Wire Pass to Buckskin conditions?

[MojaveGeek]

Hi, first time post here, though I have been enjoying southern UT whenever I can for a good 20 years, and I help mod the Yahoo Zion group.

Anyway, because of the construction, I'm not hiking around East Zion as planned in a couple of weeks, but using the opportunity to explore a bit further east. I intend to day hike Wire Pass and down Buckskin a ways (watching weather forecasts for sure). I've heard a wide range of reports, or non-reports, on two "obstacles" between the Wire Pass trailhead and the confluence. Knowing that conditions change year to year, I wonder if anyone can comment on recent conditions? In particular, is there any spot where I might want to leave a rope in place for the hike back out?

Many thanks!

[Iceaxe]

Welcome to Bogley :2thumbs:

I haven't been recently, but the obstacles in Wire Pass are never a major issue

The only obstacle that sometimes requires a rope is located at the lower end of Buckskin and is known as "The Rockfall". And last report I heard said "The Rabbit Hole" was open through the rockfall. The rabbit holes allows you to easily climb under the rockfall without a rope, but it opens and closes with each flash flood.

Buckskin Gulch
http://climb-utah.com/Escalante/buckskin.htm

http://climb-utah.com/Escalante/Files/buckskin6.jpg

[Cirrus2000]

I don't know the current conditions, but here's a photo of the rockfall area from below. On the left is some webbing set up to downclimb the fall. On the right is a set of steps carved for down (or up) climbing:

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_O_8PLe3Zn6g/SQ3UMyLLPtI/AAAAAAAADlU/UiNhwsNnb9U/s640/IMGP2703.JPG

I don't know where the "rabbit hole" comes out in this area. This being the technical crux, I'd consider having enough webbing along to fix the left side (if it's missing). If the rabbit hole is passable, then there should be no need to fix anything for a hike back up and out.

[MojaveGeek]

Thank you for the welcome - should have signed up a long time ago. And for the info. Photos are great. I was looking at the climb-utah site; thanks a lot for doing the work to put up such a nice site!

[accadacca]

Welcome. Great to have ya. Stick around and tell your friends. :2thumbs:

[MojaveGeek]

To close the loop here, went through a few weeks ago, conditions were quite wet due to recent flashes in both Wirepass as well as Buckskin, lots of quicksand in Buckskin. Wirepass has one 5 foot overhanging drop with chockstone. The walls are narrow enough that you can chimney back up but with the muddy sand it was just a bit of work. If I went down alone I'd be happy to have a run of webbing in case I needed some hand help on the way back. (for dayhike in and out via Wirepass).

And the road would be really awful when wet, as we learned with just a few puddles.

The confluence is a really beautiful place! Thanks for the advice.

[hikemasterpa]

I've been thru Wirepass a few times, any chance you can post a picture of that 5 foot overhang and chokestone?

[MojaveGeek]

Sorry, I managed to not take a pic of it, I guess I was concentrating on whether we'd be able to get back out. My wife got out with no trouble without assist but my son and I appreciated a bit of a butt boost. Now he's short, and I'm fat, so that's why she went last. We did confirm that she could climb out solo before we all dropped down.

My sense from reading prior posts is that this may come and go depending on recent water flows. There was a note about it on the board at the Paria BLM station.