How To Use Trip Information

There are a few things to know to help make Road Trip Ryan trip information more useful. Trips (routes) have details by section. A description of these sections follows:

Overview

Rating

Ratings are very subjective. If you are new to the outdoors or the region, I recommend starting with easier trips before tackling the harder routes. The desert, in particular, can be a very different environment.

Canyon ratings use the ACA Canyoneering system. For more thoughts, see the Rating System Guide.

Length

Non-shuttle trips are round-trip. Point-to-point type trips are the full-length.

Mileages are from GPS tracks and are generally accurate, though side trips may vary your total.

Time Estimates: Length is variable depending on the group. The lower end of the range is my group's time (fit, few breaks); the upper end is for an average group with more breaks. If you take long photos, navigate carefully, or hike slower, your time may be more.

Important: Particularly in technical canyons, group size and experience level matter! A 4-hour romp for a skilled group can turn into an all-day epic for a large group with novices.

Virtually all "overnight epics" reported to me involved intermediate leaders taking large, inexperienced groups into intermediate canyons. Keep beginners in beginner-friendly terrain!

CFS Range

Flow rates for floating or safe crossings. Monitored by USGS; current flows at waterdata.usgs.gov.

Season

Recommended timing. Note that seasonal conditions fluctuate—heavy snow or heat can make a "recommended" season impossible in specific years.

Gear

Specifies special equipment. I always carry a 10-essentials kit. See the 10E kit page or the Canyon Primer for details.

Rappels

Number of rappels and the highest height. Actual counts may vary based on your group's down-climbing skills.

Water

Expectation for wetsuits (canyons) or filterable sources along the route (hiking).

Flash Flood

Risk level (low/medium/high). Be extremely weather-aware; even "low" is hazardous if significant rain occurs.

Maps & Notes

Maps: Lists the USGS 1:24,000 quad(s) needed for the trip.

Notes: The catch-all for essential trip info that doesn't fit elsewhere.

Intro (Hype)

The overview section ends with a few paragraphs to introduce the trip, its history, or pertinent background.

Getting There (Trailhead)

Directions to reach the trailhead.

Warning: Mapping apps (Google/Apple) sometimes give incorrect backroad directions. Ensure the app's route matches your expectations before following blindly.

Route

The core details on navigating and completing the route.

Photos

Visuals of the route, including many user-submitted photos.

Map

Interactive maps and static printable images. Waypoints are in UTM or Degrees Minutes Seconds.

Datum: Waypoints use the WGS84 datum.

Weather

Trailhead forecasts from weather.gov. On mobile, this is fetched dynamically if a data connection is available.