To give you an idea of how unusual this outing was going to be, my packing list for the day included the normal hiking clothes, my canyoneering gear, a warm hat, jacket and fleece, along with sandals, a bathing suit and towel. Talk about packing for all seasons!

This canyon does not require any permits and can also be done as a hike if you boat in from the Colorado River. There is beta here: Boy Scout Canyon – ropewiki. Our morning started with a bumpy drive down a dirt road to a trailhead next to a rather non-descript looking wash in the Black Canyon area. It was really cold, so we bundled up and headed down the wash. After quite a long walk down an open wash (about 1 ½ miles), with a few small downclimbs, we found an anchor station with a fixed rope for a short rappel. After that was accomplished, we got to the first main event of the day: a 340-foot rappel that started with a beautiful chute and then went straight down a wall, with a bit of a free hang at the bottom. It was definitely the least scary 300+ rappel I’ve ever done. We left the rope to pick up on the way out.

At the bottom, we were greeted with a change of scenery. The barren canyon turned into a lush riot of vegetation and waterfalls as hot springs emerged from the ground and walls to create a flowing spring. It was time to change into sandals and roll up our pants (or take them off altogether!). The water was a very pleasant temperature, and there were fixed ropes at most of the waterfalls to use as handlines. The canyon narrowed and started curving, with amazing salt formations and hanging gardens of multi-colored algae on the walls. It was like entering another planet where geothermal laws applied. The rock was quite wet and slippery due to the algal growth, so we rappelled a few of the waterfalls to get down.

We finally entered a chamber with high walls, featuring an algae and salt gallery. The photos really don’t do it justice, as it was very beautiful to walk through. It was at this point that the water temperature got very hot! We changed into our bathing suits and found a couple of hot springs that had been dug out and lined with sandbags. The first pool was way too hot for comfort, so we moved to the second pool which was not going to cook us alive! We happily sat around and gently simmered for about an hour, then went to explore the rest of the canyon. The water got a bit cooler but was still very warm as we descended a few more small waterfalls using fixed handlines. There was a side spring coming into the canyon that was definitely close to boiling (!). Fairly quickly, we came to the Colorado River, with a number of canoes on the beach. Interestingly, the hot springs completely ended or went underground before the confluence, so the water in the Colorado was very cold!

Although I had never heard of this canyon, it’s clearly a popular spot for boaters. There were tents all over the lower wash, many kayaks on the shore and a large group was getting ready to have lunch when we were there.

Now it was time to get dressed and pay the piper. The exit out (unless you have a boat!) involves a steep scramble of about 1000 feet straight up a hillside, which brought us back to the original wash we started in. A few people went to get the rope while most of the party continued the 1 ½ miles back to the car and waited for the rope retrieval team.

This was our first exploration of the hot springs along the Colorado River, but not the last! What a wonderful and memorable day with a great group of people.