike back, we saw rain over the Henries which made us start the discussions again. Then there was thunder and lightning; which pretty much made up my mind. We would just head back to camp. Definitely content with what we had done today.
We got back to camp, and set up our shelter between the vehicles again. It rained off and on while we visited, ate and drank around dinner time. We then packed up the shelter and headed over towards the Sandthrax camp to see who was around; and maybe visit with them. We got there around 5pm, and there was only one group around. Turned out it was Mike Dallin's group; but he wasn't around either. He and Dianne had headed down to Lake Powell. We visited with their group for a bit, and then headed over to show Irena and Anton the Sandthrax canyon. When we got back, we were discussing waiting around for Mike and other groups that were camping at Sandthrax. The bugs were much worse there though, so we headed back to our camp.
We again set up our shelter, and enjoyed the views, food, drink and great company into the evening. It again rained that evening and night.
Monday 5/25:
We woke up early again, and discussed plans for the day. We were thinking that Zero Gravity would be an awesome canyon to do. Since it's a wet canyon, with all the recent moisture, it should be a blast - with lots of swims. We also talked about doing a couple mini-slots. Anton and Irena wanted to do a mini-slot, and then do Zero Gravity. I thought that was a little optimistic, based on the time it took us to do the canyons over the weekend so far; but we would give it a shot.
We packed up camp, and headed over to do Hogwarts; one of Wyoming Dave's mini-slots. The weather was again looking good, so we started the approach around 8:30am. We were at the top at 9am, and made our way down to the canyon head. From there, it was lots of fun downclimbs and rappels. The pothole was pretty easy to climb around; but it did have high penalty points for failure, so most of the group went through. The pothole was pretty easy to climb out of, and surprisingly, was pretty dry.
Did a couple more rappels, and checked out the interesting anchor on a couple of them. The final rappel had a pool that was pretty full, with an anchor in the pool. There was a backup to a tree; which I checked. We all rapped down and finished the canyon around 11am. Since we were going home that day, Jen and I decided that we didn't really have time for Zero G. Anton and Irena got some gear and split off; they would do Zero G. Jen and I would do another mini-slot; Morocco.
We drove over to the start of Morocco, and started the approach around 11:45am. It's a pretty short approach, and we were at the first rap before noon. The sky was still looking pretty good, but clouds were definitely building. Since it was a mini-slot, we figured we would be out before anything serious hit (it was a really small drainage, so it would take a direct hit to be dangerous - and there was likely many safe spots in the canyon if it was like the previous mini-slot.)
We dropped in and enjoyed the canyon. Several of the rappels can be downclimbed by the skilled. The pothole is easy to step around. When we reached an awkward downclimb around 1pm, we heard some thunder. Hmm. The sky that we could see was still mostly blue, but we wouldn't be wasting time in the canyon. We continued downcanyon, and before long, we finished the final rappel around 1:30pm. We got back to the truck just as it was starting to rain. We quickly changed into our car clothes, and started the drive back.
Hit some decent rain on highway 95, and patchy rain on 24 as well. Upon filling gas in Green River, a downpour started. REALLY heavy rain. Was hoping that Irena and Anton made it out of Zero Gravity before that storm hit. A woman came into the gas station and remarked that the rain didn't bother her, but the boat with the pairs of animals boarding it was a little concerning. Funny. We continued on the drive back; and heard from Anton and Irena. They got to the start of Zero Gravity, and it was a raging torrent with big waterfalls; so they turned around. Man, I wish I could have seen the canyon in those conditions. It would be SO fun to do the canyon in Class C conditions with the right set of partners. It will have to wait for another time though.
Overall, it was a great weekend, with awesome company. Once again, all the canyons were brand new to me, so that was really cool too.
Hope you enjoy the pics!
A.J.
Photos: http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=1137406007/a=38054161_38054161/
Group Room (multiple albums): http://ajoutdoors.snapfish.com/snapfish
Planning Info:
This trip is an intermediate/advanced level trip. Technically, it's an intermediate level, effort could be advanced as all of the days are going to be 9-12 hours; possibly more. Likely with long, exposed, and likely hot approaches and exits. Beautiful canyons though; and car camping at it's finest. Very likely won't require wetsuits. (See below for details.)
Going:
| # | Name | Drive or Need Ride? | When Leave? from Where? |
| 1 | A.J. | Driving Purple Grand Cherokee | Friday 12pm; Boulder |
| 2 | Jen | Riding in AJ's Purple Grand Cherokee | Friday 12pm, Boulder |
| 3 | Jonas | Driving Green Subaru Legacy Wagon | Friday 2pm; Boulder |
| 4 | Scott | ? | ? |
| 5 | Marty | Driving Red Subaru Impreza | Friday 4pm, Denver |
| 6 | Derek | Riding in Marty's Red Subaru Impreza | Friday 4pm, Denver |
| 7 | Joelle | ? | ? |
| 8 | Irena | ? | ? |
Waitlist:
| # | Name | Drive or Need Ride? | When Leave? from Where? |
| 1 | ? | ? |
Going but not Canyoneering:
| # | Name | Drive or Need Ride? | When Leave? from Where? |
| 1 | Misty | Riding in Jonas' Green Subaru Legacy Wagon | Friday 2pm, Boulder |
| 2 | Marty's Family | Riding in Marty's Red Subaru Impreza | Friday 4pm, Denver |
Here’s the plan for the upcoming Memorial Day canyoneering trip. We will be doing canyons near Capitol Reef National Park. People are welcome to come along and camp with us, explore the park, do local hikes, etc. I'll be limiting the number of canyoneers to 8.
Timeframe:
We’ll head out on Friday morning/afternoon/evening 5/22, and return on Tuesday 5/26. We’ll drive to, and meet at, the campsite Friday night and set up camp. Plan on the drive out there taking 8 hours. We’ll do canyons through mid-day Tuesday and be back Tuesday night.
Itinerary:
The plan is that we will try to hit all the major Capitol Reef canyons. We will travel in one group of 8 (or less.) Tentative plan is to do Cottonwood on Saturday; likely hiking from below, rather than a car shuttle. We'll then do Pandora's Box/Meeks Mesa on Sunday. Fivemile on Monday; again likely hiking from below. Finally, getting an early start and doing Burro on Tuesday then driving home.
Other resources:
Michael Kelsey’s book: (1st or 2nd Edition) Technical Slot Canyons of the Colorado Plateau; pg 130 in 1st ed, pg 158 in 2nd ed.
http://www.climb-utah.com/Capitol/index.htm
http://www.ajroadtrips.com/go/trips/capitol-reef-2.html
Canyon Info:
EVERYONE should be familiar with the canyons they are planning on going on at the very minimum. Please use the resources above to make sure you know the day’s plans; as well as make sure you are capable of them. If possible, we’ll try to read the descriptions aloud before heading in. If you don't have access to Kelsey's books; and aren't a member of the Climb-Utah site; send me an e-mail asking for the beta and I can send it to you.
Carpooling:
I'm keeping track of driving info as people tell me they are interested (see chart above.) We are currently solidifying rides. A tradition is that drivers do not have to pay for gas; and it's a nice gesture to buy the drivers a dinner as well if circumstances allow.
Roads:
The roads that we will use to access the canyons should be passable by any mid to high clearance vehicle. Subarus are a good choice. If we want to do the shuttle around the reef for some of the canyons, we will need high clearance vehicles, and best to have 4wd. If we don't have those, or don't want to do the drive; we will hike from the bottom (which is the current plan.)
Maps:
I will have a printout of the route descriptions. If anyone has time to do research to see if they can find other people's trip reports, buy/print their own topo maps, etc; please do so. The more beta we have, the better.
Guidebook/Maps:
I am using the guidebook "Technical Slot Canyon Guide to the Colorado Plateau" by Michael Kelsey (2nd Edition). You can get this guidebook at any outdoor store. If you want your own maps, you can get them at the Boulder Map Gallery, or print them out from Topo or similar program.
GPS:
I will have a GPS with me; but if you have one and want to bring it; feel free. Note, the GPSs probably won't work in the canyons (definitely not in the slots) but we can waypoint our camp and car location...
Camping:
It will be car camping at it’s finest. There is a large camp area and we will hang out at the campsite at night. Bring a camp chair, and pick up firewood if you can. (Firewood is available in Green River. Check the gas stations.) If you need to share a camp stove, or can share your camp stove, then email everyone when we are solidifying rides. I will have a whisperlite camp stove with me and don't mind sharing. I'll have plenty of fuel. Note: They are good for boiling water and high-heat cooking; they don't simmer well.
Campsite Location:
Cottonwood Wash Camp: From Hanksville, UT take highway 24 west to Capitol Reef Nat Park. Between mile posts 88 and 89 turn left or south on the Bullfrog-Notom road. Drive south for 9.9 miles to where Cottonwood Wash crosses the road. The guidebook says there is a sign there that says Cottonwood Wash. At Cottonwood Wash, there is apparently a nice camping area on the right (west) side of the road underneath a cottonwood tree; supposed to be shaded - around 50m and 250m in from the road. That is where we will camp; look for our vehicles. Here is a lame map: http://www.capitol.reef.national-park.com/map.htm
Water:
There is NO water in the area. Bring enough water for the weekend. I’ll be bringing a 7 gallon container. Remember that you can fill up or purchase water in Green River. There is a water spigot outside of both gas stations in Green River (ask before using.) There is also a well with super-high power water (fills seven gallon jugs in no time flat) on the right hand side; with the Subway. It’s out in the parking lot area, near four red posts and the sign. Look for the pipe coming out of the ground; no need to ask if using the well.
Wake-up Times/Timing of Day:
We will be leaving camp relatively early every day. We’ll wake up sometime around sunrise, and be moving shortly thereafter so we can utilize the most of the daylight. (I'd rather be back at camp early than be struggling in the dark.) First light is around 5:30am, Sunrise is around 6am, sunset is around 8:30pm and civil twilight ends around 9pm. Plan on waking up around 5am, having breakfast and being ready to go at 5:30am. (Wake up earlier if you will need more than a half hour to be ready.) We will likely want to start hiking early, as many days we have a good climb for an approach and want to do that before it gets too hot out.
Anchor gear:
I don't know the current conditions of anchors in the canyons, but it’s not that popular of a location so they may not be good. I will have all the anchor material we will need. If you want to bring additional stuff, you are more than welcome to. We will likely be spreading some group gear amongst the group, so save a little room in your pack. (2-3 Nalgene's worth of space.)
Wetsuits:
These canyons are normally semi-dry to wet. However, recent reports show them as being pretty dry. I don’t expect enough water to require wetsuits, but make your own decision. If you have a wetsuit, I'd bring it on the trip. You won't need a heavy wetsuit; so leave the 5mm full suit at home. Bring something like a 2/3 full or shorty wetsuit if you have it. You may choose to pack in a light wetsuit; just in case we run into water. A lot will depend on the outside temperature too.
Ropes:
I’m planning on bringing all the ropes necessary; but they will likely be 8mm ropes. If you haven’t rapped on 8mm line, it can be fast. Very fast. I recommend having 2 carabiners on your belay device to add more friction, a jaws-type ATC/belay device helps too, and definitely bring a pair of gloves so you don’t burn your hand. A pair of bike gloves works fine; as do gardening gloves. There is a thin pair of Nitrile gloves made by Atlas that work well in warmer canyons (Nitrile is sticky enough to still climb with them on) and a thicker pair of Atlas gloves (Therma or Therma-Fit’s) that work better for colder canyons. Ask me if you have questions or concerns.
NOTE: Atlas gloves can be found at most hardware stores; they help protect your hands, and are sticky enough to climb with. Highly recommended.
Meals:
We'll just do most meals on our own, but let’s plan on doing a potluck dinner on Saturday 5/23.
Weather:
Capitol Reef NP:
http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/USUT0036?dp=windsdp
http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USUT0036?from=tenDay_bottomnav_undeclared
Torrey:
http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/USUT0256?dp=windsdp
http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USUT0256?from=tenDay_bottomnav_undeclared
Hanksville:
http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/outdoors/tenday/USUT0101?from=36hr_topnav_outdoors
http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USUT0101?from=search
Green River:
http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/outdoors/tenday/USUT0094?from=36hr_topnav_outdoors
Right now, it's looking like upper 70's during the day and around 50's at night; with some rain predicted for the week prior to our arrival. This would be perfect; pray that this forecast doesn't change much. However, It's likely still too early to really tell what the weather is going to be right now, so make sure you CHECK THE LINKS AGAIN just before leaving! Dress appropriately.
Here's the temperature spread:
Town Rec High Avg High Avg Low Rec Low
Cap Reef 89 69 42 20
Torrey 87 68 34 10
Group gear:
Everyone should plan on carrying a little something extra; as we’ll have some group gear and emergency gear to carry for the canyons. Plan on around two to three nalgene’s worth of space; so make sure you have some room in your pack for that. We’ll divide the group gear up just before heading into the canyons.
Recommended Canyon Gear:
Lightweight, non-cotton clothes. Recommend long sleeves and long pants, but as durable/light as you can be. Good to go to Salvation Army, Savers, or similar and pick up stuff there. There will likely be a lot of scraping against rock, and much better to be cheap clothes than skin.
Elbow pads and knee pads. Just cheap volleyball ones. I’d stay away from the plastic ones, as those could slip if you are using it to brace yourself against rock (as well as they leave unsightly marks on the rock.) Walmart makes some good cloth ones for $6 per pair that I have been using for a long time.
Gloves. You will likely be stemming/chimneying in the canyons, so again, better to tear into gloves rather than skin. The Atlas Nitrile ones, or the Therma/Therma-Fit gloves mentioned above work well. You can get them at most hardware stores; McGuckins definitely has them. Bike gloves work okay as well.
Packs. You shouldn’t be carrying a huge amoung; so you will want a small pack that can get worn/shredded/possibly destroyed. Probably around 2000-2500 cubic inches would be a good size; which is a decent sized daypack. You need enough to carry some approach/emergency clothing (ex: windbreaker, possibly windpants, etc), some webbing, group gear, a decent amount of water (3L?), and some food. You can use a webbing harness for these canyons just fine; or a real harness is likely more comfy. Make your pack size as small as possible.
Everyone will also need a short piece of webbing or cord so they can lower their backpack if necessary. I use a 15ft piece of parachute cord, with loops tied into it. You can use 5-6mm cord, or webbing too; a daisy chain works really well too. Make sure you have at least a 10 ft piece that you can tie to your pack to lower it.
Shoes. Bring shoes that you don’t mind getting trashed. When I do aggressive canyons; a pair of shoes lasts a weekend if I’m lucky… The stickier sole, the better; approach shoes work well but pretty much any kind of tennis shoe will work. NO SANDALS!
Rappelling Gear:
- Harness
- Belay device
- 2 large locking carabiners (mandatory), 2-4 normal sized carabiners – locking or non (optional)
- A small sling/cord/shoelace to secure your belay device, so you don't drop it (optional, likely not really needed for these canyons since I've heard they have drier conditions)
- Some kind of a rappel glove is recommended; the Atlas ones mentioned above will work, however they are pretty sticky so they will wear quicker than a leather glove
- Helmet: bring some kind of a helmet, a bike helmet works too. A helmet is MANDATORY. You don't have one, you aren't going in the canyon with me.
- Prussik slings: I would also like some folks to bring prusik slings. These are just two loops of cord that you attach to your harness. They allow you to climb up a rope if you need to. They are also useful for connecting yourself to an anchor. They are very easy to make. Just go to any mountaineering store and buy *two different colors* of 6 or 7 millimeter climbing cord (one should be ~6 ft, one ~10 ft). (around $5) I can show you how to make, and use, the slings when we are out there.
Dry Bag:
If you have one, I'd plan on bringing it. I'm hoping we will run into water in the canyons. Just make sure it is well protected inside your pack.
Recommended Non-Canyon Gear and other info:
Bring enough water for the weekend. Bring firewood if you have room; and hopefully we can have a fire in the evenings.
Pitching In:
I usually ask for a $5/day for gear used/destroyed on the trip. Plan on pitching in $20 for the whole weekend and the way it will work is that the people that provide ropes will get some money; regardless of signs of wear. If a rope gets a coreshot, etc; then they will get more money. Those who leave anchor gear in the canyons will be re-imbursed (webbing, R/QL’s, etc.) I keep a kitty of money from canyon trips; and the rest gets saved for the next trip. If we have other group gear destroyed (water filters, etc. – shouldn’t on this trip) then we’ll pitch in more so that person isn’t footing the bill by himself.
Disclaimer:
The people organizing this trip will do everything they can to help keep you safe. However, the outdoors are unpredictable, and anything can happen. Ultimately, YOU are responsible for your own safety. Make your own choices; about what canyons you feel up to, as well as your actions in the canyon. If you see something that you don’t agree with, bring it up. Everyone makes mistakes, and I’m sure nobody will have an issue with discussing why we are doing a certain thing. Better that than the possible alternative if something is truly wrong. You should know enough about the canyons through your own research to know whether it’s something you can handle. Nobody else takes responsibility for you, your actions, or even their (or anyone else’s) actions, decisions or gear. You and you alone have the responsibility for keeping yourself safe. Read this disclaimer, and interpret it in the context of this trip: http://www.nelsonrocks.org/disclaimer.html
E-mail me if you want my cell phone number (I don't want to post it on the internet.) We likely won't have a cell signal out there. As always, feel free to e-mail me or give me a call prior to departing to discuss any questions you might have.
Looking forward to a fun time canyoneering!
A.J.