Woody Canyon | Trachyte Area

Canyoneering Woody Canyon - Trachyte Area Canyoneering Woody Canyon

Trachyte Area

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Overview

Mon A slight chance of rain before 3pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 65. Southwest wind around 3 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
65° | na°
Tue Sunny, with a high near 68. South wind 1 to 5 mph.
68° | 50°
Wed Rain likely before 9am, then showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 64. East northeast wind around 3 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
64° | 53°
Thu Showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 62. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
62° | 53°
Fri A slight chance of rain. Mostly sunny, with a high near 56.
56° | 48°
View Full Forecast
RATING: 4B
SEASON: Spring, Summer, Fall.
GEAR: 30 m ( 99 ft. ) Rope. Wetsuit needed. Keeper pothole gear required. Ibis hook/Sand trap/Water anchor. Group of 3 minimum.
WATER: Much exposure to cold water in the potholes.
FLASHFLOOD: Moderate, but you can see the whole drainage and skies on the approach.
Mon A slight chance of rain before 3pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 65. Southwest wind around 3 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
65° | na°
Tue Sunny, with a high near 68. South wind 1 to 5 mph.
68° | 50°
Wed Rain likely before 9am, then showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 64. East northeast wind around 3 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
64° | 53°
Thu Showers and thunderstorms. Cloudy, with a high near 62. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
62° | 53°
Fri A slight chance of rain. Mostly sunny, with a high near 56.
56° | 48°
View Full Forecast
canyontechnical potholeswetsuit neededintermediateadvancedaccess: paved
Pothole Teamwork
Pothole Teamwork

Woody, although short in length, packs a powerful punch when it comes to pothole challenges. This is a fun romp when full and more challenging as the water level decreases. A great place for experienced leaders to teach the less experienced some pothole techniques.

The canyon can be done with as few as one rappel, but a rope is needed for the challenge of getting into and out of the many potholes.

Anchor Warning: The one mandatory rappel has a tricky anchor. I have always done the canyon in the summer when it was full of water and used an Ibis hook for the anchor. This requires skill and experience to do safely. In 2026 there was some discussion that using an Ibis hook is causing rub spots on the sandstone where the hook and carabiner rub. Some have used a sandtrap here, which works if the canyon is dry and sand is available. Others have used a water anchor here when the canyon is wet. Try to minimize impacts at this drop by using whatever anchor method you can do safely given the conditions.
Woody Approach
Woody Approach

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