Capitol Reef NP

Wingate Wander, Capitol Reef NP, Utah

It was an unseasonably cold day in October of 2025 when we embarked on an expedition in a remote corner of Capitol Reef NP. Capitol Reef is the most under-appreciated of Utah’s national parks, with scenery comparable to Zion but without the crowds. Solitude is easy to come by, especially if you’re off the beaten path. Our goal for the day was to complete a hikeaneering route called the “Wingate Wander”, which spans two canyons, covers 10 miles of technical terrain with 1500 feet of elevation gain and requires wetsuits, technical gear, and a large dose of fortitude. This route is done so infrequently that one cannot rely on existing anchors or previous trip reports, so it has a very first-descent vibe to it. Beta is available here: Wingate Wander - ropewiki. We began our day at 9am after an hour-and-a-half drive from our base in the North Wash [...]

Fire Canyon, Capitol Reef NP, Utah

In mid-October, Max and I headed to Capitol Reef NP for the Wasatch Mountain Club Canyoneering Rendezvous. There, we led canyons for three days and got to reconnect with old friends and met some new folks as well. On our first day, we led one of our favorite routes – Fire Canyon and Cassidy Arch. Fire Canyon is not as well-known as many surrounding canyons, mostly due to its location far from any trailhead, which requires a long hike in and out. The route starts at the Cassidy Arch trail, goes all the way up to the top of the trail and continues up the Frying Pan trail until it’s time to descend into the canyon. Fire Canyon is located right in the middle between Cassidy Arch and the Cohab (Wife) canyons. The entire route, car to car, is about 9 miles with 2,500 feet elevation gain for the [...]