Dang! I Beat Tanya to a South Guardian thread!

[Bo_Beck]

Here is a map and also profile of the great hike we did today. Perfect weather...Perfect company!

[Bo_Beck]

Here is a map and also profile of the great hike we did today. Perfect weather...Perfect company!

I already know what some of you are thinking about that profile! :roflol: :naughty:

[tanya]

I'm thinking that darn profile does not even begin to say what a tough hike this one is!

So that is only 5ish miles one way.. DaNg! :cool2:

[Bo_Beck]

I'm thinking that darn profile does not even begin to say what a tough hike this one is!

So that is only 5ish miles one way.. DaNg! :cool2:

The GPS is only 2 dimensional Tanya...Add about 3 miles to the hike and it's probably closer to 13-14 miles! Lots of steep scrambling, but one beautiful canyon to enjoy in the middle both on the way and way back. Great company and lots of fun! You did amazing on the upclimbs and downclimbs! :2thumbs:

[tanya]

:eek2:

Now this is diligence!

http://www.climb.mountains.com/Classic_Peaks_files/Desert_Classics_files/South_Guardian_Angel.htm



Sierra Club Desert Peaks Ranked #43

http://

"This new route makes the South Guardian Angel one of the hardest peaks on the Desert Peaks"


http://www.peakbagging.com/UTPhotos/SGA.htm
Listwww.peakbagger.com/list.aspx?lid=5053

[Win]

I'm tired and sore just looking at the profile, you folks a re certainly doing some great adventures. Can't wait to see the pictures.

Win

[oldno7]

Nice peak you guys, I'm with Win.
We circled Progeny Yesterday

[Bo_Beck]

Nice peak you guys, I'm with Win.
We circled Progeny Yesterday

We tried to get done early enough for Happy Hour at 5:30, but just couldn't go any faster! :ne_nau: Next time though for sure! :2thumbs: :haha:

[oldno7]

It will happen Bo. I'm off to Escalante next week so maybe in 2 weeks try again.

[tanya]

How about Bit n' Spur, being the only real bar, and it has great food, for the meeting place. I sent Kurt my cell number. We can meet at 5:30 if we are done hiking/canyoneering/climbing or leave a message for others hiking in Zion on the weekends.

[oldno7]

Sounds good Tanya--
So any hikers,canyoneers,or Zion enthusiast:

Every Sat. Sun. meet @ Bit&Spur 5:30
ALL ARE WELCOME :2thumbs:

[erial]

i thought i read somewhere of route finding difficulty making your way across the drainage. Was that a concern of yours or had you previously made the trip and knew the way?

[tanya]

Both Bo and Dnally had both been there. I thought Shane had a trip report written up but I just looked and that's North GA. There were lots of cairns along the last part of the route. According the register not many make it up there. It's a long way to get to the base of the mountain but once there its a quick trip up.

I almost have the album done from g2! Then will start on these photos. I have not even uploaded them off my camera yet.

[Bo_Beck]

i thought i read somewhere of route finding difficulty making your way across the drainage. Was that a concern of yours or had you previously made the trip and knew the way?

Jeff, I had done the hike in January of 2000 and at that time we just found a route down to the "Subway" the best we could. We left an 80' rope susepended to get back up where we had joined into the subway. I tried to scramble up the south side in several spots and it was just too wet and steep. We took off our shoes and headed downstream maybe 200 meters. Saw a weakness that allowed us to ascend and make it up and out to make a positive ascent to SGA. At that time we had no information or trails to follow.

Yesterday the route that Dave lead us on was well cairned and much easier travel. No ropes required. It put us out directly across from the route Mike and I used to scramble out of the Subway 8 years ago. There is a trail that pretty much leads the way now, so I suspect that quite a few people are going to, or at least attempting SGA now?

[erial]

y'all are piling my plate up with hikes to do next time. let's see, red butte, sga, what's next? keep 'em comin'.

[tanya]

I have not gone through the photos yet, but did grab 2 shots out of us at the summit.

dnally, Dave - from Ivins -- lives by Bo went with us.

Bo has the trip report done, but the map and photos are not on there yet. Just in case someone is going to head up there though, here is the trail description.

http://www.zionnational-park.com/guardian-angel.htm

[tanya]

Cool Arch! Love this one and it's just one of the 2 awesome arches along this route. The other one we actually crawled into it. This photo shows it up high but the route actually goes right by the arch.. its just past North Guardian Arch.

The other photo is the base of South Guardian Angel

[tanya]

:popcorn:

[tanya]

I just finished the album for this route.

http://www.zionnational-park.com/images/album2/index67.htm

[gootwan]

Great pics! Looks like a fun one...

Question- About how much faster is the SGA approach to the Left Fork than the tradition Subway approach? I'm wondering if it would be preferable to access the Subway that way. Which Left Fork obstacles/features are bypassed?

Thanks!

Jordan

[tanya]

Great pics! Looks like a fun one...

Question- About how much faster is the SGA approach to the Left Fork than the tradition Subway approach? I'm wondering if it would be preferable to access the Subway that way. Which Left Fork obstacles/features are bypassed?

Thanks!

Jordan


Hi Jordan...

We crossed the Left Fork below all the obstacles. You would not want to enter the Subway the usual ways... the classic way, Russel Gulch or my favorite - Das Boot.

[trackrunner]

Great pics! Looks like a fun one...

Question- About how much faster is the SGA approach to the Left Fork than the tradition Subway approach? I'm wondering if it would be preferable to access the Subway that way. Which Left Fork obstacles/features are bypassed?

Thanks!

Jordan


Hi Jordan...

We crossed the Left Fork below all the obstacles. You would not want to enter the Subway the usual ways... the classic way, Russel Gulch or my favorite - Das Boot.

Wait this way is better? :ne_nau: Or you mean would not want to do the subway this way, stick to the normal routes. :ne_nau:

[tanya]

Great pics! Looks like a fun one...

Question- About how much faster is the SGA approach to the Left Fork than the tradition Subway approach? I'm wondering if it would be preferable to access the Subway that way. Which Left Fork obstacles/features are bypassed?

Thanks!

Jordan


Hi Jordan...

We crossed the Left Fork below all the obstacles. You would not want to enter the Subway the usual ways... the classic way, Russel Gulch or my favorite - Das Boot.

Wait this way is better? :ne_nau: Or you mean would not want to do the subway this way, stick to the normal routes. :ne_nau:

Yes, I would not want to do the Subway this way. :nod:

[gootwan]

Yes, I would not want to do the Subway this way. :nod:

Thanks!

Just to clarify... if I just wanted to access the Subway section itself from the top (for photography for example) would the SGA approach be a faster and easier (meaning fewer technical obstacles) way?

Jordan

[tanya]

Yes, I would not want to do the Subway this way. :nod:

Thanks!

Just to clarify... if I just wanted to access the Subway section itself from the top (for photography for example) would the SGA approach be a faster and easier (meaning fewer technical obstacles) way?

Jordan

I'm not sure on that since I have not gone that way, but it seems like it would be the long way to go though. If you want to avoid all obstacles and just see the Subway, Cascades and such then just follow this route description. :nod:

http://www.zionnational-park.com/left-fork-north-creek.htm

It's a beautiful place to photograph!

http://www.zionnational-park.com/images/album2/images/z-subway-a_jpg.jpg


http://www.zionnational-park.com/images/album2/images/z-subway-g_jpg.jpg

http://www.zionnational-park.com/images/album2/images/z-subway-l_jpg.jpg

more..

http://www.zionnational-park.com/images/album2/index58.htm

[gootwan]

Thanks Tanya. Once again, great pictures!

I've actually done the Subway top down a few times and was just wondering if there was a quicker way to access from the top. I love the section just above the Subway proper, which is not accessible from the bottom up approach. I never knew the Northgate Peaks trail could be extended all the way to the Left Fork.

Thanks again for all the info.

Jordan

[DiscGo]

I already know what some of you are thinking about that profile! :roflol: :naughty:

:roflol:

[tanya]

Thanks Tanya. Once again, great pictures!

I've actually done the Subway top down a few times and was just wondering if there was a quicker way to access from the top. I love the section just above the Subway proper, which is not accessible from the bottom up approach. I never knew the Northgate Peaks trail could be extended all the way to the Left Fork.

Thanks again for all the info.

Jordan

The South Guardian Angel route is one of the longest dang hikes I have done in Zion! --- but getting to the Subway part is not all that bad. I just have no idea how far it is from there to the parts of the Subway you would want to photograph. Where you come into the river though is a wonderful cubby hole type of arch. I bet Bo knows though! Last I heard he is busy doing honey-do's right now. :popcorn: You could email him and he would reply I bet!

Do we get to see some of your Subway shots? :popcorn:

Bo's Email
bobeck @ zionnational-park.com

[gootwan]

Do we get to see some of your Subway shots? :popcorn:

Ha! Embarrassingly, they are all on Fuji Velvia slides packed away in a box somewhere.

I used to shoot a lot of slides back before my kids were born but have not done much since digital took over. Just point and shoot stuff. Hoping to get a nice digital SLR soon cuz I really want to start it up again.

And its been about 10 yrs since I've done the Subway so I'm excited to see her again as well. Maybe sometime this summer...

Thanks for the Bo referral!

Jordan

[tanya]

Good Luck getting back out there. Digital makes putting stuff on the net so nice! When you get it you will be an addict... like us. :haha:

[Bo_Beck]

Great pics! Looks like a fun one...

Question- About how much faster is the SGA approach to the Left Fork than the tradition Subway approach? I'm wondering if it would be preferable to access the Subway that way. Which Left Fork obstacles/features are bypassed?

Thanks!

Jordan

Jordan, the approach isn't faster unless you know exactly where to go, and even at that it probably wouldn't save much time? The only obstacles that are bypassed would be the first boulder "downclimb,rappel,handline, chimney drop" and the first "wading pools".

Here is the route description Tanya and I wrote with GPS coordinates.
http://www.zionnational-park.com/guardian-angel.htm

And here is a map showing the route.
http://www.zionnational-park.com/map-guardian-angel.htm

I wouldn't recommend this route as an entry into the "Subway", but it does shorten the miles hiked if your goal is South Guardian.

Bo

[gootwan]

Great pics! Looks like a fun one...

Question- About how much faster is the SGA approach to the Left Fork than the tradition Subway approach? I'm wondering if it would be preferable to access the Subway that way. Which Left Fork obstacles/features are bypassed?

Thanks!

Jordan

Jordan, the approach isn't faster unless you know exactly where to go, and even at that it probably wouldn't save much time? The only obstacles that are bypassed would be the first boulder "downclimb,rappel,handline, chimney drop" and the first "wading pools".

Here is the route description Tanya and I wrote with GPS coordinates.
http://www.zionnational-park.com/guardian-angel.htm

And here is a map showing the route.
http://www.zionnational-park.com/map-guardian-angel.htm

I wouldn't recommend this route as an entry into the "Subway", but it does shorten the miles hiked if your goal is South Guardian.

Bo

Cool, Bo... thanks!

Jordan