Hi Forrest, Did a few canyons down in the Roost last Thursday & Friday. Drove into High Spur in a Ford Van…good clearance in this particular vehicle but no 4WD. Did just fine. Moisture in the sand and cool temps last week (lows in mid 20s and highs in mid 40s) kept the usual dunes along various Roost roads nice and solid.
The Spur is in adventurous condition. The large pothole mid way through High Spur with the 8 foot down climb is only knee deep for 15-20 feet…earlier this last May it was a swimmer for 100 feet. Down canyon the next corridor that dog legs right and sometimes holds water was just muddy.
As you enter the corkscrew you’ll start to encounter potholes full of water. The pools at first are avoidable but the silo like pothole after the small arch is 5 feet deep…you can stem this hole but it can be tricky. Just after this pothole if you don’t have your wetsuit on…now’s the time! The extremely photographic chamber is completely submersed…starts off as a knee to waist deep plod but becomes a full swimmer for perhaps several hundred yards. According to a friends GO Pro camera it took us 4+ minutes to swim through…and we weren’t pausing for pictures.
After exiting the water, climbing through the tunnel like section, and down climbing the last steep section…you’ll encounter a pool that is avoidable to the right along small ledges. Just around the corner is the big rappel after which the canyon opens up.
I love High Spur…the water made it all the more interesting and exciting. Get in early in the day if you can as the sun is pretty low on the horizon…later in the afternoon the photogenic sections in the Corkscrew will be fairly dark.
I was very comfortable in my 3mm farmer john, 2 mm jacket, and 3 mm neoprene socks…you’ll really only need neoprene for the Corkscrew section (1/2 mile)…sure was nice to have though.
Friday, we ran through Not Mindbender. Came in the South Prong and encountered no water through the tight upper slot. Small easily avoidable puddles from there til you enter the final slot section…encountered a 40 foot 5 foot deep wade followed by a short waist deep wade that forces you under a microwave sized chock stone. The canyon opens up for some nice hiking before the final sequence and rap. You’ll find waist deep water in the first pot hole, ankle deep in the next and knee deep in the pothole just prior to the final rap. Another great canyon in fun condition.
A farmer john will work for most in current conditions…but a jacket was a nice luxury.
For some pics of these two canyons and their current conditions I’ve posted pictures at:
https://picasaweb.google.com/Kugath/RobbersRoostNovember2012
Have fun!
sk
j b
Over 4 minutes, this time of year?? Horrors. That sounds like a trial in July. Equinox is only 4 months away! Jeff
________________________________  The extremely photographic chamber is completely submersed…starts off as a knee to waist deep plod but becomes a full swimmer for perhaps several hundred yards. According to a friends GO Pro camera it took us 4+ minutes to swim through…and we weren’t pausing for pictures.