Swell Water Conditions

[rock_ski_cowboy]

Heres a question specific to Rockgremlin, since you've done a lot of canyoneering in the swell without wetsuits. If I ask on the Yahoo group I know what answer I'll get, it'd be like asking if its ok to canyoneer without a helmet. :nono: Three weeks ago, wetsuits were a must in Quandary. However, we've had several weeks of 90's weather, and summer is definitely here to stay. Reports are that the potholes won't be anywhere near full in Quandary and the Squeeze (make for some interesting technical escapes). My question is, from your experience, what will the water temps be like next week in these two canyons? Although we have wetsuits, they're bulky and I hate to carry them on those long days if the water will be bathtub warm. Better to go light and use our strength to carry water to battle the heat. Your thoughts?

[rockgremlin]

My take is the same as yours. Helmets and wetsuits are great - if you're going down an undocumented slot canyon in February.

When we were out in the Roost last weekend, it was low 90's. Hot! Should be even a few degrees hotter this weekend.

Quandary canyon is oriented east-west, and 99% of it is in full sun most of the day. It never really closes in on you like other slot canyons do, and so even if the water temps were cold, you could just lay on the slickrock in the full sun, and warm up. I've done Quandary three times, and NEVER with a wetsuit. We got a little chilled once or twice, but nothing a little on-site sunbathing wouldn't cure.

The Squeeze is oriented north-south, and is a bit more shaded than Quandary. If it has a lot of water, a wetsuit could come in handy. I don't think the water temps will be frigid, but probably not bathtub warm yet either. From what I hear, The Squeeze is dry up high, wet down low - which is good, because most of the technical stuff is more towards the high to middle portion of the canyon. The last part of the Squeeze opens up, and is in full sun again, so if you're chilled at that point, there's opportunity to warm up some just before the exit. My advice (that is, if I were going along) would be ditch the wetsuits, pack more water, and start EARLY, EARLY, EARLY!!!!! This is a looong hike, and we actually finished in the dark, with headlamps (there were 6 in our group). You want to maximize the amount of available sunshine. If you're chilled, and need to warm up in that last stretch, and its 8:00 pm, it may not do you much good. Another good piece of advice (which I'm almost certain you're aware of) is from the first full pothole, go topless. Never travel with a wet T-shirt - it saps your stamina faster than anything. If there's chicks in the group, carry along a wetsuit or shorty for them. Unless of course, they're down with going topless with a bunch of dudes, in which case, good for you! :2thumbs:

The sun was up at around 6:00 - 6:30 am last weekend. You should be on the trail by that time in order to squeeze the most daylight/warmth out of the day as possible.

My Avatar is a pic of me going down the second 100+ foot rap, after it had flash flooded on us up a little higher. Notice I'm wetsuitless. A little cool if I remember correctly, but definitely not hypothermic.

More pics here: http://uutah.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=259

[rock_ski_cowboy]

Thanks for the great info! I'll check things out on our Quandary trip and if the waters cool we'll pack wetsuits for the squeeze.


My take is the same as yours. Helmets and wetsuits are great - if you're going down an undocumented slot canyon in February.

Oh I didn't break it to you?... Sorry dude, a week with Ram and Stevee converted me to the pro helmet/pro wetsuit "light side." :ne_nau: Oh you're asking for a Tom Jonesing on this one ... don't be pulling me into it. :haha: Every trip I go on I get more and more attached to my helmet-- its awesome; enough said on that topic. The swell is definitely the exception for water temps/wetsuits. The powell canyons I was in last week would be death without a wetsuit,even in 100 degree weather. They're similar stuff to Choprock: lots of cold cold water in narrow passages. Same goes for most good Zion Canyons. Having a good wetsuit on makes a potentially deadly canyon tons of fun , and it makes for great body armor too for tight stemmy mae west slots, and good friction for downclimbs. Anyhoo, I'll let you know how the trip goes!

[accadacca]

If there's chicks in the group, carry along a wetsuit or shorty for them. Unless of course, they're down with going topless with a bunch of dudes, in which case, good for you! :2thumbs:
Giddy up!!! :banana:

[rock_ski_cowboy]

Heres the report: Shorty wetsuit and chilled in Knotted Rope (miner's hollow), shorty wetsuits and just right in Quandary Direct in full sun, shorty wetsuits and chilled in the Squeeze. Full/shorty wetsuits and just right in Zero Gravity. You guys are pretty tough to take on that cold water with just swimming trunks. At one point in the Squeeze I was shivering pretty badly (serves me right for volunteering to shuttle packs across a neck deep keeper pothole for the other guys and staying in there for several minutes as a result). I didn't mind being a little colder in a shortee and not hauling the extra weight of a full wetsuit though.

[rockgremlin]

Welcome to the "dark side" of Canyoneering. We don't wear helmets, and we only wear wetsuits if they're ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY! Like if doing Choprock in April... :cold:!!

It probably would have helped if the weather was warmer. I thought for sure you guys would get rained on. It rained like crazy in SLC. My inlaws went camping over in the Mount Pleasant area, and said it never stopped raining on them the entire weekend too. :bath: So temps in the 90s would have been definitely better than temps in the 80s and windy. As long as you live to tell the tale, its all bragging rights in the end. :cool2:

Overall, how did you like the Squeeze? It's one of my favorites.

[rock_ski_cowboy]

Welcome to the "dark side" of Canyoneering. We don't wear helmets, and we only wear wetsuits if they're ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY! Like if doing Choprock in April... :cold:!!

Overall, how did you like the Squeeze? It's one of my favorites.

Hey I even converted Josh to the light side. He's on his way to buy a new helmet right now, and he was diggin his wetsuit.

I think Quandary and KR wouldn't be a problem without wetsuits if the weather was HOT and there was no wind. The Squeeze would still be cold. We got a lot of wind and cool weather and some high clouds. It knocked our tent down on monday so we went and found a huge alcove surrounded by three sides with 30 foot walls. Its the best campsite at Hidden Splendor by far, the trick is to go left where the road forks and crosses the airstrip. Only saw one thunder cloud and it passed us over without a drop.

The squeeze was awesome. Its like nonstop action once it gets going. Makes you forgot how bad the approach absolutely sucks! I think the Direct section of Quandary rules supreme though for being the most fun per quarter mile of canyon out there, and climbing up the rest of Quandary was a ton of fun too (but it would be impossible without helmets). [/code]