Todo List
North Wash
Tick List
Morocco Canyon - North Wash
Date: 05/09/2019
Plenty of water here, although mostly avoidable. You can hike (dc) left just before the stemming section before the rap that drops into the water (4th?) to avoid all the unavoidable wet sections. I believe we did this previously but we didn't bother today as we wanted our group to get the full experience. Altogether a fun and reasonably quick canyon, suitable for hardy beginners - not skill heavy but not a casual romp.
Plenty of water here, although mostly avoidable. You can hike (dc) left just before the stemming section before the rap that drops into the water (4th?) to avoid all the unavoidable wet sections. I believe we did this previously but we didn't bother today as we wanted our group to get the full experience. Altogether a fun and reasonably quick canyon, suitable for hardy beginners - not skill heavy but not a casual romp.
Slideanide Canyon - Poison Spring
Date: 05/04/2019
Took a group of (mostly) beginners in, and after a little adjusting everyone did great. More advanced members of our party had no issues downclimbing the entire canyon. We ran 6 hours even with a massive group, so I can't expect it could take you much longer than that. All dry for us, doesn't look like it would hold a lot of water regardless. Overall a very fun canyon with slotty raps, a few fun elevators, and great views on the deproach.
Took a group of (mostly) beginners in, and after a little adjusting everyone did great. More advanced members of our party had no issues downclimbing the entire canyon. We ran 6 hours even with a massive group, so I can't expect it could take you much longer than that. All dry for us, doesn't look like it would hold a lot of water regardless. Overall a very fun canyon with slotty raps, a few fun elevators, and great views on the deproach.
Clearwater Canyon - Cataract Canyon
Date: 06/03/2018
Entry road was no problem in a CRV, would be no sweat in a 2WD sedan type car. The exit trail head road is crested in the center and you'll need decent clearance to get there. Clearwater was fairly dry on our trip. Very little in the way of flowing water but we found enough in the lower half to fill water and sit in, but I wouldn't call any of them a "magical oasis." Perhaps water is too low at this time of year. Overall our trip down to the river was fine, nothing to really write home about with the exception of two sets of fantastic panels (one is just past the first rap on the rim to the right, but before you drop the rap). Honestly we've done bigger and better, but it was alright. We camped down at the river and saw scorpions, so keep your eyes peeled for that. The riverwalk was absolutely the worst. "Frustratingly loose" is not apt. Perhaps "will make you question your ongoing insistence at remaining alive." Spirits were lower than low at that point, and given Ryan's description of the ascent canyon past that I was considering just floating down to Lake Powell and finding houseboat full of upper-middle class mid-westerners to adopt me as their own. Don't worry, that was the worst of it. The ascent canyon was honestly my favorite part of the entire circuit. It was super fun albeit athletic scrambling and route finding. After that, brace yourself for a slog through the desert. While the tumbleweed gauntlet was less fearsome than I expected, I'll be picking stickers out of my socks and shoes (and legs) for the foreseeable future. It is very secluded, which is nice. Didn't see a soul the whole weekend (including Cheesebox the day before). Overall a very mediocre canyon with nice views toward the end of the descent and excellent scrambling on the way back up Easter Pasture. I will likely not do this canyon again, but I am strangely glad I did it...
Entry road was no problem in a CRV, would be no sweat in a 2WD sedan type car. The exit trail head road is crested in the center and you'll need decent clearance to get there. Clearwater was fairly dry on our trip. Very little in the way of flowing water but we found enough in the lower half to fill water and sit in, but I wouldn't call any of them a "magical oasis." Perhaps water is too low at this time of year. Overall our trip down to the river was fine, nothing to really write home about with the exception of two sets of fantastic panels (one is just past the first rap on the rim to the right, but before you drop the rap). Honestly we've done bigger and better, but it was alright. We camped down at the river and saw scorpions, so keep your eyes peeled for that. The riverwalk was absolutely the worst. "Frustratingly loose" is not apt. Perhaps "will make you question your ongoing insistence at remaining alive." Spirits were lower than low at that point, and given Ryan's description of the ascent canyon past that I was considering just floating down to Lake Powell and finding houseboat full of upper-middle class mid-westerners to adopt me as their own. Don't worry, that was the worst of it. The ascent canyon was honestly my favorite part of the entire circuit. It was super fun albeit athletic scrambling and route finding. After that, brace yourself for a slog through the desert. While the tumbleweed gauntlet was less fearsome than I expected, I'll be picking stickers out of my socks and shoes (and legs) for the foreseeable future. It is very secluded, which is nice. Didn't see a soul the whole weekend (including Cheesebox the day before). Overall a very mediocre canyon with nice views toward the end of the descent and excellent scrambling on the way back up Easter Pasture. I will likely not do this canyon again, but I am strangely glad I did it...
East and West Cheesebox Canyon - Cedar Mesa
Date: 06/02/2018
We did full west Cheesebox Definitely will need clearance and almost certainly AWD (we had a late-model CRV) to get through the first portion of the road. We hit a section we didn't care to attempt halfway between trailheads so we just parked there, but you could probably attempt it with velocity and courage. This was a good canyon. It was a slow burn and somewhat mundane until you get into the depths of the canyon. They were a lot of caves and pseudo-caves, and several cool pits to drop into as part of raps or downclimbing. If you do this canyon with 0 raps you might actually be insane. The swims were long and exciting, two of which we found to be mandatory (although mayyyybe you could stem over them if you are incredible). The slots were pleasantly slotty but not too tight. No need for wetsuits on a hot day as you can catch sun after them to dry off and/or warm up. The water wasn't even too horrifically dirty. Even with a late start we finished (with no car shuttle) in about 6.5 hours. It was almost strange finishing a deproach in the daylight... The deproach has some of the best crypto I've ever seen. It's amazing. Follow the abundant cairns to stay on the elephant track and avoid hurting additional crypto. Overall a fun canyon worth visiting with two long mandatory swims. This would be a great intro canyon for swims as the downclimbs and raps weren't terribly difficult or exposed.
We did full west Cheesebox Definitely will need clearance and almost certainly AWD (we had a late-model CRV) to get through the first portion of the road. We hit a section we didn't care to attempt halfway between trailheads so we just parked there, but you could probably attempt it with velocity and courage. This was a good canyon. It was a slow burn and somewhat mundane until you get into the depths of the canyon. They were a lot of caves and pseudo-caves, and several cool pits to drop into as part of raps or downclimbing. If you do this canyon with 0 raps you might actually be insane. The swims were long and exciting, two of which we found to be mandatory (although mayyyybe you could stem over them if you are incredible). The slots were pleasantly slotty but not too tight. No need for wetsuits on a hot day as you can catch sun after them to dry off and/or warm up. The water wasn't even too horrifically dirty. Even with a late start we finished (with no car shuttle) in about 6.5 hours. It was almost strange finishing a deproach in the daylight... The deproach has some of the best crypto I've ever seen. It's amazing. Follow the abundant cairns to stay on the elephant track and avoid hurting additional crypto. Overall a fun canyon worth visiting with two long mandatory swims. This would be a great intro canyon for swims as the downclimbs and raps weren't terribly difficult or exposed.
Woody Canyon - Trachyte Area
Date: 06/04/2017
Phenomenal. The approach was a bit of a death march in 95 degree weather, but once you get in... fantastic. The potholes are huge, bizarre, and beautiful. Water was low but still had us swimming at a few spots. Wetsuits were not needed, but it was insanely hot. The "bridge" pothole was interesting and we passed it using meat anchors on both sides of our rope over the top of the bridge, which was strange but effective. We pack tossed and assisted a few times to get out of holes. Each pothole was a fun problem, and every one was different. I love the look of this canyon as well, very flowy and twisted. The drop back into Woodruff is amazing, shockingly green and lush, although the biting flies are unpleasant in that area. If you enjoy pothole and keeper based challenges, this canyons is wonderful.
Phenomenal. The approach was a bit of a death march in 95 degree weather, but once you get in... fantastic. The potholes are huge, bizarre, and beautiful. Water was low but still had us swimming at a few spots. Wetsuits were not needed, but it was insanely hot. The "bridge" pothole was interesting and we passed it using meat anchors on both sides of our rope over the top of the bridge, which was strange but effective. We pack tossed and assisted a few times to get out of holes. Each pothole was a fun problem, and every one was different. I love the look of this canyon as well, very flowy and twisted. The drop back into Woodruff is amazing, shockingly green and lush, although the biting flies are unpleasant in that area. If you enjoy pothole and keeper based challenges, this canyons is wonderful.
Witch's Cauldron - Trachyte - Land of Oz
Date: 06/03/2017
This one is tricky. Very little water for our journey, and the weather for hot as hell, so we didn't use our wetsuits at all. The cauldron was knee deep and could be entered and escaped without assistance. I don't believe we used pot shots for anything, but different water levels would have created more challenges along those lines. The swim after the cauldron was still a swim, albeit short. The main challenge of this canyon was the stemming. Hundreds of feet of sometimes awkward stemming with death cracks below you. I would say that everyone in your party absolutely needs to be good at stemming and able to do it for 100 feet at a time - there were no alternatives in most sections. Overall a fun and strenuous canyon, maybe the physically hardest I've done.
This one is tricky. Very little water for our journey, and the weather for hot as hell, so we didn't use our wetsuits at all. The cauldron was knee deep and could be entered and escaped without assistance. I don't believe we used pot shots for anything, but different water levels would have created more challenges along those lines. The swim after the cauldron was still a swim, albeit short. The main challenge of this canyon was the stemming. Hundreds of feet of sometimes awkward stemming with death cracks below you. I would say that everyone in your party absolutely needs to be good at stemming and able to do it for 100 feet at a time - there were no alternatives in most sections. Overall a fun and strenuous canyon, maybe the physically hardest I've done.
Constrychnine Canyon - Poison Spring
Date: 04/23/2017
One of the best intermediate canyons. Fantastic views and fun raps. All anchors were in good shape, and canyon was completely dry for us. Slithery down climbing means you'll shred your gear, but this canyon is a classic.
One of the best intermediate canyons. Fantastic views and fun raps. All anchors were in good shape, and canyon was completely dry for us. Slithery down climbing means you'll shred your gear, but this canyon is a classic.
Blushing Bride - The Jilted Fork - Trachyte
Date: 04/22/2017
Super fun canyon with easy approach (easy and short with 4WD shuttle, easy and medium-length with 2WD shuttle). No raps but some challenging and fun down climbs. Some unavoidable water unless you want to get real sketchy on the down climbs. Last pothole is very fun and possibly 1000 feet deep. Bushwhacking is terrible in brief portions and you'll get poison ivy. Very pleasant exit hike up maiden.
Super fun canyon with easy approach (easy and short with 4WD shuttle, easy and medium-length with 2WD shuttle). No raps but some challenging and fun down climbs. Some unavoidable water unless you want to get real sketchy on the down climbs. Last pothole is very fun and possibly 1000 feet deep. Bushwhacking is terrible in brief portions and you'll get poison ivy. Very pleasant exit hike up maiden.
Morocco Canyon - North Wash
Date: 04/22/2017
Short and fairly easy. Your only real challenge would be avoiding a bit of water.
Short and fairly easy. Your only real challenge would be avoiding a bit of water.
Larry Canyon - Robbers Roost
Date: 05/14/2016
Canyon itself is easy and fun. Routefinding was no problem. Good, moderately tight slots and awesome views. Raps and climbs were moderate at the worst. One portion in the narrows has you hunched over for quite a while. Cheap gloves are a must to keep hands from getting shredded. The exit was well marked with cairns, but the class 4 finish is not easy for non-climbers, and doesn't have any good anchors at the top, so if you can't climb out you'll be effed. Some other guy's truck was parked right at the exit (10 minute walk to ours), but I didn't have time to go look to see how he parked where he did. Overall good, fun canyon, with a challenging exit - tough climb over the slab.
Canyon itself is easy and fun. Routefinding was no problem. Good, moderately tight slots and awesome views. Raps and climbs were moderate at the worst. One portion in the narrows has you hunched over for quite a while. Cheap gloves are a must to keep hands from getting shredded. The exit was well marked with cairns, but the class 4 finish is not easy for non-climbers, and doesn't have any good anchors at the top, so if you can't climb out you'll be effed. Some other guy's truck was parked right at the exit (10 minute walk to ours), but I didn't have time to go look to see how he parked where he did. Overall good, fun canyon, with a challenging exit - tough climb over the slab.
Alcatraz Canyon - Robbers Roost
Date: 05/14/2016
Driving beta is a bit odd here: "Go left again in less than 0.1 miles." I would say that you fork right at the junction at 7 miles, and then go straight down the road past a turnoff to the right. There's no left turn to speak of. Essentially follow the sign to Ekker ranch at that point. Road conditions were no sweat in a Honda Civic all the way to the end. No wetsuit needed, water got knee deep at the worst where it was unavoidable. The slot is very real here, gloves were super helpful just because of how often your hands were in contact with the walls. Every piece of equipment you own will get shredded to bits. A lot of fun and quite challenging at times. Good camping at trailhead or on the Larry exit road just past.
Driving beta is a bit odd here: "Go left again in less than 0.1 miles." I would say that you fork right at the junction at 7 miles, and then go straight down the road past a turnoff to the right. There's no left turn to speak of. Essentially follow the sign to Ekker ranch at that point. Road conditions were no sweat in a Honda Civic all the way to the end. No wetsuit needed, water got knee deep at the worst where it was unavoidable. The slot is very real here, gloves were super helpful just because of how often your hands were in contact with the walls. Every piece of equipment you own will get shredded to bits. A lot of fun and quite challenging at times. Good camping at trailhead or on the Larry exit road just past.
Granary Canyon - Moab
Date: 10/24/2015
A little tricky in bouncing between canyons at the top half. GPS should work at that area though. Raps are fantastic, and the view you come out to before the final rap is all time. A warm day for late October, but it still got quite chilly as we finished late in the day. Toyota Corolla was able to reach the start, but the road was a little dicey at times.
A little tricky in bouncing between canyons at the top half. GPS should work at that area though. Raps are fantastic, and the view you come out to before the final rap is all time. A warm day for late October, but it still got quite chilly as we finished late in the day. Toyota Corolla was able to reach the start, but the road was a little dicey at times.
Comments
Clearwater Canyon - Cataract Canyon
Date: 2018-06-05
Comment: You can see my tick for full notes, but overall I thought it was a decent canyon. The springs were ...
Granary Canyon - Moab
Date: 2017-02-28
Comment: Great raps and awesome views. Bring plenty of webbing. A good amount of wading above the waist in ...
Larry Canyon - Robbers Roost
Date: 2016-05-16
Comment: Honda Civic was able to get to the start, with moderate skill. Road to exit would take advanced dri...
Alcatraz Canyon - Robbers Roost
Date: 2016-05-16
Comment: Road is in great shape right now. Honda Civic all the way to the trail head with no problems. ...