The Tomsich Butte area mines were started by John Tomsich in 1951 and are steeped in history The area is a plethora of mining ruins, old cars, and even a lonely cabin Mining commenced in the area during the 50's, ending in the late 50's or early 60's Towering over Muddy Creek, Tomsich Butte proper, is a seldom visited summit with a surprisingly moderate route The top provides outstanding views of Hondoo Arch, Muddy Creek, and the area of the Swell south of I-70 The technical climbing is short 5 m, but be warned, th...

Home and Marge is a unique tower, or rather 2 towers than have leaned on each other over time Similar, I assume in the first ascenders mind, to how Home and Marge lean on each other in a symbiotic relationship Not very interesting climbing leads to an amazing summit on a unique feature I recommend this one!

Dry Hollow is short and sweet! It is rare to find a canyon you can pull off the highway and be rappelling into the canyon within five minutes! The canyon starts with a rappel into a deep, dramatic slot The slot, though only about 200' in length, is narrow Smaller framed canyoneers will be able to fit on the bottom Larger canyoneers will need to chimney above a few tight spots The stemming is a good size for most, as you can go a little higher or stay a little lower depending on height and comfort level to find a go...

Buck Canyon is often maligned as not being particularly good This sentiment is likely a case of beauty is in the eye of the beholder The slot section of Buck is short, and not very technical, thus puts many canyoneers offThat being said, the canyon does have a lovely narrows section, and a great exit hike that visits two natural arches This canyon is well suited to beginners and those looking for a nottotechnical day Aside from the one short rappel, the canyon has a couple of steep downclimbs These downclimbs, howe...

Sometimes an error in navigation can turn out OK and perhaps more often not So it goes with Southern Baptist Several groups over the years have inadvertently descended this canyon thinking it was Baptist Draw It is not, but it is a good canyon Southern Baptist has a short approach, short slot section, and not too bad of an exit makes it a good beginner canyon It can hold a few big pools of water, so is best in spring, summer, or fall The rappels are fairly straight forward, although the penultimate rappel can be a ...

Cottonwood, Capitol Reef seems to have a bit of everything Not knowing what to expect, Almost Grand turned out to be a true gem It is in the Navajo layer and has stunning slot sections, sculpted rappels, and even a semi-keeper pothole In addition to a stunning canyon, the approach hike offers big views of Capitol Reef and the surrounding areas The canyon has a price, though, with potentially difficult anchors The current anchors mostly deadman could easily wash out in a flood, and there is not much material to work...

Elementary my dear Watson! Watson Canyon is short, straightforward, doesn't hold water, has short rappels or challenging downclimbs, and a short approach and exit What more could you want Well, a more easily accessible trailhead would be helpful Though a short approach, reaching the trailhead will require a true high clearance 4x4 and a bit of skill Only a few miles from pavement, reaching the trailhead took us about 45 minutes No real problem for a Jeep Grand Cherokee, but I doubt you would get a Subaru or the lik...

Tucked a few miles down a rough jeep road, Herdina Park feels a world away from the pavement and crowds of the main area of Arches NP Due to the rough jeep road, this area of the park is not visited very heavily Those that do visit generally just visit Eye of the Whale Arch and return If you are wanting to wander, however, opportunities for solitude and beauty abound I've visited the area many times over the years and have never seen anyone else and rarely even seen footprints For the experienced climber, canyoneer...

Like Long days Then this is the canyon for you! And yes, the pun was intended Long Canyon is actually not the longest tributary of White Canyon, but at 12 miles or so, it is definitely far reaching The canyon, although it can be done in one day, makes for a very full day Many would enjoy the canyon more as an overnight backpack Non-technical visitors can use this write-up in reverse and visit many of the best parts of the canyon from below If coming up from the bottom, expect a fair bit of problem solving needed to...

A flat water river adventure that has it all The float enjoys an impressively deep canyon, multiple hot springs along the way to soak the weary body in, plenty of side canyons to explore, and even an old gauging station from the 1920's There has to be a catch, right Sort of The Black Canyon of the Colorado is a fantastic flat water float, and is frequently done either in a single day, or even better, as a multi-day canoe or sea kayak trip So what's the catch To float from the top down requires putting in right belo...