We did this as a loop up-climbing East Fork and coming down West Fork A very rewarding day Each fork on it's own is probably a bit lackluster, but together they are a 5-star day Climbing up the East Fork makes this an R rating, due to some exposure on two notable up-climbs There are 2 fairly easy up-climbs of note as well There is one where you chimney up about 10 feet and then have to get around a large chockstone When you get to the obvious big drop of about 100 feet with a large chockstone about 15 feet up and a...

Smiling Cricket Canyon, also known as Poe Canyon and even L Canyon, was first descended by Mike Bogart and Jenny Hall in 1981 and called Poe Their bold descent went unrepeated and more or less unknown for almost 30 years In 2007, Jason Pease wandered the area looking for canyons and re-found Poe, naming it Smiling Cricket He descended it in the summer of 2008 with Mark Fleck Of the three canyons in the area Happy Dog, Laughing Baboon, and Smiling Cricket, Jason and Mark ended up in the biggest of the three He and M...

Pensive Putterman, just off Kane Creek road, is another short, easy tower to summit Due to it's proximity next to the road, climbing it often draws a crowd of on-lookers If you are doing Happy Turk Hoodoo across the road, be sure to climb this as well

I've done it a couple times I like the B-line route over the Fence Canyon and hybrid lines I bring a gallon of water and cache it after the first hill, around the Glenn Canyon sign It's helpful to know you have some extra water on the way up The Escalante River is low right now, but clear We used this as our water source, as we camped right near the Escalante It was a little sandy, but worked well and was cool and refreshing but make sure you're filtering itDon't sleep on the hike to or from Neon Canyon - it's quit...

Neon, and more specifically the Golden Cathedral, may be one of the most photographed spots in Escalante The last rap into the cathedral is amazing, but the canyon above is equally beautiful Neon Canyon is one not to miss Hikers without technical canyoneering skills can hike up the bottom of Neon to visit the Golden Cathedral and return the same way Though this makes a long hike, I recommend it as the area is stunning and the Cathedral a unique and awe-inspiring place Warning!!! Neon contains keeper potholes! Go wi...

Oink, oink, oink, the Hogs!! The 4 Hog Canyons are some of my favorites in North Wash When I first visited them in about 2004, I was surprised at their beauty, and their difficulty They offer a small notch up from many of the North Wash Canyons, and serve as a great intermediate playground The 4 forks all have different characters, and are short enough a motivated group can easily do 2 or 3 in a day A very motivated group might be able to do all 4, but I have heard of few who have actually done them all in a day Th...

Granary is a beautiful canyon perched high above Moab The canyon provides breathtaking views of the La Sal Mountains, Arches National Park, and the Behind The Rocks area of Moab This is a beginner friendly canyon that provides ample opportunities to work on your natural anchor skills Retrievable anchor techniques, such as using an OmniSling, are particularly useful to have along in your bag of tricks for this trip Because of the anchor possibilities, it is recommended to have extra webbing and rope Anchors can alwa...

#conditions 85hrsC2C, 85°sunny LOTSA mud and water to shoulder depth Took 5L water The only anchor that we truly relied on was the final rappel anchor It was two nuts and a pebble in a crack -and of a highly directional nature All canyoneers did the full Monty The last section, albeit short, was fabulous Too much approach and hike back for me to repeat, but got great photos! Approach was trail-less In retrospect it would've been good to hike in on the exit trail and just do the last section of slot and then return...

When I first saw pictures of Messin Around Canyon, I was impressed and surprised I had missed it One of Road Trip Ryan's best kept secrets is the camping up off the road to Upper Stair I've spent many a nights camped up there, away from the often hectic and boisterous Sandthrax campsite I've also spent quite a bit of time wandering around the Upper Butler Canyon forks, its one of my favorite places to wander Summer 2015, I finally got a chance to descend the canyon I'll admit to being a bit disappointed! It is quit...

One of the popular stops on the Burr Trail, I view Singing Canyon as a must do if in the area The canyon, a short side canyon of Long Canyon, is an easy side hike that visits an impressive dryfall and acoustic chamber It is easy to see where it gets its name The echo of sound is quite beautiful at the end of the canyon For hikers and those seeking a roadside attraction, the hike to the end of Signing Canyon takes just a few minutes The sand floor trail is wide, well-trodden and suitable for pretty much all Trees an...