Horse Tanks - Cedar Mesa

[Iceaxe]

I know some of us on Uuath talked about getting together and doing Horse Tanks Canyon in Cedar Mesa. Well one of the boys did it over the weekend and sent the following TR.

"Horse Tanks was one of those I did it so you don't have to canyons." :haha:

Among my little inbreed band of canyoneering miss-fits that is about the worst rating a canyon can receive. I guess we lucked out on this one by not being first in the batting line-up.

Anyhoo..... now the good news.... rumors persist about a Cedar Mesa Canyon that might be the best yet. I'm still working out some details. But I promise to tell ya all about it AFTER I do it.

:five:

[ajroadtrips]

I know some of us on Uuath talked about getting together and doing Horse Tanks Canyon in Cedar Mesa. Well one of the boys did it over the weekend and sent the following TR.

"Horse Tanks was one of those I did it so you don't have to canyons." :haha:

Among my little inbreed band of canyoneering miss-fits that is about the worst rating a canyon can receive. I guess we lucked out on this one by not being first in the batting line-up.

Anyhoo..... now the good news.... rumors persist about a Cedar Mesa Canyon that might be the best yet. I'm still working out some details. But I promise to tell ya all about it AFTER I do it.

:five:

Hmmm, I think it's worth doing. Yeah, it's mostly open, and only the last 100M or so is "slotty", but it's still a pretty canyon, and a casual 1/2 day with a car shuttle. The last rap is quite photogenic. Nice casual canyon.

I'd put it a class or two above Buck in the Roost, Corral in the Swell, Monoxide in Poison Spring, or Ice's favorite.... Behunin....

From the man who likes everything...
deserthiker

[Iceaxe]

Saying its a step or two above Behunin isn't really saying much...... :lol8:

[goofball]

i agree w/ desert hiker. open, not really a slot but for the last 100 yards or so, but a nice canyon hike w/ a very nice exit rap. and an alternate access to lower white canyon.

and when you say "cedar mesa" do you really mean the white canyon comple ? of which the majority of the white canyon complex is not a part of if i am not mistaken ? maybe i am being to technical but when i hear cedar mesa i think slickhorn, road, fish, mccloyd, etc., etc...

along white canyon fortknocker is ok to nice, long is very nice but i never descended it from the top, just walked up from teh mouth as far as i could (which is quite a ways). evidently kelsey will feature it in his new tech. guide, whenever that may be. short is very short. and the others i think have been well done if not talked about, besides gravel, cheesebox and fry. after stumbling across the slot in upper lost canyon i wonder if there is more on the dark canyon plateau side ? if this slot is the best yet it'll have to be pretty damn nice to beat what else is there. i also wonder why it is (or maybe it just seems ?) that people do not get beyond the black hole and explore white canyon further downstream ? damn nice...

aside - when we 1st moved to bluff and i got into white canyon and that whole complex, it fit perfectly w/ my notions of what a canyon is supposed to be for some reason. spent a lot of time traipsing thru there and have still only seen a portion of it. tons of petrified wood, some nice ruins and rock art, and peace and quite which belies its very near proximity to what passes as a major road for se utah. and the plateau is just as fun to wander as the canyons. but then the most "boring" of outdoors destinations beats teh best day to be had in any city imho. unless were talking the... err... nevermind

[Iceaxe]

Common.... I'm not going to give away my newest prize that easy. :lol8:

Canyoneers usually refer to everything from the Black Hole (Hite) to Bluff as Cedar Mesa..... I'm not sure what the "official" definition is......AAaaaa.... is there and official definition?

Big area, lots of canyons. Still some good ones that I've never heard mentioned :2thumbs:

[stefan]

and when you say "cedar mesa" do you really mean the white canyon comple ? of which the majority of the white canyon complex is not a part of if i am not mistaken ? maybe i am being to technical but when i hear cedar mesa i think slickhorn, road, fish, mccloyd, etc., etc...


technically you're right, as "cedar mesa" applies to the mesa of cedars jutting out to the south, containing all of those wonderful canyons. but it seems that since white canyon is seemlessly connected to the area and is made of cedar mesa, some view it as a catchall for all the canyons in the region.



along white canyon fortknocker is ok to nice, long is very nice but i never descended it from the top, just walked up from teh mouth as far as i could (which is quite a ways). evidently kelsey will feature it in his new tech. guide, whenever that may be. short is very short. and the others i think have been well done if not talked about, besides gravel, cheesebox and fry.


long canyon is also relatively well know. it was written up in part by steve allen. but it can be descended from the top and mike kelsey will have it in his next book.

[rockgremlin]

Here's the most obvious reason why that region between Hite and Bluff is called the "Cedar Mesa":

It's because the majority of the canyons in that region cut through the "Cedar Mesa Sandstone" formation.

Soooooo.....Shane....whenever you need a partner for when you're gonna go do your "prize canyon," I'm an hour's drive away.....

[stefan]

Here's the most obvious reason why that region between Hite and Bluff is called the "Cedar Mesa":

It's because the majority of the canyons in that region cut through the "Cedar Mesa Sandstone" formation.


true, but the sandstone WAS named after THE mesa called "cedar mesa." and the entire region from the needles/maze to the south has exposed cedar mesa ss due to the monument upwarp.

basically, people like catchalls. it's simpler that way. but i agree with goofball that it technically should be referred to as white canyon or white canyon complex.

don't get me wrong though, i think cedar mesa is a good catchall for this area in the south, but not dark canyon/plateau and the lands to the north.

[ajroadtrips]

Common.... I'm not going to give away my newest prize that easy. :lol8:

Canyoneers usually refer to everything from the Black Hole (Hite) to Bluff as Cedar Mesa..... I'm not sure what the "official" definition is......AAaaaa.... is there and official definition?

Big area, lots of canyons. Still some good ones that I've never heard mentioned :2thumbs:

The best canyon on the cedar mesa, or the swell, or the ???? Always the one Iceaxe is currently holding as his "secret" card... well... according to Iceaxe... :roflol:

I remember back in the day when Music was billed as "the best canyon in the swell"... I'm guessing if Ice would have descended Horse, you'd be hearing some hype... :haha:

[goofball]

Common.... I'm not going to give away my newest prize that easy. :lol8:

Canyoneers usually refer to everything from the Black Hole (Hite) to Bluff as Cedar Mesa..... I'm not sure what the "official" definition is......AAaaaa.... is there and official definition?

Big area, lots of canyons. Still some good ones that I've never heard mentioned :2thumbs:

yep. big area, very scenic and very low visitation. excellent combo. your not gonna try to sell us rock canyon are ya ? i have always viewed the "official" definition as the one on the map. castle creek canyon has a narrow head i never got down to see what's there. moqui looks worthy of exploring. but those both are nearer to lake powell. you talking something the other side of wingate mesa dumping into red canyon ? or one of the couple unnamed tribs of lower white? it better not be fish flop... or steer gulch... :popcorn:

[Iceaxe]

I remember back in the day when Music was billed as "the best canyon in the swell"...

Hey.... ya got to admit, it was the best NEW canyon to be exposed in the Swell in a long time. :nod:

Then it took anther 5 years before we found Zero-G :2thumbs:

I just get excited when I find or hear about new stuff :party:

.

[stefan]

upper fish creek has a mildly technical section and some "narrows." can do a car shuttle down fish from the "anvil" up and out at the normal trailhead for fish and owl.

[Iceaxe]

moqui looks worthy of exploring.

Yup.... Moqui has some really good stuff in the upper tribs, but I my crazy naming scheme I would refer to that as the Lake Powell area. I did some of the Moqui stuff about 20 years ago but don't really remember much. At the time our skills were still very rudimentary and I didn't keep a notebook back then. Anyone here done some of the Moqui tribs?


it better not be fish flop... or steer gulch...

Nope... not Fish Flop or Steer Gulch :roflol:

[ajroadtrips]

Hey.... ya got to admit, it was the best NEW canyon to be exposed in the Swell in a long time. :nod:


I see how this works.

Begin The Marketing Blitz!!!

Horse Tanks is the best NEW canyon to be exposed in the white canyon area in a long time. It rocks! More rappels than Gravel, BIGGER rappels than Gravel OR Cheesebox... This one is a must do.... Look for it soon on deserthiker's Circle of the Uber Cool.... :cool2:

[Iceaxe]

Just admit it.... Horse Turd blows :lol8:

[goofball]

Hey.... ya got to admit, it was the best NEW canyon to be exposed in the Swell in a long time. :nod:


I see how this works.

Begin The Marketing Blitz!!!

Horse Tanks is the best NEW canyon to be exposed in the white canyon area in a long time. It rocks! More rappels than Gravel, BIGGER rappels than Gravel OR Cheesebox... This one is a must do.... Look for it soon on deserthiker's Circle of the Uber Cool.... :cool2:

oooohhhhhhh... looks like someone has "ice envy". :lol8:

[Scott P]

Anyhoo..... now the good news.... rumors persist about a Cedar Mesa Canyon that might be the best yet.

I've heard that rumor too, but haven't been there. You never know though. Some rumors turn out to be true and some false.


Hey.... ya got to admit, it was the best NEW canyon to be exposed in the Swell in a long time.


Then it took anther 5 years before we found Zero-G

Gem cmplex is better than both IMHO.


I did some of the Moqui stuff about 20 years ago but don't really remember much. At the time our skills were still very rudimentary and I didn't keep a notebook back then. Anyone here done some of the Moqui tribs?

If you did the "real Moqui" stuff you would probably remember it. And if your skills were rudimentary, then you were lucky you didn't find some of the stuff in there. Either really bad or really good depending on your point of view.

[Iceaxe]

If you did the "real Moqui" stuff you would probably remember it.

We stuck our nose in everything up Moqui at one time or anther. Some of the stuff was what we called "nasty", which meant it was really hard. Some of the stuff we looked at and avoided as being too dangerous. If I looked at it today my opinion may or may not be the same.... my skills and confidence are much better today.

But after over 20 years (some of this was 30 years ago) pretty much everything at Lake Powell runs together and is foggy. I remember certain obstacles, arches, ruins and stuff but I often can't remember what canyon they were up for sure or exactly where they were at.

Last time I was on the Lake, about 5 years ago, as we were boating around I would remember things and where they were. One of these days when I get some time I hope to scan in some 70's & 80's era Powell canyoneering pictures..... you guys will get a big chuckle out of seeing our gear, methods and clothes :haha:

Somewhere I even have a home movie, which was later converted to VHS tape of Powell Canyons. But I'd have to find a way to convert that to mpeg or something. I don't have the equipment to do it. Heck, I don't even own a VHS player anymore.

[savanna3313]

But after over 20 years (some of this was 30 years ago)


Dang! How old are you darlin'?? :lol8:

:popcorn:

[Iceaxe]

Older then dirt.... Here's my picture....

[FOX]

Ice,

If you need help capturing and converting your old canyoneering movies for web posts or anything else, let me know. My company owns everything that's needed to do that. I can work with any format and turn into whatever. In fact, I'll open that offer up to any of our fellow canyoneers! :2thumbs:

[savanna3313]

Older then dirt.... Here's my picture....


Baaaabbbbbyyyyyyyyy!

:roflol:

Damn.....seems like I've seen you somewhere before

:popcorn:

[Iceaxe]

If you need help capturing and converting your old canyoneering movies for web posts

Thanks :2thumbs:

Digging through my old pics and video is something I have scheduled for my winter to-do list. I know the women are just drooling at the thought of seeing ol' Ice in a pair of short shorts :naughty:

:lol8:

[Iceaxe]

OK, just for giggles.... here is a picture of ol' Ice and the gang from Powell in I believe 1985. It's not a canyoneering pic, just one I already converted to jpg for something else.

So.... where is Waldo :lol8:

:popcorn:

[savanna3313]

OK, just for giggles.... here is a picture of ol' Ice and the gang from Powell in I believe 1985. It's not a canyoneering pic, just one I already converted to jpg for something else.

So.... where is Waldo :lol8:

:popcorn:

Ok.....the guys probably don't want to do this because they don't want to look gay or something. :mrgreen:

I'd say you're the one with the Jon Bonjovi hair and the horizontal striped trunks. Wow....all those guys and only 3 girls. My kind of ratio. :2thumbs:

[hesse15]

OK, just for giggles.... here is a picture of ol' Ice and the gang from Powell in I believe 1985. It's not a canyoneering pic, just one I already converted to jpg for something else.

So.... where is Waldo :lol8:

:popcorn:
I agree with Savanna
definetly the guy with long hair and striped pants
the chicks in bikinis looks hot
but agree too many sausages...

[Iceaxe]

but agree too many sausages...

That did it.... next powell pic I post will have too many tacos :lol8:

And yes.... you ladies picked correctly :2thumbs:

[savanna3313]

OK, just for giggles.... here is a picture of ol' Ice and the gang from Powell in I believe 1985. It's not a canyoneering pic, just one I already converted to jpg for something else.

So.... where is Waldo :lol8:

:popcorn:
I agree with Savanna
definetly the guy with long hair and striped pants
the chicks in bikinis looks hot
but agree too many sausages...

No no no :nono: I didn't say there were too many sausages. Read again please. I said that I liked the ratio of so many men to just a few women. :2thumbs:

Just think of Scarlett O'Hara at the Wilkes' bbq in Gone With The Wind. She had to sit under a tree instead of a picnic table so all her admirers could surround her. :hail2thechief:

[hesse15]

No no no :nono: I didn't say there were too many sausages. Read again please. I said that I liked the ratio of so many men to just a few women. :2thumbs:

Just think of Scarlett O'Hara at the Wilkes' bbq in Gone With The Wind. She had to sit under a tree instead of a picnic table so all her admirers could surround her. :hail2thechief:
that was long time ago now if you put more than 2 man togheter thay just start pick at each other and tottally useless for a woman side....

[rockgremlin]

Looks like a Huey Lewis and the News roadie get-together. :lol8:

[Iceaxe]

Looks like a Huey Lewis and the News roadie get-together. :lol8:

Close..... :2thumbs:

Would you settle for Team Yamaha and the starting line-up of strippers from the Million Dollar Saloon????? :haha:


:party: