I am looking for a fun and scenic canyoneering route to do this spring. I have done mystery and subway canyons already and want to do smoething new. Does anyone have any favorites whether it be escalante, san rafael, zions, wherever. I did a search here for best routes, or favorite routes and couldn’t find anything. So any info would be great thanks!
Yahoo Canyons Group
Benny
Last time we did Quandary: mid October, freezing water!, full beyond the brim (nearly flowing), FUN! The former deadman anchor at the first rappel into the first keeper of the Direct (keeper pothole section) was no longer in place. I doubt anyone’s done it since, so thats the state it will be in come April. Remember, no bolts here! Draws the unexpecting into something over their head (literally)– see stories on canyoneeringusa.com. We sequence rappelled this with the last guy (me) jumping. Great place for circus practice, jumping from a high place (15 feet) into a narrow, shallow tub of water, and impressing everyone around you with how daring (or stupid) you are. I would recommend this to the experienced if the pothole is tippy top full or near, from past experience, once the water is a few feet below the edge, it can be shallow or a keeper depending on the sand level. In Oct it was well over my head as were all the other potholes we jumped into instead of rappelling.
Love the Quandary/Knotted Rope combo. Start good’n’early for that (or the Squeeze). Finding the chute down from the plateau above knotted rope can be tricky; we’d been there before from the bottom and still felt very lucky to have found the right way down before pitch dark set in.
Ben
— In Yahoo Canyons Group, “davewyo1” wrote:
I would suggest Quandary Canyon in The Swell. Do the bypass of the > Keeper Pothole Section if you don’t get the right skill set and > conditions.Belay fols down to the rappel of the little arch. The > bypass is completely worthy of doing and the canyon fits most of > your criteria. It’s a one day loop up Ramp Canyon. Mtn. Bike “Behind > the Reef”. And the drive out to Hidden Splendor Mine is somewhat > remote (but not 4WD). > Dave
— In Yahoo Canyons Group, “bigtoeage21” I forgot to specify that Yeah lookin for something in the 3BIII
ratings. Nothing too technical or too long, somethin you could do > in
a day. Yeah doing some 4×4 to the place would be ideal cause we
wanna trip that combines the wheelin, canyoneering, maybe even > some
mtn biking but not critical to get em all in. Thinkin around
april or even May.
>
adkramoo
— In Yahoo Canyons Group, “bigtoeage21” wrote:
I am looking for a fun and scenic canyoneering route to do this > spring. I have done mystery and subway canyons already and want to do > smoething new. Does anyone have any favorites whether it be escalante, > san rafael, zions, wherever. I did a search here for best routes, or > favorite routes and couldn’t find anything. So any info would be great > thanks!
Another great area to visit is the Egypt Bench in Escalante. Besides Egypt 2 and 3, which are very nice canyons, one can hike in and do Neon Canyon and West Baker if one has the time. A fantasic classic, Choprock is nearby, but is a bit more difficult and can get more difficult in certain conditions http://www.canyoneeringusa.com/rave/0506chop/index.htm http://www.canyoneeringusa.com/rave/mar02/e2.htm http://www.canyoneeringusa.com/rave/mar02/neon.htm http://www.canyoneeringusa.com/rave/mar02/nasty.htm Which is West Baker Here is another Chop http://www.canyoneeringusa.com/rave/mar02/moe.htm Ram
adkramoo
— In Yahoo Canyons Group, “davewyo1” wrote:
I would suggest Quandary Canyon in The Swell. Do the bypass of the > Keeper Pothole Section if you don’t get the right skill set and > conditions.Belay fols down to the rappel of the little arch. The > bypass is completely worthy of doing and the canyon fits most of > your criteria. It’s a one day loop up Ramp Canyon. Mtn. Bike “Behind > the Reef”. And the drive out to Hidden Splendor Mine is somewhat > remote (but not 4WD). > Dave
Quandary can be combined with Knotted Rope/Minors Hollow, which is also a very nice day. Music Canyon is close by and moderate. If all of this is going well, you can finish up with the Squeeze/Seagers hole which is the area’s classic and a bit harder. Chimney Canyon is quite beautiful too and close at hand. Make for a nice 4-5 days. April is usually better than May out there, as May can get quite warm. Hopefully others will suggest other areas too and increase your options Ram
davewyo1
I would suggest Quandary Canyon in The Swell. Do the bypass of the Keeper Pothole Section if you don’t get the right skill set and conditions.Belay fols down to the rappel of the little arch. The bypass is completely worthy of doing and the canyon fits most of your criteria. It’s a one day loop up Ramp Canyon. Mtn. Bike “Behind the Reef”. And the drive out to Hidden Splendor Mine is somewhat remote (but not 4WD). Dave
— In Yahoo Canyons Group, “bigtoeage21” wrote:
> I forgot to specify that Yeah lookin for something in the 3BIII > ratings. Nothing too technical or too long, somethin you could do in > a day. Yeah doing some 4×4 to the place would be ideal cause we > wanna trip that combines the wheelin, canyoneering, maybe even some > mtn biking but not critical to get em all in. Thinkin around > april or even May. >
bigtoeage21
— In Yahoo Canyons Group, “adkramoo” wrote:
— In Yahoo Canyons Group, “bigtoeage21” wrote:
I am looking for a fun and scenic canyoneering route to do this
spring. I have done mystery and subway canyons already and want to > do > smoething new. Does anyone have any favorites whether it be > escalante, > san rafael, zions, wherever. I did a search here for best > routes, or > favorite routes and couldn’t find anything. So any info > would be great > thanks!
Lots of choices. Are you preferrences for more technical…i.e. > rappels? Do you like the water aspecrts or would like more dry canyons? > Day trips? overnights? Do you have a 4X4 vehicle to access areas? Want > more scrambling type canyons? How much time are you budgeting and what > month. That is very important, as each area has prime season to be > there. > Ram > I forgot to specify that Yeah lookin for something in the 3BIII ratings. Nothing too technical or too long, somethin you could do in a day. Yeah doing some 4×4 to the place would be ideal cause we wanna trip that combines the wheelin, canyoneering, maybe even some mtn biking but not critical to get em all in. Thinkin around april or even May.
adkramoo
— In Yahoo Canyons Group, “bigtoeage21” wrote: > I am looking for a fun and scenic canyoneering route to do this > spring. I have done mystery and subway canyons already and want to do > smoething new. Does anyone have any favorites whether it be escalante, > san rafael, zions, wherever. I did a search here for best routes, or > favorite routes and couldn’t find anything. So any info would be great > thanks!
Lots of choices. Are you preferrences for more technical…i.e. rappels? Do you like the water aspecrts or would like more dry canyons? Day trips? overnights? Do you have a 4X4 vehicle to access areas? Want more scrambling type canyons? How much time are you budgeting and what month. That is very important, as each area has prime season to be there. Ram