Water Canyon Squirrel Canyon loop help?

[Rented mule]

http://usera.ImageCave.com/mochajo/hikingaround/IMG_3765.JPG

Hi! I just hiked up water canyon the other weekend looking for the connector to make the loop and come back down squirrel canyon.
I got up top and ran into a Zion climbing paid guide w/ group who was busy rapelling his group down into a little creek bottom.
I sat up there and saw no way to move on.
So, when I got up above the canyon end, how do you go to get up on top?
Seemed the trail ended? help?

See in the picture above? See the slickrock all the way across the canyon and short creek? I want to try and make it to there. So, should I go from
Squirrel Canyon side? Up short creek? and once on top head around to the north and move along the eastern rim?
That shot is looking straight down water canyon across to the east.
anyone ever been up on that huge slickrock area?

[tanya]

Check these out and see if they help

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

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


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

[Rented mule]

Yeehaw! Thanks, Tanya! You rock!! :mrgreen:
I will go up there and mess around for a day, discovering. Then, maybe figure out a way to get over to the place of slickrock dirrectly to the east,
calles the cliffs on your topo Utah map.

Thanks so much! Can't wait
Cheers! jerry

Here's my cactus pics of Water Canyon.

http://usera.imagecave.com/mochajo/hikingaround/

[tanya]

You are welcome Jerry :five:


Pretty pictures! things are blooming all over!

http://usera.imagecave.com/mochajo/hikingaround/IMG_3795.JPG

[trackrunner]

Hard to tell but it looks like you made it pretty far up Water Canyon. In places it looks like it dead ends look towards the left (looking up canyon) for a ledge that runs up canyon or switch backs up the side. Ledge is wide enough to walk on. After a little ways the trail can be seen again.

[erial]

I've only been up Water Canyon once, November 2004. Different trip reports mention a top rock. I do recall a standout rock formation upon emerging from Water Canyon, but I don't have a photo of it. The key for me was knowing to hook up with the pack/jeep trail that traverses Canaan. If you head north from the top of Water Canyon, you will eventually intersect that road. Once you reached the road, if you head left/west you will in the course of several miles arrive at the notch, the windlass, and sawmill springs. If you turn right/east on the road, you should first reach a social trail that'll head you to Water Canyon Arch or if you stay on the road, you should reach the trail down Squirrel Canyon. I say should because I've only gone left/east on the jeep road, but based on the Tanya/Bo description you ought not to have difficulty locating either.

Again, once you top out of Water Canyon, the organized trail will end and you'll have to make your way to the jeep road by slogging northward. There will be an initial downclimb, but mostly you'll be ascending. Some TRs mention White Domes as a landmark to head for. I didn't have that as a reference point, but it may prove helpful. I just headed up the slickrock slopes to the left of center on the following photo and continued north until I arrived at the jeep road.