The Squeeze – San Rafael Swell Summer 2012
I’m not sure anyone could have more fun than we did while hiking through this spectacular canyon! Nor, do I think anyone could persevere like our friend Joel did through this canyon. Let me start of saying that this is ONE AMAZING CANYON! Probably one of the funnest I have ever done! It was full of water and we just had a BLAST jumping and rappelling into pool after pool of water!
We broke up our approach to the canyon by backpacking 2-3 miles into the Grand Gorge of the Muddy Creek and camping at the trailhead to the squeeze (Which conveniently is also at the trail end of the canyon.) This allowed us to rest from the slogging through the muddy creek, and start fresh in the morning to attach the 4-5 miles uphill approach to the start of The Squeeze. It was an adventure for sure hiking this section at night. but it wasn’t to difficult, we just had to dodge bushes and rocks under the water.
Joel’s trip was a little bit more technical than Josh’s and mine. The water sandals he was wearing for the trip broke as he was trying to escape a mud hole he stepped into. He managed to hike fairly well until we reached our camp site for the night, but those shoes would not help him make the next 8 miles or so of canyoneering the next day. Come morning, we took some webbing and tried our best to strap his sandals to his feet. I guess we did a good enough job, cuz Joel did make it through the canyon alive LOL. I did have to trade him shoes for the last couple miles, but for the most part Joel did the whole canyon with awful shoes! Major kudos go to him for the feat!
After a few miles of hiking UP and DOWN and back UP and DOWN again, we finally made it into the canyon. It was sure a spectacular sight to look upon the canyon we were going to hike in! It was so amazingly ROUGH looking! Never have I seen desert country that looked like that. It was beautiful.
Once safely down into the canyon, we instantly found ourselves in narrow slot canyons! It was perfect! as we descended further we starting to find our selves down climbing in to potholes and swimming in lukewarm water! Again, it was awesome As we kept on walking, we further found ourselves now rappelling and jumping into potholes full of water over our heads! THIS WAS BETTER THAN A WATER PARK! The whole day in the slot canyon was full of swimming, and jumping and rappelling! There were even a couple of natural bridges found in the canyon! Like I have said, I am not sure that there is a funner canyon to hike. Well at least not yet. I am sure this canyon will be a completly different monster when it is dry, and I am looking forward to the day I get to do it when it is dry. I really want to master the skills of exiting a pothole!
Here are some of the pictures of this beautiful place. Like most canyons, I was unable to capture the most beautiful sections of the canyon because I do not have a waterproof camera yet. Some day soon I hope to remedy that problem Christmas maybe
The Beautiful Grand Gorge of the Muddy Creek in the morning Man I love this country! I feel so blessed to have grown up in such an amazing area. The San Rafael Swell will always be my favorite back yard! Growing up in Castle Dale sure was AWESOME! This truly is Gods Country! This is Joel and I attempting to fix a shoe. I hope it helped! LOL Poor Joel, Had to do the whole canyon in these shoes The amazing thing is that he DID do the canyon in these shoes! Another amazing view into the Grand Gorge of the Muddy Creek Our first peek into Segers Hole (Aka The Squeeze) This is truly some amazing country. We could hardly believe that we got to descend into that canyon! What a thrill! Joel in wading through some of the initial pools of water in the narrow section of slots. Some more amazing narrows! The whole canyon seemed to be like this! HAHAHA! I couldn’t have captured a better picture than this if I had tried. Moments after this he was smiling. However fun jumping into a pot hole is, I guess we will never get over the fact that we don’t like swallowing or sticking our head in yucky water. Yes, These are probably some of my favorite arches! Why? cuz they are found in a slot canyon in the San Rafael Swell. It was so so so neat to find these! Another amazing arch found in the canyon! Some of the big rappels that need to be descended to get through the canyon. Very fun rappels, But when I go back I think I might use something else besides that single piton! SCARY. . Josh is just patiently waiting for us to get down the cliff. They supper happy life of a Canyoneer! There truly isn’t much that is better than this! Some awesome geology to be found in the canyon! I was very intrigued by this rock formation! Yup. That is Josh again. waiting as usual for the rest of us to catch up.
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Blake Merrell
yes and no I never worried about getting myself wedged and stuck in the canyon. But it does get pretty narrow in some places, BUT it is not like the North Wash canyons. I weight 210 lbs and am about 6′ and I didn’t have any problems at all. Never once worried about getting stuck or wedged. It doesn’t have those kind of narrows.
Anybody have an idea of why it is called The Squeeze?
Nick Woolley
Wow! Another killer trip report! Thanks for posting!
So I have what may be a very stupid question. Does The Squeeze get very skinny? I know the name would imply it does, but it seems like the real added difficulty is from the potential pothole problems? Is that right? I’m a rather large canyoneer so I like to figure out what to put on the ‘never gonna happen’ list.
Dan Ransom
you’d be fine. it’s a technically challenging canyon, but the name “the squeeze” doesn’t really fit well, considering north wash and escalante canyons. It’s an author’s name from Steve Allen’s first San Rafael Swell Canyoneering book.
TJ Cottam
Love the shoe fix, I have a friend that forgot his hiking shoes and did Heaps in slip on Vans duct taped to his wetsuit.
ratagonia
Nice pics. Fun when warm, even when the water is fully yucky.
Also, as long as we are talking about the name, Kelsey’s name is Seger’s Hole Canyon. Seger’s Hole is the USGS name for the area at the head of the canyon. Spelling things correctly makes them easier to search for later.
Tom
Blake Merrell
Thanks for catching my spelling error. I didn’t even realize I was spelling it wrong. Can a moderator correct the spelling of this post?
Blake Merrell
Hi Ram
Thanks for the bit of history concerning the names. I think I refer to both of those names in the report.
I don’t remember seeing any ATV tracks near the creek. I hope people are respecting the signs and barriers and such and not ATV’ing down the muddy.
Our trip was right after a major rainstorm in the area. It had been raining pretty hard only a few hours before we arrived at Hidden Splendour. Doing the Squeeze with it tip-top full was truly a blast! I can’t wait to do it again, this time using the “new” access route.
Ram
Ahhh I can see in the first picture its just a couple of mud high water lips I took for a track. Yes you do refer to both names in the very nice TR. that final road down to Hidden Splendor can get pretty tricky when wet. By the “new” access route are you talking about the one from Tom that exits up high in the gorge? I have not been. I tend to go from Factory Butte which would have been IMPASSABLE that soon after a rain. You went in summer I see. Which month? Was it hot hiking? The water warm from running down warm rock? Smelly? Love the canyon. Was there with Jenny and Carol last fall for the first time in quite awhile.
Blake Merrell
Yes, I am hoping that the next time I do the Squeeze, I will be able to use the “new” exit Tom suggests. We did the canyon last August. We arrived on a Friday evening and packed through the Grand Gorge and camped at the exit to the Squeeze. Come morning, we left our sleeping gear and started the death march up the moroni slopes. It was a very warm morning and we were very happy when we found ourselves in the bottom of the slot canyon. The water was very warm and for the most of the canyon I didn’t even suit up in my wetsuit.
Ram
Very smart move hiking down the gorge in the PM. Imagine how hot it would have been if you arrived at the slopes a few hours later, starting by your car! You summer canyoneers are a heartier lot than I!!
R
Blake Merrell
Heartier than you!? Is this the same Ram that founded and continues to organize freezefest!? I have a hard time seeing you guys let a little hot or cold getting in the way of doing a canyon you want to do hehehe
Ram
Cold? I got insulation. Hot? Watch me melt down! I am not strong enough to carry enough water anymore
Blake Merrell
Okay! Let me know if you can see the pictures now
Ram
Yes I can and its wonderful. Looks like it your trip was soon on the heals of a rain. That white sandstone sand can get pretty slickery when wet!! Glob-by mud around and in potholes? Are those ATV tracks in the gorge too? Used to be lots of that. I think its closed to that now. Oh and by the way and it is not particularly important, but the canyon was named Squeeze (and the name published) by Steve Allen well before Kelsey, years later, decided it needed a new name. At the very least the names might be switched around the “AKA.” FWIW from a loyal Steve Allen friend. Great trip report.
Ram
Dan Ransom
Yep, photos aren’t working, the url is pointed at a gmail attachment.
Blake Merrell
Thanks for the heads up Dan and Tom. I will get it fixed soon.
ratagonia
Hi Blake – I’m not seeing any pictures… could you load them again?
Tom
Blake Merrell
Tom
Tom, are you still having issues seeing the pictures?
John Styrnol
I also really enjoyed doing this canyon in 2005.