User | full.lead.taco

full.lead.taco

Contact

20 Karma

Favorite Website

youtube.com/fullleadtaco

Favorite Trips

Pine Creek, Leprechaun, Subway, Birch Hollow

Location

Utah County


Todo List

Tick List

1 trip Birch Hollow - Zion East Side
Date: 06/27/2025
#conditions Ran this on 06/27/25, no mud, no water, dry and fun. Ran this with a group of 10 and almost got stuck behind a guided 5 person group and a huge 14+ group of boys and leaders. Both groups let us pass at the second rappel which was great so we didn't see anybody else until we caught up to another group at the last rappel. FYI there is a bypass on the left (looking down canyon) or an alternate rappel set up off of a tree on the far right if you ever need to pass a slow group at the first rappel. All webbing and anchors looked great.
1 trip Pine Creek - Zion Main Canyon
Date: 06/26/2025
Took a group of 12 through on 6/26/25, all anchors and webbing looked fine, replaced the rapide at the bolder (it was worn just a little less than half way through so we replaced it. Enough water in the canyon to have a few swimmers and make it fun--wetsuits were appreciated and everyone was glad they had them. The hole forming by the boulder (false floor) is about a foot in diameter now and you can see all the way down. Be careful and watch for rockfall from underneath. We had everyone stand back and only one person come to the anchor at a time and set our belayer back a ways. All in all it was tons of fun and the weather was great.
1 trip Diana's Throne Canyon (aka Elkheart Cliffs Slot Canyon) - Zion East Side
Date: 06/25/2025
#conditions Did another run through Diana's/The Hunted on 6/25/25. All anchors and webbing looked good. A lot of bolts where you can do some relatively easy downclimbs. It was hot and sandy--but fun. Went around back to do the bonus canyon/rappels. There was no water in the canyon except for a tiny puddle at the longest rappel near the beginning of the canyon.
1 trip3 trip Water Canyon - Hildale
Date: 06/24/2025
#conditions 6/24/25 Ran this with a group of 9 without wetsuits. Got wet, had fun, a bunch of wading and a little bit of swimming. Took the longer route and did all the rappels--totally worth it. Careful of the one tight spot, the walls are smooth and hard to go up higher unless you start higher. It can be tight for heavier people. Thoroughly enjoyed the canyon and was perfect for a hot day in summer. All anchors and webbing were in good condition and most rappels seemed to have multiple anchor options. I believe there might be an additional optional rappel off of a tree which is shorter than the description of the first rappel in the RTR beta. Some in our group did it some hiked around.
1 trip3 trip Benson Creek - Brian Head
Date: 06/23/2025
#conditions 6/23/2025 Ran this with a group of 9 people and had fun. A little smoke but not bad due to the wildfires. All anchors and webbing looked good, fun trip, low water flow. Some of the rock is slick, be careful. The last rappel has multiple anchors you can use, I think I counted 3-4 sets of bolts (some use it as a climbing route).
1 trip Cassidy Arch Canyon - Capitol Reef
Date: 05/24/2025
Ran this canyon on the holiday weekend with a group of 8, but got an early start and beat the crowds (most of them at least). Weather was good, all anchors and webbing were good although a few anchors/bolts spin a bit. Rigged a bunch of the rappels with a Joker so we could speed up our group of 8 (alternating strands so 1 can hook up while the other descends) and stay ahead of the rest of the people coming down the canyon after us. We parked near the exit which made for a nice quick get-a-way as we exited the canyon. If you're going to do this on a weekend be sure to get an early start so you don't get clogged up in the canyon. We went and dropped into Sunglow afterwards to finish the day.
1 trip3 trip Sunglow Canyons / Trail - Bicknell
Date: 05/24/2025
5/24/25 #conditions Did this hike/canyon (west fork) on Saturday 5/25/25 with a group of 8 (holiday weekend) right after doing Cassidy Arch. Hike/approach was scenic but a bit longer than I thought it would be. The canyon was a bit busy with 2 very large groups ahead of us (2 groups of 18 people each) who fortunately let us pass through. The bolts/anchors were in good condition, but the webbing is starting to show some wear and will need to be replaced in the next month or two. The technical section (no water) was short but sweet. 5 rappels with a 100' rappel at the end.
1 trip Bloodhound Canyon - Dirty Devil
Date: 04/23/2025
Ran this on 4/23/25 in a group of 4. The canyon was pretty much dry with a little bit of mud. I think we saw water in one bypassable pothole. We ended up dropping into this canyon after finishing Benign a few minutes earlier. Canyon was fun, but not really exceptional in any way--we ran this one as well as the nearby Benign to get some sandtrap and a little more partner assist/pothole practice. On one of the last rappels, we built an anchor up on the right side when looking down canyon to rappel down and avoid the large muddy/wet pothole. Weather was mid to high 70's and a little windy but we took it slow and had a good time. A lot of the obstacles are bypassable since the canyon is a pretty shallow canyon--but we went through most obstacles for fun. There is a cool rock formation to climb on and makes a great photo rock on the hike out--the view is cool.
1 trip Benign Canyon - Dirty Devil
Date: 04/23/2025
#conditions Ran this on 4/23/25 in a group of 4. We only saw water in two potholes, the water level was just below the knees in the first and ankle deep in the second. Canyon was fun--we ran this one as well as the nearby Bloodhound to get some sandtrap and a little more partner assist/pothole practice. Weather was mid to high 70's and everything was really dry besides those two potholes. We took it slow and had a great time. FYI, I believe on one of the last rappels, a new anchor will need to be built if not using a sandtrap. I agree with kellyannbb about the exit being "bushwacky" for a bit. Last downclimb was fun.
1 trip Angel Slot - Angel Point
Date: 04/12/2025
Did this canyon again with 4 experienced people and 3 new people. Great canyon experience for everyone. Did the rappels for the first two rappels and then downclimbed everything until the bonus river rappels. Right afterwards we drove over to Angel Cove Slot and did both forks (down south, up north).
1 trip Angel Cove Slot - Angel Point
Date: 04/12/2025
Dropped into the south fork on 4-12-25 with 4 experienced people and 3 new people. I wasn't expecting much due to the lower * rating but was pleasantly surprised. It felt kinda like a playground with fun obstacles--All the webbing and anchors were in good condition. Weather was good, no water, mud, or rain. We ended up ascending up the North fork after completing the south fork. Going up the North fork was fun too, with a different set of challenges (none of them too difficult with the right gear). There were two fixed ropes for going up the largest two drops. I will definitely do this one again.
1 trip Not Mindbender Canyon - Robbers Roost
Date: 03/24/2025
3/24/25 did the short route with a group of 4, weather was great, didn't rush took about 7 hours. Mannnnnnnnnn, the sand! There is so much deep sand to hike through, it gets a little tiring on the way out. The exit is a slog. As far as how the canyon went, there was a little water in some of the tight spots and pools, some deep mud in some places too. Webbing was ok, but should probably be replaced soon. Last rappel (anchor is a wedged rock) was backed up by a bolt. It was nice to have it backed up by the bolt. Took the Moki exit, and was glad to have the rope which was left behind (thanks to whoever set the rope and left it for the rest of us). Didn't expect there to be so much loose/deep sand to hike through. The exit is a slog through deep sand and steep hiking. We only had one car, but used a stashed an electric one-wheel/unicycle to send one guy to fetch the car (it worked well for us).
1 trip Constrychnine Canyon - Poison Spring
Date: 03/22/2025
We took a group of 11 (half new people, half experienced) through on March 22, 2025 and had great weather. The canyon was dry with no pools of water. Noticed there was a newish cairn anchor built for the optional first rappel--we decided to use it to give the new people a practice rappel before the larger ones in the canyon. All anchors appeared to be in good condition but some of the webbing is starting to look a bit worn and will probably need to be replaced soon (especially on the rappel into the dark area where it rubs on two surfaces). Be sure to inspect the webbing closely on the wear areas. Great canyon, I feel it is underrated.
1 trip Boltergeist Canyon - Leeds
Date: 02/22/2025
Ran this on 2/22/25 with a group of 4 of us. All webbing and anchors were in good condition, but the one single bolt is a bit loose and spins on the last rappel (short exit) so we opted to use the two bolts above it (requires a little climbing). The canyon had a little water in it from previous days' rain which was a nice change from the last time we did it (in 100+ degree weather). We had fun downclimbing the crack instead of rappelling it.
1 trip Diana's Throne Canyon (aka Elkheart Cliffs Slot Canyon) - Zion East Side
Date: 02/22/2025
Did this canyon again with a group of 5, first time I'd done it with snow on the ground. Cool contrast of red rock and white snow on the ground. Lots of rappels and downclimbs with the ability to bypass a lot of obstacles if you want to. Busy canyon though...
1 trip Yankee Doodle Canyon - Leeds
Date: 02/22/2025
took a group of 5 through and had a blast... we had decided to do the pair (yankee doodle and boltergeist on our way home from doing a different canyon.)
1 trip Blarney Canyon - North Wash
Date: 02/15/2025
Decided to do Blarney (left fork) on 2-15-25 with a group of 3 first timers and 4 experienced. Canyon was dry even though it had rained the day before. Replaced a little webbing, but other than that, all anchors were in good condition. Amazing weather and a great time. (A quick reminder for those unaware to use a carabiner to shorten the webbing at the anchor for the rappel start for all but the last person--last person removes the carabiner to extend the rapide over the edge for a good rope pull and prevent rope grooves.)
1 trip Morocco Canyon - North Wash
Date: 01/25/2025
Ran this on 1/25/25 with a group of 8 (4 beginners/4 experienced). Weather was chilly, around 20 degrees F, and the canyon was dry enough that we didn't have to do any wading with some bridging/stemming. All anchors were in good condition although it looks like some of the webbing will need to be changed out in the next few months. This little canyon surpassed my expectations and I will be back again when it is full of water (hopefully). Be mindful of the exposure on the approach (if you slip it could be bad)--but other than that, it was a blast and everyone enjoyed the canyon.
1 trip Hogwarts Canyon - North Wash
Date: 01/25/2025
Ran this on 1/25/25 with a group of 8 (4 beginners as their first canyon and 4 experienced). Weather was chilly, around 20 degrees F, and the canyon was dry. All anchors were in good condition--and all previous bolts had been cut/removed. The alligator rock was by itself and not backed up by a bolt this time. No water in the canyon. The double solution pocket anchor still looked good--we opted to use this instead of the single solution pocket anchor on the side. Fun time!
1 trip Angel Slot - Angel Point
Date: 01/04/2025
Did this canyon again on 1-4-25 with a group of 5. Dirt road to get there is in great condition. The canyon was completely dry, but had a tiny bit of snow falling for a few minutes during the second rappel. 1st rappel is always an interesting start with that overhang, don't forget to use a carabiner to shorten the webbing for all but the last person. Had a ton of fun downclimbing the rest of the canyon after doing the first 2 rappels. The lighting was really awesome at the end of the deeper dark crack area. The webbing on the first 2 rappels looked good and pretty new(ish). I feel like this canyon is underrated--we loved it (again). We ended up having enough time to do something else, so we headed over to Goblin Valley to rappel the Goblins Lair. Awesome way to kick off the new
1 trip Slideanide Canyon - Poison Spring
Date: 12/22/2024
Super fun canyon, but sure shreds the clothes... did the first rappel and downclimbed the rest in a group of 9.
1 trip Constrychnine Canyon - Poison Spring
Date: 10/26/2024
We took a group of 7 people through and didn't come across any other people inside the canyon. Took our time and had lots of fun. There was a decent amount of water in the canyon from the rain earlier in the week. Two of us opted to do a bit more stemming/bridging to stay dry the entire time. It was fun figuring out different ways to stay dry during rappels, down climbs, etc... One party member who chose to get wet--waded through almost waist-deep water in one of the areas. Anchors seemed to be in good condition. On the last short rappel or downclimb that drops into a pool of water (or mud depending on when you go?). Looks like the webbing/Deadman anchor will need to be replaced before too long due to the rubbing on the sandstone on that last anchor--this might be the anchor that @rachelg built? If so, thanks, it helped keep us dry on that (it was full of water and mud). Exit was a little steeper than we thought, but I think we saw the cairns built by @mtnsam (thanks). Super fun though and perfect weather of about 70 degrees F the entire time.
1 trip3 trip Benson Creek - Brian Head
Date: 09/20/2024
Took the family to go do Benson Creek, used rain jackets and quick dry pants, weather was good, all anchors were good. 1st rappel is off of a dead tree, wonder how long that will be good for.
1 trip3 trip4 trip Red Ledges - Diamond Fork
Date: 07/28/2024
rappel practice, helped another group who had hair stuck in a rappel device (rigging with contingency is helpful)
1 trip3 trip Battle Creek Falls - Orem
Date: 07/24/2024
Did this on "Pioneer Day" July 24, 2024 to cool off. Water flow was still pretty high, but we rappelled the right side using two trees as anchors for the rappel. I'd highly recommend using trees (sides of the river) to set up the rappel. The anchors/bolts that are in the rock make it so that hikers have to go above, below, or around the ropes (basically in the way of the hikers). If you're doing this, try to not block the hiking path. Also be careful of slippery rocks. The quick video above that I added shows the water flow when we were rappelling.
1 trip Diana's Throne Canyon (aka Elkheart Cliffs Slot Canyon) - Zion East Side
Date: 07/24/2024
Took a family/friends group through this canyon, was fun as usual with lots of short rappels/downclimbs. Busy canyon though.
1 trip Pine Creek - Zion Main Canyon
Date: 06/13/2024
Took a group of boys through the canyon, had a great time but had a scary moment with some substantial rockfall from 10ft back from the edge. A hole is forming there, be careful!
1 trip Boltergeist Canyon - Leeds
Date: 06/10/2024
Took a group of 8 through after doing Yankee Doodle earlier in the morning. There was no water, all anchors seemed to be in good shape--but the single bolt spins on the last rappel short exit. We opted to use the two higher bolts above for the rappel (be careful climbing to the 2 bolts above--the sand/moss made it a bit slick). Temps in the 100's, but had fun anyways. We used it as a warmup for the boys to practice rappelling before hitting PineCreek on 6/12/24
1 trip Blarney Canyon - North Wash
Date: 04/12/2024
Took a female group of 10 through the canyon (for half of them it was a first time canyon). Very enjoyable weather and the canyon is beginner friendly--everyone had fun. The canyon has some fun downclimbs.
1 trip Hogwarts Canyon - North Wash
Date: 04/11/2024
Ran this on 4-11-24, all anchors/webbing looked good. I noticed the shiny bolt backing up the "alligator" slab rock anchor. Bridged over the pothole with my 14-18 year old girls but noticed the bolts above as an option if they didn't want to stem/bridge over it. All water was avoidable. There were large pieces of webbing attached to 2 solution pockets for the second to last rappel. Whole group of 5 had a blast, although some of them didn't love the short but steep approach. Nice short canyon with a lot of bang for being a shorty.
1 trip Birch Hollow - Zion East Side
Date: 04/03/2024
Lots of rain recently in this area which has caused a lot of mud and erosion. My friend tried to do this canyon the day before but had to turn around due to the muddy road to get to the trailhead (deep ruts). We tried on the 3rd and were successfully able to get our minivan (carefully) to the Birch trailhead. We dropped a truck off at the Orderville trailhead (using a high clearance vehicle), the road was pretty rough. The mud was unreal on the trail, but also slippery and funny. We encountered snow on the ground, cool ice formations under the waterfalls, ice over the creek after exiting the canyon portion with 1-2" of mud on top of that ice. We noticed tons of erosion near the exit point where you hike up to get to the orderville parking lot. Basically the hillside has come down and been washed down from the creek. All the webbing looked good and the canyon was super fun with our group of 8. Be careful with all that mud and don't lose any shoes.
1 trip Yankee Doodle Canyon - Leeds
Date: 04/02/2024
4/2/24 Canyon had received rain the previous day. Probably the most full of water I have seen--was a blast with waist deep water in some of the narrow areas. Took a group of 8 through the canyon as a warmup before doing Birch Hollow the next day. Moist moss on the rock wall made the climb out a little more slick but not too difficult. Fun canyon, especially fun with the added water.
1 trip Goblin's Lair - Goblin Valley
Date: 02/24/2024
Came through and did the lair again after doing another north wash canyon
1 trip Angel Slot - Angel Point
Date: 02/24/2024
Did this canyon in a group of 4 and had a blast. We didn't end up doing that last rappel that takes you down to the river, but I think I need to at some point. We were low on time and still wanted to drop into the goblin's lair.
1 trip Goblin's Lair - Goblin Valley
Date: 01/04/2024
Did a quick run through, fun as always, great weather.
1 trip3 trip Leprechaun Canyon - North Wash
Date: 12/30/2023
Decided to take a trip down on new year's eve eve to test out some canyoneering christmas gear. Love leprechaun canyon, this is one of the family fav's. We did left fork and brought head lamps to light up the dark areas. Had great weather and enjoyed the tight squeeze!
1 trip Pine Creek - Zion Main Canyon
Date: 09/22/2023
Did pine creek with the family, lots of water and lots of fun. It was cold but good. All bolts and anchors were great.
1 trip3 trip Battle Creek Falls - Orem
Date: 08/23/2023
did this again with a youth group--used trees as anchors instead of the bolts which block the hiking path.
1 trip Crumbling Canyon - Spanish Fork Canyon
Date: 08/22/2023
hot august trip, did it in the evening when it was cooler. Approach is steep and not really fun, but the rest of the canyon is pretty fun for how close it is to home.
1 trip Yankee Doodle Canyon - Leeds
Date: 07/22/2023
went with a group of ym and had a great time, was fun but dry with no water.
1 trip Crumbling Canyon - Spanish Fork Canyon
Date: 06/24/2023
First time doing this canyon, approach is a bit steep and has lots of cheat grass. Rappels are decently fun, and squeezing through the hole to rappel is awkward but fun.
1 trip3 trip4 trip Red Ledges - Diamond Fork
Date: 06/20/2023
helped teach a group how to rappel
1 trip The Subway (From the Top) - Zion West Side
Date: 06/19/2023
Amazing, beautiful experience with a couple of "potentially dangerous mishaps" that turned out for the better. Water was cold and wind was breezy, but other than that, the weather was good. Water levels were high. A few things to note, due to rain or winter weather eroding some of the dirt on the initial steep downclimb to get to the first pool of water, one of the larger boulders (500+ lbs) in the downclimb was loose and when one of our party members stepped on it, it came rolling down. Luckily that person fell backwards and had their helmet on--as his helmet hit a boulder behind them when he fell. That person's leg narrowly missed getting pinned/crushed by the boulder when they fell backwards. Water was cold and wetsuits were used and appreciated. One of the larger fellows in our group (too tall for most wetsuits) was not able to use a wetsuit and got very chilled and wished they made one in his size (almost 7ft tall). Canyon was very beautiful and fun and awesome. The hike after you get out of the subway section is a lot farther/longer than what most people say. With all the zig-zagging across the river before the steep hike/climb out, people should be careful of slipping and falling. Multiple people in our party slipped and fell but nobody was injured. Also, on the upper parts of the trail to exit the canyon, there are a couple parts of the trail that are washed out where people should take care. If you slip in the wrong place, you could fall and there really isn't anything to stop you. The water levels were high and there was quite a bit of swimming. Side note: if you are planning on picking up your permit at the kolob canyon visitor center, be aware of their hours change due to short staffing. The visitor center closed on Sunday at 12 noon.
1 trip Diana's Throne Canyon (aka Elkheart Cliffs Slot Canyon) - Zion East Side
Date: 06/15/2023
Went in a small group of 3, had fun, sand on the way out is a little deep and not fun to walk through but the canyon is great with lots of short downclimbs and rappels to practice with.
1 trip Diana's Throne Canyon (aka Elkheart Cliffs Slot Canyon) - Zion East Side
Date: 06/05/2023
the approach and exit have a bit of deep sand that is annoying to hike in, and the exit is a bit steep, but it was a fun canyon with a bunch of short rappels
1 trip Goblin's Lair - Goblin Valley
Date: 03/21/2023
dropped into the lair, cool view, always love goblin valley.
1 trip3 trip4 trip Red Ledges - Diamond Fork
Date: 09/15/2022
helped teach a group how to rappel
1 trip Yankee Doodle Canyon - Leeds
Date: 06/15/2022
Very fun short canyon with some great beauty and the first rappel is awesome. It has some nice downclimbing areas and you can't beat the approach!
1 trip3 trip4 trip Red Ledges - Diamond Fork
Date: 08/14/2021
helped teach a group how to rappel

Comments

Videos

Angel Slot - Angel Point

Angel Slot (February 2024)

Battle Creek Falls - Orem

Battle Creek Falls Rappel July 2024

Benson Creek - Brian Head

Benson Creek Canyoneering Aug 2024

Birch Hollow - Zion East Side

Birch Hollow (A Muddy Adventure) April 2024

Blarney Canyon - North Wash

Girls' Trip Blarney Canyon

Bloodhound Canyon - Dirty Devil

Bloodhound Canyon April 2025

Boltergeist Canyon - Leeds

Boltergeist June 2024 (YM Group)

Constrychnine Canyon - Poison Spring

Constrychnine Canyon - What a great day!

Crumbling Canyon - Spanish Fork Canyon

Crumbling Canyon at Night - Summer 2023

Leprechaun Canyon - North Wash

Left Fork Leprechaun Canyon 2023

Morocco Canyon - North Wash

Morocco Jan 2025 Group of 8

Not Mindbender Canyon - Robbers Roost

Not Mindbender (Spring 2025)

Pine Creek - Zion Main Canyon

Pine Creek June 2023

Yankee Doodle Canyon - Leeds

Yankee Doodle April 2024 After Rain