Lost Hikers in Water Canyon

[Iceaxe]

Looks like Tanys might have to take credit for this one because she is the only one I know with a route description posted.... :haha: just kidding I don't really have a clue who's beta the group was using.

Hikers found on Canaan Mountain in good condition
TIFFANY DE MASTERS

ST. GEORGE - Salt Lake City locals, Carla Stoddard, 52, and Mike Deraedt, 65, were found Saturday night on Canaan Mountain after being separated from their companion, Ernest Sweat, 41.

The hikers started at Water Canyon and continued into Canaan Mountain. Sweat was separated from the group, but made it back to his car. When the other two hikers didn't show up, he put a call into the Hildale Marshal's Office around 6:30 p.m. Officers contacted Washington County Sheriff's Office and the hikers were off the mountain around midnight. "They were smiling and in good condition," said Dean Cox, director of emergency services for Washington County.

[tanya]

Looks like Tanys might have to take credit for this one because she is the only one I know with a route description posted.... :haha: just kidding I don't really have a clue who's beta the group was using.

Hikers found on Canaan Mountain in good condition
TIFFANY DE MASTERS

ST. GEORGE - Salt Lake City locals, Carla Stoddard, 52, and Mike Deraedt, 65, were found Saturday night on Canaan Mountain after being separated from their companion, Ernest Sweat, 41.

The hikers started at Water Canyon and continued into Canaan Mountain. Sweat was separated from the group, but made it back to his car. When the other two hikers didn't show up, he put a call into the Hildale Marshal's Office around 6:30 p.m. Officers contacted Washington County Sheriff's Office and the hikers were off the mountain around midnight. "They were smiling and in good condition," said Dean Cox, director of emergency services for Washington County.

Have you done Water Canyon yet Shane?

[Iceaxe]

Have you done Water Canyon yet Shane?

Not yet.... but its on the to-do list.

[tanya]

Have you done Water Canyon yet Shane?

Not yet.... but its on the to-do list.

Me too, when its warm next summer. Maybe we can go and play together. I want to do the hike from Water Canyon to Rockville too. I might do that this weekend. Not sure yet.

[tanya]

Looks like Tanya might have to take credit for this one because she is the only one I know with a route description posted.... :haha: just kidding I don't really have a clue who's beta the group was using.


Oops....I hope not! :ne_nau: That would be a me and Dean Kurtz Trail report ... I hope it was the BLM directions. :haha:

Canaan Mountain - That's one of my oldest. I really need to redo that one!
http://www.zionnational-park.com/zion-canaan-mountain.htm

[Alex]

Maybe we can go and play together. I want to do the hike from Water Canyon to Rockville too.

I can tag along and film all the "playing" :lol8: :five:

[tanya]

Looks like I am going backpacking this weekend. We are starting at Water Canyon (Hilldale) and heading for Eagle Crags (Rockville). I wanted to do a long day hike but I was outvoted. Should be fun though.

Hope we don't get lost like those other guys. Is there any kind of trip report for this out there? I have heard of a few guys doing it but have never seen anything in writing.

:cool2:

[tanya]

Two more hikers almost had SAR called on them this weekend.....

:haha:

[stefan]

you know tanya ... we're expecting a thorough trip report now, accounting the entire experience.... :nod:

[Iceaxe]

Yeah... spill it lady :nod:

[tanya]

Yeah... spill it lady :nod:


Awwww.... that's the first time you called me a lady :oops:

[tanya]

you know tanya ... we're expecting a thorough trip report now, accounting the entire experience.... :nod:

Since you asked :nod:

We set up a car shuttle with one car at Eagle Crags (Rockville near Zion) and the other at Hilldale (by Colorado City --- for you bikers.. Near Gooseberry Mesa). We took the Smithsonian Butte Backway for the shuttle which is a great drive. We got underway about 9:30 am. Bo knew that Zion Rock was going to be there guiding a canyoneering trip, so we hiked up the steep trail to the head of Water Canyon (which we had to do anyway) to see where they start and asked about the rappels. Travis (who is on the Zion SAR team with Bo) said (I don't remember exactly) that there are about 8 rappels and 160' was the longest.

From there we hiked down the drainage until we found a good spot to climb up toward the hoodoos on top. We headed up the slickrock past lots of beautiful hoodoos. Then we got on the soft, sandy 4WD (that is suppose to be closed to 4WDs now) road and headed to the "Notch" and the "Windlass." Our directions we got from Bo's climbing friend Mikel told us to follow the dirt road and it would end at Sawmill Springs. There are lots of 4WD roads up there now – a mess of them. We followed a road and it got us way past the spring, so we had to dig out a map and figure out where the spring actually was since the roads were all over now. We got there and were happy to see there was water in the spring. Really gross water though! We set up camp and enjoyed the full moon and the food Bo cooked.

The night was COLD! Our water froze and there was ice on everything. We were warm in our bags though and we had those hot hand things to help us keep warm. We could not make a fire since we were in a wilderness study area.

The next day we started out — after the sun came up and it got warm. I was not leaving my sleeping bag before that!!! Bo was already up and cooked breakfast and hot drinks. (The perfect hiking partner!)

Sunday morning we headed down Sawmill Spring Wash. After hiking up hill all day on Saturday I was looking forward to some downhill. That area was perhaps the most spectacular of the whole hike. I will post some photos later today. We hiked the north edge to the 600' pour-off. Bo looked from the vantage point but could not see any weakness in the sheer cliff that might be the chute we were looking for. We hiked along the rim, looking at each weakness and for the cairn that Mikel had placed there. We had been told the exit was less than a mile from the vantage point and Bo dropped his pack and went quite a bit farther, still not finding it.

It was getting late and we had to make a choice — stay and look for the chute and maybe camp out (and have SAR called!) Or head back UPHILL to Water Canyon. ~groan~ I was looking forward to the downhill. As much as I hated to head back that's what we did. Bo decided to try and short cut so the parts that should have now been downhill were UPHILL. We were tired, but it was good exercise so we did not mind that much. We made it to the top of Water Canyon before dark and we saw the full moon peek over the mountain. We began to headlamp down the Water Canyon Trail, but we were dropping faster than the moon was rising so that was our only glimpse of it that night. So at least we did all the non-trail parts in daylight.

Bo found out this morning from someone that has hiked it that the Stock Trail" we were looking for is about 1 mile off to the South-east. :popcorn: We will see if those directions are right soon!


Next Weekend – we are hiking in from Eagle Crags.

These 3 photos are all taken on the 2nd day of hiking after Sawmill Springs.

[Sombeech]

Wow, looks like a beautiful, but difficult hike. Nice pics. :2thumbs:

[tanya]

We tried the exit again and made it this time. It was rugged!!!!!!! ~I am exhausted~ The chute we exited down was not too scenic but here is a cool shot from Water Canyon at the start and a rock near the exit. Here is a link to the entire Canaan Mountain album.

http://www.zionnational-park.com/images/album2/index27.htm

Water Canyon

http://www.zionnational-park.com/images/album2/images/canaan-h_jpg.jpg

Canaan Mountain
http://www.zionnational-park.com/images/album2/images/canaan-zx_jpg.jpg

[Brewhaha]

Beautiful pictures! You certainly have a knack for photography.

-and-

I just visitied the ZNP site. Is it all yours? I am very impressed.

[tanya]

Beautiful pictures! You certainly have a knack for photography.

-and-

I just visitied the ZNP site. Is it all yours? I am very impressed.

Thanks! My hiking partner Bo and I do the trail reports together --- so I think of it as part his too. We share. :nod:

[greyhair biker]

I am SO jealous..of the hiking. One of these days I WILL get down there! All I've hiked lately has been in Canyonlands/Moab area, the Uintahs and the Wasatch...although there is some amazing stuff in the Vernal area...entrada sandstone and related stuff...I love it!

[tanya]

I am SO jealous..of the hiking. One of these days I WILL get down there! All I've hiked lately has been in Canyonlands/Moab area, the Uintahs and the Wasatch...although there is some amazing stuff in the Vernal area...entrada sandstone and related stuff...I love it!


Have a favorite hike among those?

[greyhair biker]

It's so hard to choose! The ones I like in Moab I've also biked - mostly. Poison Spider trail to the Rim then to Gold Bar and Amasa Back to Jackson's Hole. I love to hike the Uintahs from Deep Creek to Brownie Lake and Spirit Lake & also around the Highline Trail near Mirror Lake. I used to know the Wasatch trails by heart...the best being Sugerloaf Pass along the peaks to the Pheifferhorn - that's was as far as I ever got....Beautiful!!

[stefan]

the pheifferhorn rocks!! :2thumbs:

[tanya]

Beautiful pictures! You certainly have a knack for photography.

-and-

I just visitied the ZNP site. Is it all yours? I am very impressed.



For those interested ... the Cannan Mountain to Eagle Crags Trip is online. Of all the hikes and Canyons I have done.... this is my favorite. Its spectacular! We call it escape from Hilldale since its starts where the Polygamist live. :nod:

http://www.zionnational-park.com/zion-canaan-mountain.htm

http://www.zionnational-park.com/images/album2/images/canaan-e_jpg.jpg

[tanya]

:whoops:

[tanya]

I felt like some more :ne_nau: torture ...... so we headed back up to Canaan Mountain again ..... today. This time we started at Squirrel Canyon --- then hiked to the top of Water Canyon Arch.... then up to the White Hoodoos---- and out Water Canyon... whew!!!! :rope: I am tired!!!!!

The scenery was great as always, but Squirrel Canyon does not compare to Water Canyon.

ATVs :ban: have been all over in that :treehugger: Wilderness Study Area... where of course they are not suppose to go...... we picked up so much trash. :assault: :ride: There is broken glass galore up there too. :help: This is the 3rd weekend in a row we have been on the mountain so all this was done this last week. One spot has burned trees and trash galore including an ATV users manual. There was also a dead horse :deadhorse: on the Squirrel Canyon Trail. The smell was so bad I almost lost it! :mrgreen:

[greyhair biker]

:2thumbs: you are in an amazing area to hike! ....one of these days... :nod:

[stefan]

beautiful tanya ... need to get there someday ... someday :nod:

[greyhair biker]

It's sad people think they dont need to respect the environment or otheres enough to feel they can just ruin things for the rest of us. I find I am forever picking up after others when I am out in the wilderness and have always preacticed a Leave No Trace policy. WTF people...dont treat it like is was your own house..pickup after yourself.... Sorry Tanya, I went off but it chips my beef when I run across trash out in the wild - I am obviously preaching to the choir here :haha: :feelgood:

[tanya]

beautiful tanya ... need to get there someday ... someday :nod:


If you do, hike from Water Canyon to Eagle Crags. I have done so many hikes in the last few years, but none compare to this one! Its a winner! :hail2thechief: :hail2thechief: :hail2thechief: Squirrel Canyon was not so great --- but then 3 weekends in a row on the same mountain might have dulled that feeling. It can be done as a grueling one day hike or as a backpack. Its a tough hike to carry a backpack on and it's a really rough hike to do in one day. Summer's would be blistering out there. The 5 times I have been up there have always been in November.

[tanya]

It's sad people think they dont need to respect the environment or others enough to feel they can just ruin things for the rest of us. I find I am forever picking up after others when I am out in the wilderness and have always preacticed a Leave No Trace policy. WTF people...dont treat it like is was your own house..pickup after yourself.... Sorry Tanya, I went off but it chips my beef when I run across trash out in the wild - I am obviously preaching to the choir here :haha: :feelgood:


I know most people take care of the wilderness, but in this beautiful place is getting destroyed. :ne_nau: The BLM puts up road blocks into the Wildnerness area and although most ATV users are not like this, there are some out there tearing down the road blocks and signs and going up on the mountain. I can't believe the areas they are getting those things into. Then as you can see from the photo they are dumping glass and other trash.

[tanya]

I have the photo album finished for this hike: Squirrel Canyon to Water Canyon Arch then out Water Canyon. :nod:

http://www.zionnational-park.com/images/album2/index31.htm

[stefan]

love this shot ... naturally the one with you is the preferred choice, but the close up on the arch has a nice perspective

awesome tanya awesome :2thumbs:

http://www.zionnational-park.com/images/album2/images/squirrel-canyon-h_jpg.jpg

[tanya]

love this shot ... naturally the one with you is the preferred choice, but the close up on the arch has a nice perspective

awesome tanya awesome :2thumbs:

Thanks Stefan... :nod: that arch was hard to shoot, not to mention to stand on. It slants down hill and there are few safe places near the arch to take a photo from.

[tanya]

For those wanting to hike to the Arch or through Squirrel Canyon, the trip report is done. :nod:

http://www.zionnational-park.com/water-canyon-arch.htm