Neon Canyon May 29, 2025Our 2 person party started at exactly 7:00 am as a reference, I am 62 and my wife is 60 We are intermediate canyoneers and strong hikers We could see the dome far in the eastern distance A well marked trail of cairns took us down a steep decline of slickrock approx 500 ft elevation loss to the sign, soft sand and down desert trails for 90 minutes until we reached the Escalante River I must say that there is not much more of a beautiful sight than the bright green leaves of a grove of cotton...

The Black Hole is often touted as one of the best canyon adventures around It has amazing beauty, challenging obstacles and is a lot of fun Be warned, however, flash floods have taken lives here Competent leadership is required for a safe and great adventure Several years ago the canyon flash flooded and filled with immense log jams, making it very difficult to descend After several years, these washed out, and the canyon is back to its former self Beware, though, it is a canyon that can change dramatically Many gr...

"There is an exquisite charm in our ride to-day down this beautiful canyon It gradually grows deeper with every mile of travel; the walls are symmetrically curved and grandly arched, of a beautiful color, and reflected in the quiet waters in many places so as almost to deceive the eye and suggest to the beholder the thought that he is looking into profound depths" -John Wesley Powell, Canyons of the Colorado I can think of no better introduction to Labyrinth Canyon than the imagery Powell conjures up in his descrip...

Nine Mile Canyon is known as the world's longest art gallery The canyon is about 40 miles long but became named Nine Mile Canyon when F M Bishop on Powell’s expedition to the area did a nine-mile triangulation drawing he named Nine Mile Creek For rock art enthusiasts, this is an absolute top of the list place to visit The canyon is home to hundreds of rock art panels, as well as granaries, and other Native American sites It is an astonishing place to visit With more than 1,000 cataloged rock art sites, the sheer vo...

Sad Cow Disease Canyon is the great canyon with the depressing name! Though it does not look particularly long on the topo map, the canyon is surprisingly action packed Expect deep dark slot sections, downclimbs, and an exceptionally scenic day It is a treat! The canyon is excellent, and Little Death Hollow Canyon used for the approach and exit is always lovely This is a solid intermediate level canyon in my mind The downclimbs all seemed quite reasonable but with some exposure and skills needed that might leave a ...

On the western side of the Henry Mountains is a remote region called Cave Flat The area had piqued my interest for a long time It is the winter range of the Buffalo herd, and a place I was hoping to do a long hike and find some solitude It turned out to be a gem! This route meanders down Bullfrog Creek that starts as a wash and slowly deepens The creek is often dry About 4 miles from the trailhead, the creek cuts into sandstone, deepens, and becomes much more interesting It is about this point that water begins com...

One of my climber friends once told me that Not Mindbender was one of the best canyons he had done in the Roost I would very much echo his sentiment There are other canyons in the Roost that are more narrow or difficult, but Not Mindbender tops the list for its beauty and charm The exit requires someone with moderate climbing ability 55/10 m, but is worth the effort Don't miss this canyon if you are in the Roost The longer variation described here is recommended for those with two cars, wanting a longer day The sta...

One of the things I love about the San Rafael Swell is the diversity of canyons From pothole challenges, like Quandary and the Squeeze, to more mellow en-devours, like Baptist Draw, or this one, Lupacchiotta lou-paw-key-o-ta, the Swell offers it all This is a short, casual affair in the highest region of the Swell Though only a couple of hours, it makes a nice casual break when passing through on nearby I-70 The canyon has straightforward anchors, and no downclimbing, making it very suitable for beginners or hikers...

Ah, Witch's Cauldron Canyon, what a history we have together! I initially explored it with Kent Beverly, Mark McCray, and Penny Martens in about 2004 It was one of our first explorations, and we got shut down at the Cauldron A year or so later Kent, Penny and I gave it another go, getting slightly below the Cauldron before fearing it would get too narrow to pass through and reversing out Foiled again! Due to scheduling and partner conflicts, I had given up on finishing the canyon In the spring of 2007 Mike Kelsey a...

Ah, BIG Tony, with emphasis on BIG! This one of the first X-rated canyons I did, and it packs a wallop! Like many of the neighboring canyons on King Mesa, this one has plenty of exposure and climbing to keep your attention! The upper section of the canyon contains hours of high stemming Most of the high stemming is at a reasonable width or was for me! and felt pretty secure, though a couple of crux wide spots will get your attention Looking down 12 m+ as you stem across a wide section reaching with all you've got t...