Two small forks of a small side canyon with vastly different personalities Both are challenging Both are recommended for experienced canyoneers Intermediate canyoneers can visit Headless Hen if they are with experienced leaders, but Raven requires everyone be experienced Headless Hen is all about potholes The canyon contains many potholes that are a little bit challenging to get out of, but are generally more challenging to get into than out of You will need a good climber in the group, or a lot of excellent team w...

McDonald Creek, part of the McInnis Canyon National Conservation Area, is a lovely hike that meanders down to the Colorado River This is a fairly diverse hike, starting up in the open flats and slowly working down through sandstone layers before reaching the Colorado River in the picturesque Ruby Canyon En route, a very short slot and a couple of rock art sites, adding cherries to the top of an already great hike Note: The area around McDonald Creek has grown immensely in popularity in the last few years, leading t...

Eardley requires a fair bit of effort for a short technical section Due to its proximity to Salt Lake, and the beauty of the technical section, it is one I recommend The pools make it a good choice when it's hot Due to its pothole nature, it has a very different character depending on the water level Regardless of water level, it is charming There are two differnt approach options Option 1, the regular route, is a bit long and detracts a bit from the day Option 2, the shortcut approach, offers intricate and elegant...

Mr Williams' Geology Trail is a tribute to the Fruita Science teacher Mike Williams Mr Williams passed away unexpectedly in 2007 while leading his Geology Class on a field trip to Arches National Park The trail is two parts: a section that visits Opal Hill, and a section that visits Devils Canyon The section of trail described here is the Devil's Canyon section While the geology is interesting, the scenery is stunning I recommend the loop even if you aren't interested in geology Note: Unfortunately, the geology sig...

Gruver Slot had been on my hit list since Dave Pimental posted it in his mini slot guide Unfortunately, it seemed every time I was in the area to do it, I was either running low on time, energy, or motivation We finally visited in the winter of 2014, and I was surprised at what a short little gem this is The canyon is very short, but VERY narrow and fun Expect a fair amount of squeezing and tight down climbs The rappels are both at the very end, and both short, but have difficult pulls Be mindful of how you set up ...