Utah

Walker Gulch, Zion NP, Utah

On the Ropewiki map for Walker Gulch, there is a skull and crossbones at the head of the canyon, warning people about an overhanging shelf that should be avoided at all costs. Not exactly the normal type of beta for a canyon, but definitely the makings of an interesting day. The beta is located here: Walker Gulch - ropewiki. No permits are required as this canyon is just outside the park. Our hike in started near the 4-wheel-drive parking lot above Orderville Canyon after we exited Birch Hollow. It was early afternoon on a very cold January day and the temperatures were finally warming up above freezing. The sun felt incredible on our faces. We scrambled up some slopes and washes until we reached a mesa with a well-defined trail along an ATV route with fresh tire tracks. We followed the trail for another mile to the head of [...]

By |2025-02-06T21:25:27+00:00January 11, 2025|canyoneer, Utah|0 Comments
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Birch Hollow, Zion NP, Utah

This winter we are having some very unique weather conditions in southern Utah. It has been extremely dry but also very cold, resulting in any water remaining in the canyons being completely frozen, which has made some canyoneering routes unusually accessible for this time of year. A couple of weeks ago, we decided to descend Birch Hollow and explore Walker Gulch in an area adjacent to Zion NP. It was a freezing day, but an amazing experience to see these canyons during the winter! Birch Hollow is one of the most beloved and heavily guided canyons near Zion. Being just outside the park boundary, it does not require a permit and commercial guiding is permitted. Beta can be found here: Birch Hollow - ropewiki. Birch was one of the first canyons that Max and I descended on our own when we were beginning our canyoneering journey. It was our [...]

By |2025-02-05T00:25:40+00:00January 11, 2025|canyoneer, Utah|0 Comments
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Cheesebox Canyon, Cedar Mesa, Utah

Deep in the wilds of Cedar Mesa is an incredible canyon with a ridiculous name. The strangely named Cheesebox Canyon is about an hour south of Hanksville, UT. One theory about the name of the canyon is that it is overlooked by an interesting box-shaped mesa. Perhaps someone had a similarly shaped box where they stored cheese. Perhaps we will never know. Cheesebox is a fairly beginner-friendly canyon with five short rappels and quite a bit of water. I would almost classify it as a hikeaneering route going through spectacular scenery. Getting to the trailhead requires four-wheel drive with good clearance for the 11 mile drive down a rough road off highway and setting a shuttle for the exit is a good idea. Beta is available here: Cheesebox Canyon - ropewiki It was the very end of May when we found ourselves at the trailhead getting ready to plunge [...]

By |2025-01-30T17:22:25+00:00May 28, 2024|canyoneer, remote canyon, Utah|0 Comments
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Good Day Jim Canyon, Ticaboo, Utah

It was a beautiful sunny morning at the end of May when I found myself standing on the shoulders of two strapping men in a 15-foot-deep pothole, trying somewhat unsuccessfully to get out. It was day two of our Ticaboo adventures and we were planning to descend the wonderfully named “Good Day Jim” canyon, with this pothole being the first obstacle. Our get-together had grown large enough that we decided to split into two groups. The first group consisted of several younger folks, which we decided to call “Team Testosterone”. Our group consisted of some of our more mature folks, aptly named “Team Old Lady” 😉. Team Testosterone went first, wriggling their way out of the pothole in no time. Sadly, in the team shuffles one of the members who we thought was going with us took one of our potshots, leaving us with only one functioning potshot and [...]

By |2024-12-12T05:50:34+00:00May 26, 2024|canyoneer, remote canyon, Utah|0 Comments
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Montezuma Canyon, Ticaboo, Utah

Ticaboo is a very remote area in Southeastern Utah, about an hour south of Hanksville. The name comes from a Pauite word meaning “friendly”. This area on the northern reaches of Lake Powell was popular in the 70s due to nearby uranium mines and aquatic tourism to Lake Powell via Bullfrog. These days, Ticaboo offers basic tourist amenities and gas, useful in a place otherwise far from civilization. One thing the area does have in abundance is canyons. In late May, we were invited to join some friends for a get together to explore some of these canyons. The Ticaboo canyons are very technical and not for the beginning canyoneer. There are very tight slots, lots of high stemming, potholes with escapes, sketchy downclimbs, creative anchoring methods and long exit slogs uphill. The concentration of canyons is so high that you can park in one spot and have access [...]

By |2024-11-01T23:19:33+00:00May 25, 2024|canyoneer, Utah|0 Comments
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Minaret Canyon to Mineral Gulch

Continuing our hikeaneering spree in May, we explored a new route in the remote East Fork of the Virgin River near Zion NP. The goal was to walk down to Mineral Gulch, which is normally accessed via Meadow Creek and is a 16-mile round-trip hike. However, being able to descend Minaret Canyon easily turns this trek into an exciting day trip, well worth the price of admission, which involves a 4WD vehicle with good clearance. We met very early in the morning at the Elephant Cove trailhead, ready for a long day. Our adventure began with a 10-mile drive down a deep-sand and very sketchy OHV road. With each branching, the trail got more narrow and more sandy if possible. After what felt like a very bumpy eternity, but was probably about 30-40 minutes, we descended a large and very sandy hill and found the small parking pullout. Who [...]

By |2024-09-03T23:42:04+00:00May 12, 2024|canyoneer, hikeaneer, Utah|0 Comments
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Micro Death Hollow, Escalante, Utah

At the beginning of May, our friend Sri came to visit Utah and proposed a weekend in Escalante. We jumped at the chance to take our new RV trailer out for a test run. We drove up on Friday night and found a fantastic dispersed RV camping area right off Hole in the Rock road. There were a number of RVs already there, but we had privacy and it was extremely quiet. The next morning we met up with some friends on a balmy day and headed into Micro Death Hollow, a great canyon with a scary name. This is a short canyon that definitely packs a punch, depending on water levels. Several members of our party did not have wetsuits, so we were hoping that conditions were not too wet but planned for an early exit via the sneak route if needed. No permits are needed and beta [...]

By |2024-07-09T22:22:09+00:00May 5, 2024|canyoneer, remote canyon, Utah|0 Comments
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Lower Death Hollow, Escalante, Utah

Lower Death Hollow is one of the most beautiful river hikes in the Escalante area featuring clear, calm water and beautiful plants. We also had some amazing wildlife encounters in the river corridor. To access this hike, you can choose to do a strenuous 3+ day backpacking route, a moderately strenuous day hike or a technical canyoneering route down to the river through Micro Death Hollow, which is what we decided to do. Most people choose the day hike option, which starts at the Micro Death Hollow trailhead and is in fact the exit route for the canyon. This in and out route is down a steep slickrock bench which involves finding an appropriate slope to descend down to the Escalante River, at which point a well-worn social trail emerges along the banks of the river. Walk upstream a short distance until you see the confluence with Death Hollow, [...]

By |2024-08-14T17:04:28+00:00May 4, 2024|hike, hikeaneer, remote canyon, Utah|0 Comments
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Fat Man’s Misery, Zion NP, Utah

Fat Man’s Misery is one of the ultimate hikeaneering adventures in Zion NP. Located just outside the park, this route features a grueling but beautiful hike into the Zion backcountry and requires decent navigation skills to get where you’re going and back out. If there was ever a route that could be considered going uphill both ways, this would be it. No permits are required for this canyon aside from the entry fee into Zion. Canyon beta is available here: Canyoneering Misery (Fat Mans) East / West Forks - Zion East Side - Road Trip Ryan It was a balmy day at the end of April when we met up early with our friend Brian Connelly at a pullout near Checkerboard Mesa in Zion NP. The weather was just right – highs around 70, which would mean we could warm up in the sunny stretches between the wet canyon [...]

By |2024-06-28T15:40:25+00:00April 28, 2024|canyoneer, hikeaneer, Utah|0 Comments
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Round Valley Draw, Grand Staircase-Escalante NM, Utah

Round Valley Draw is a wonderful intermediate hike into a marvelous slot canyon in the Grand Staircase-Escalante NM. Located about 15 miles south of the tiny town of Cannonville, Utah, the trailhead is accessible off the Cottonwood Canyon Road, which is usually well-graded and accessible to passenger vehicles when dry but difficult if not impassable when wet. This is a fairly remote area in general, but this hike is very close to Willis Creek, so it’s a great idea to combine them for a full day. Although you are heading into a tight slot canyon, be careful in the summer months as it can be extremely hot out. I recommend doing this hike in the fall, spring or winter months when temperatures are more pleasant. There are several reasons for why I would deem this an intermediate hike: to get into the canyon, there are two obstacles that require [...]

By |2024-06-19T23:17:22+00:00April 21, 2024|hike, remote canyon, Utah|0 Comments
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