Blue skies, large lizards, and a very convoluted slickrock hike began our day in Woody Canyon. We suited up for lots of water, anticipating a full-to-the-brim Woody pothole splash…and we got it. It had rained heavily for days and the canyons were full of fresh water. Awesome conditions. But doesn’t Memorial Day weekend usually bring inclement weather as so many of us head to the wilderness with high expectations? White canyon even flowed a couple feet deep at Soldier Crossing that evening, a rare sight at a crossing which is usually dry.
Woody gave us many fine downclimbs into potholes, some we stay in control and some we sploosh down. It’s so much fun, the sun is warm and the water is very comfortable. The first pothole is, for me, the most difficult because I’m still getting the hang of the “beached whale” maneuver…a technique that will be utilized repeatedly in this canyon. Imagine swimming in deep water and then hauling yourself up a couple feet out of the water onto a ledge, inching your way up the sloping rock with each bob. This is the “beached whale”. We learn about assisting each other out of the potholes and sequencing people just right so everyone is in a spot to help someone else. This was my first canyon with so many potholes, and I learned a lot.
The crux of the canyon that day was a 15 foot rappel into an oblong pothole, with a keeper pothole next to it. We rappelled off Dave into the oblong pothole, and then he rappelled off two potshots (25 pound bags of sand) quickly without weighting the anchor too much. The keeper pothole was perfectly round with steep, 4 foot tall rock walls. Juniper berries and other debris bobbed at the surface, obscuring its depth. When Penny and I slipped in, our feet dangled in deep water. Erik and Dave stemmed over us and found another pothole on the other side. Erik floated in the next pothole to provide an anchor for Penny and I to escape from the small round keeper. Dave stayed on the small ledge dividing the two potholes and set up ascenders. Penny and I climbed up and out. I rappelled into the next pothole, and was suddenly doing my first floating disconnect in deep water. It went ok due to my ability to float.
The next pool was awkward to exit, and I clamored for a small v-shaped opening a foot above water level with my legs squirming in deep water. I wiggled up the rock, trying to beach myself. My feet kicked frantically in the water while Penny tried to avoid the wild splashing of the great Shamu tail. The vortex of water that formed behind me kept Penny from escaping too far. Eventually with help I pulled myself up onto the ledge.
Dave and Penny celebrated when they saw the last big keeper pothole. We slipped in and the warm, chocolatey water oozed into our wetsuits. Penny and I floated for a bit in the comfortable water with sunlight beaming down on us. Water lapped up to the brim of the pothole that day, so it was no big deal to climb out. The last part of the canyon was beautiful and twisted with fabulous light. The last rappel of about 10 feet dropped into a shallow pool which is usually dry. Yellow light beamed through the canyon, reflecting off the water. Dave kept saying how different the canyon is with so much water. He had wanted to see it like this, and he was thrilled. Lots of water and great company made this a great “first pothole” canyon for me.
pictures: http://river.zenfolio.com/p599369938
adkramoo
— In Yahoo Canyons Group, “davewyo1” wrote: > — In Yahoo Canyons Group, “Rick Pratt” wrote: bly not worth the trouble. > A canyon that IS worth the effort is Woodsy. Just up the Woodruff drainage from Woody. It’s short but is a nice add-on to Woody. > Dave
Agreed. A fine addition. It does have some minor high stemming up high and some squeezing down low, in a pretty environ. Rap in the middle. Pretty place and worthy bang for the buck
davewyo1
— In Yahoo Canyons Group, “Rick Pratt” wrote: Next time we include Woodchuck and maybe the side drainage that drops into Woody near the exit. Anyone been in there? Looks great from just after the first slick rock climb before the slog up to the beginning of the technical section. > If I understand you correctly… I have checked that out on my first scouting trip in that area. The upper canyon(and by that I mean everything before that final 6 potholes)is a sandy wash between sandstone walls. The final three potholes in that branch as it enters into Woody, are pretty serious looking potholes, especially when they have very little water. So I guess what I’m saying is, it’s an “unexplored” branch, but it’s probably not worth the trouble. A canyon that IS worth the effort is Woodsy. Just up the Woodruff drainage from Woody. It’s short but is a nice add-on to Woody. Dave
Rick Pratt
— In Yahoo Canyons Group, “John D Diener” wrote:
Great, descriptive TR – thanks! Nice pictures too. Any thoughts on how > long water like that holds in there?
-john >
Five of us completed Woody on June 4th. We were in the North Wash area since June 1. We got a very little rain on Monday but only enough to make the walls wet and give us a little scare. We were in Moab the full week prior arriving just after the monsoon on May 23rd. We got another quick thunderstorm in Moab on the 25th but don’t know how much fell on Woody. I tell you this because when we went through Woody the “keeper” was about 18″ below the rim and required an easy mantle move to get out. The pot hole just before was a walk around several feet below the rim. The bridge in the deep potholes before that was about 2′ below the surface and required a knotted hand line with a meat anchor. We used 3 potshots to rappel down into the deepest pot hole before that which was a waist deep wader. Some of us did the canyon without wetsuits in 85 degree weather. The place that was most interesting for us was the long twisting series of pothole just before the exit we have named the “House of Mirrors.” Because we had put on dry clothes and socks before this section remembering it to be a walk out we decided to attempt to bridge and stem this entire sections. 3 of 5 us were successful though it was some of the most interesting and creative stem & bridge moves we have accomplished to date. Kind of like a “black diamond dance” with the rock. The exit move became very easy once we discovered the large flake to the left can be reached with the right hand for an easy walk down the leftward ramp eliminating any down climbing or hand lines. Much safer and more elegant and no issue with water depth. This was our second time down Woody and it was just as fun as the first time. Next time we include Woodchuck and maybe the side drainage that drops into Woody near the exit. Anyone been in there? Looks great from just after the first slick rock climb before the slog up to the beginning of the technical section.
davewyo1
I’m guessing of course, but I think the canyon would drain rather quickly, say within a week or two of hot weather on the whole, while the half dozen spots that usually hold water will hold longer. We had rain and a fantastic lightening storm all over Mt. Hillers the night before and though Woody may not have gotten a direct hit, it must have gotten some refilling. As much water as we encountered, I could see that the canyon had already drained about a foot in some places by the mud and juniper bits that adhere to the walls. Dave
— In Yahoo Canyons Group, “John D Diener” wrote:
Great, descriptive TR – thanks! Nice pictures too. Any thoughts on how > long water like that holds in there?
-john
> Blue skies, large lizards, and a very convoluted slickrock hike began our
day in Woody Canyon. We suited up for lots of water, anticipating a > full-to
-the-brim Woody pothole splash…and we got it. It had rained heavily for
days and the canyons were full of fresh water. Awesome conditions. But
doesn’t Memorial Day weekend usually bring inclement weather as so many of
us head to the wilderness with high expectations? White canyon even flowed > a
couple feet deep at Soldier Crossing that evening, a rare sight at a
crossing which is usually dry. >
A.J.
I agree. Looks like a great canyon! Thanks for the TR and pics! Still on my to do list…
— In Yahoo Canyons Group, “John D Diener” wrote:
Great, descriptive TR – thanks! Nice pictures too. Any thoughts on how > long water like that holds in there?
-john
John D Diener
Great, descriptive TR – thanks! Nice pictures too. Any thoughts on how long water like that holds in there?
-john
> Blue skies, large lizards, and a very convoluted slickrock hike began our > day in Woody Canyon. We suited up for lots of water, anticipating a full-to > -the-brim Woody pothole splash…and we got it. It had rained heavily for > days and the canyons were full of fresh water. Awesome conditions. But > doesn’t Memorial Day weekend usually bring inclement weather as so many of > us head to the wilderness with high expectations? White canyon even flowed a > couple feet deep at Soldier Crossing that evening, a rare sight at a > crossing which is usually dry.