Echo Status?

[Felicia]

Right now Echo is closed until July 24th. Is Echo going to ever open this year? Is it getting close to opening?

[trackrunner]

I bet no one has gone to check and see if the snow has melted. I bet it has by now.

FYI the best place to scout and see if the snow has melted out is to hike up from the bottom up canyon. if the snow is gone deep into the canyon it should be safe.

[DarkSideDan]

backcountry desk said rangers went in a few days go and there is still tons of snow

[trackrunner]

wow thanks for the update

[ratagonia]

I bet no one has gone to check and see if the snow has melted. I bet it has by now.

FYI the best place to scout and see if the snow has melted out is to hike up from the bottom up canyon. if the snow is gone deep into the canyon it should be safe.

I meandered up to see how the melt-out was progressing in Middle Echo Canyon, this morning. With all this hot weather, seems like it should be getting close to ready to open.

Arriving at the canyon crossing on the trail, I was not too surprised to find the pools full and flowing slightly (maybe 1/10 cfs). I pulled on a wet suit and plunged in to the cooling water. Seemed to go pretty well with only one largish snow chunk up into the "Echo Chamber", and then after about 30 minutes of climbing upcanyon, the first serious obstacle was encountered. In a narrow section, several very large chunks of snow/ice were pinned 20 feet above the canyon floor, dripping furiously, and perhaps 50 feet long. Passage beneath was easy.

A few minutes past that, the way was blocked by a 20 foot tall plug of snow on the canyon bottom, and broken into chunks and re-frozen. I considered climbing past this section, but could see some broken down trees in the canyon above this, and felt I was still quite a ways from the last rappel. I was also solo, so pushing the envelope was not in the equation. I turned around here.

There were 2-3 swims in icewater to get that far.

My suspicion is that the hanging chunks are melting out fast, and could fall at any time. But, looks to me like 1 to 2 to 3 weeks before it melts out enough to be "visitor-friendly". I suspect that hard-core canyoneers could make there way through using tools such as ice axes and avalanche shovels - but since I did not make it to the last rappel, it is hard to say. The next section of the canyon above where I stopped is quite narrow, and there were tips of big pine trees sticking up, suggesting the canyon may be blocked with both snow and with tree debris.

Tom Jones
Mt Carmel UT

[Felicia]

Thanks guys - looks like Echo on Saturday is not going to happen.