Having been through both sneaks in a 2 month period, I have some thoughts here. Under normal brushy conditions I can see one picking either one as a preference. It seems that the right is more popular with authors and the public. But the brush is not equal now.
Sometime before last summer, a fire impacted the left sneak, but not the right sneak, in spite of how close they are to each other. Anyone know when the fire was? That will have much to say about the length of time my recommendations will be valid, before post fire growth infringes on passage..
Anyway, the fire took out all the brush on the left sneak almost to the top of the pass. Where fallen logs in the wash survived the fire, paths have formed in the new grass right next to the wash, making very easy passage. Until such a time as stickier bushes (usually rose) proliferate, along with other thick 2nd growth, the left is the way to go, by a long shot, imho ram
Luke
I have spent a lot of time at hot springs near vegas in the past and helped a little with up keep etc (clean it up, help dig em out after floods and work on new dams). I laugh at it now but I would at times hike in a pool hose set up a siphon and vacuum the bottom of the large pool. Fun and relaxing to drift along the bottom holding your breath in warm water hearing rocks rattle through the hose and over the dam.
In short I got comfortable with how easy it was to set up a siphon and was always amazed at how fast it went. So my intent was to just kick around in the cross roads while I let it drain and look for the camera. But it never happened. L
Luke
From: Yahoo Canyons Group [mailto:Yahoo Canyons Group] On Behalf Of RAM Sent: Sunday, January 08, 2012 9:11 PM To: Yahoo Canyons Group Subject: Re: [from Canyons Group] Left vs. Right imlay Sneak Routes?
Does get steep 80% of the way down the left sneak. Best then to go left, looking down canyon, around the corner to a rib, then down by the least steep spot at ribs end. Ryan’s route works down and left to the floor of the approach canyon minutes from Imlay proper. Lots of trees to rap or set off if one were planning a retreat. Draining a pothole? I would love to have heard how that would have gone. 😉 was siphoning or bailing? what tools did you bring?
— In Yahoo Canyons Group , “Luke” wrote:
The left sneak is the one I had done first as a solo just up into the cross > roads then back. I was on a mission to drain a pot hole with a pool hose I > hauled in. I wanted to drain the pot hole to retrieve the camera a friend > had lost in it when we did the full Imlay a few weeks prior. I got almost > to the cross roads then thought the slope a bit steep to easily get up out > of so I aborted since I was solo and did not want to tempt fate.
Any way in my memory the brush was bad but far from intolerable. But I did > feel the left sneak was a two steps forward one step back kind of since it > was so steep. But it was an overall simpler route with only one long up > then one long down as opposed to the up and down action of the right sneak.
Maybe I will give the left sneak a go again sometime since memory has surely > faded.
Luke
From: Yahoo Canyons Group [mailto:Yahoo Canyons Group ] On Behalf Of > RAM > Sent: Sunday, January 08, 2012 7:55 PM > To: Yahoo Canyons Group here. Under normal brushy conditions I can see one picking either one as a > preference. It seems that the right is more popular with authors and the > public. But the brush is not equal now.
Sometime before last summer, a fire impacted the left sneak, but not the > right sneak, in spite of how close they are to each other. Anyone know when > the fire was? That will have much to say about the length of time my > recommendations will be valid, before post fire growth infringes on > passage..
Anyway, the fire took out all the brush on the left sneak almost to the top > of the pass. Where fallen logs in the wash survived the fire, paths have > formed in the new grass right next to the wash, making very easy passage. > Until such a time as stickier bushes (usually rose) proliferate, along with > other thick 2nd growth, the left is the way to go, by a long shot, imho > ram
>
TomJones
Last did the Left Sneak in Sept 2010, and it seemed like the firestuff was one year old:
http://canyoneeringusa.com/rave/1009imlay/index.htm
To me the problem with the left sneak is the cliff area on the descent. I have to recommend breaking out the ropes and rappelling. Yes, it can be downclimbed — last trip 2010 we found a fixed rope that helped, but one person in our party nearly took the plummet. VERY insecure.
The last two years have been very good growth years for all kinds of vegetation in Zion.
Tom
— In Yahoo Canyons Group, “RAM” wrote:
Having been through both sneaks in a 2 month period, I have some thoughts here. Under normal brushy conditions I can see one picking either one as a preference. It seems that the right is more popular with authors and the public. But the brush is not equal now.
Sometime before last summer, a fire impacted the left sneak, but not the right sneak, in spite of how close they are to each other. Anyone know when the fire was? That will have much to say about the length of time my recommendations will be valid, before post fire growth infringes on passage..
Anyway, the fire took out all the brush on the left sneak almost to the top of the pass. Where fallen logs in the wash survived the fire, paths have formed in the new grass right next to the wash, making very easy passage. Until such a time as stickier bushes (usually rose) proliferate, along with other thick 2nd growth, the left is the way to go, by a long shot, imho > ram >
Shaun
The more I search the more I believe it was the Dakota Hills 2007 Fire (Zone 1 or 2 only). That fire burned a lot of the West Rim area, especially around the top of telephone canyon and probably burned down into some of left sneak.
Still not choked with brush almost 5.5 years after
— In Yahoo Canyons Group, “Shaun” wrote:
I did left sneak sept 2010 & noticed the fire scars. Didn’t look like it was a fire from 2010.
When was the last fire in the area of the west rim? I don’t think the 09 fire made it past Potato Hollow nor did the three fingers prescribed burn. Only one I can think of is the large 07 Dakota Hills fire.
— In Yahoo Canyons Group, “RAM” wrote:
Sometime before last summer, a fire impacted the left sneak, but not the right sneak, in spite of how close they are to each other. Anyone know when the fire was? That will have much to say about the length of time my recommendations will be valid, before post fire growth infringes on passage.. >
RAM
Does get steep 80% of the way down the left sneak. Best then to go left, looking down canyon, around the corner to a rib, then down by the least steep spot at ribs end. Ryan’s route works down and left to the floor of the approach canyon minutes from Imlay proper. Lots of trees to rap or set off if one were planning a retreat. Draining a pothole? I would love to have heard how that would have gone. 😉 was siphoning or bailing? what tools did you bring?
— In Yahoo Canyons Group, “Luke” wrote:
The left sneak is the one I had done first as a solo just up into the cross > roads then back. I was on a mission to drain a pot hole with a pool hose I > hauled in. I wanted to drain the pot hole to retrieve the camera a friend > had lost in it when we did the full Imlay a few weeks prior. I got almost > to the cross roads then thought the slope a bit steep to easily get up out > of so I aborted since I was solo and did not want to tempt fate.
Any way in my memory the brush was bad but far from intolerable. But I did > feel the left sneak was a two steps forward one step back kind of since it > was so steep. But it was an overall simpler route with only one long up > then one long down as opposed to the up and down action of the right sneak.
Maybe I will give the left sneak a go again sometime since memory has surely > faded.
Luke
From: Yahoo Canyons Group [mailto:Yahoo Canyons Group] On Behalf Of > RAM > Sent: Sunday, January 08, 2012 7:55 PM > To: Yahoo Canyons Group
Subject: [from Canyons Group] Left vs. Right imlay Sneak Routes?
Having been through both sneaks in a 2 month period, I have some thoughts > here. Under normal brushy conditions I can see one picking either one as a > preference. It seems that the right is more popular with authors and the > public. But the brush is not equal now.
Sometime before last summer, a fire impacted the left sneak, but not the > right sneak, in spite of how close they are to each other. Anyone know when > the fire was? That will have much to say about the length of time my > recommendations will be valid, before post fire growth infringes on > passage..
Anyway, the fire took out all the brush on the left sneak almost to the top > of the pass. Where fallen logs in the wash survived the fire, paths have > formed in the new grass right next to the wash, making very easy passage. > Until such a time as stickier bushes (usually rose) proliferate, along with > other thick 2nd growth, the left is the way to go, by a long shot, imho > ram
>
Luke
The left sneak is the one I had done first as a solo just up into the cross roads then back. I was on a mission to drain a pot hole with a pool hose I hauled in. I wanted to drain the pot hole to retrieve the camera a friend had lost in it when we did the full Imlay a few weeks prior. I got almost to the cross roads then thought the slope a bit steep to easily get up out of so I aborted since I was solo and did not want to tempt fate.
Any way in my memory the brush was bad but far from intolerable. But I did feel the left sneak was a two steps forward one step back kind of since it was so steep. But it was an overall simpler route with only one long up then one long down as opposed to the up and down action of the right sneak.
Maybe I will give the left sneak a go again sometime since memory has surely faded.
Luke
From: Yahoo Canyons Group [mailto:Yahoo Canyons Group] On Behalf Of RAM Sent: Sunday, January 08, 2012 7:55 PM To: Yahoo Canyons Group Subject: [from Canyons Group] Left vs. Right imlay Sneak Routes?
Having been through both sneaks in a 2 month period, I have some thoughts here. Under normal brushy conditions I can see one picking either one as a preference. It seems that the right is more popular with authors and the public. But the brush is not equal now.
Sometime before last summer, a fire impacted the left sneak, but not the right sneak, in spite of how close they are to each other. Anyone know when the fire was? That will have much to say about the length of time my recommendations will be valid, before post fire growth infringes on passage..
Anyway, the fire took out all the brush on the left sneak almost to the top of the pass. Where fallen logs in the wash survived the fire, paths have formed in the new grass right next to the wash, making very easy passage. Until such a time as stickier bushes (usually rose) proliferate, along with other thick 2nd growth, the left is the way to go, by a long shot, imho ram
Shaun
I did left sneak sept 2010 & noticed the fire scars. Didn’t look like it was a fire from 2010.
When was the last fire in the area of the west rim? I don’t think the 09 fire made it past Potato Hollow nor did the three fingers prescribed burn. Only one I can think of is the large 07 Dakota Hills fire.
— In Yahoo Canyons Group, “RAM” wrote:
Sometime before last summer, a fire impacted the left sneak, but not the right sneak, in spite of how close they are to each other. Anyone know when the fire was? That will have much to say about the length of time my recommendations will be valid, before post fire growth infringes on passage..