Robbers Roost is not so isolated any more

[qedcook]

Went to the Roost and the North Wash this weekend.

We saw 15-20 cars out in the Roost this weekend. I've been going there in the fall/winter/spring for four or five years and have never seen more than 3-5 cars. All the campgrounds at the north wash were taken so we politely asked the people at leprachuan if we could set up a tent fifty feet up the dirt road. They told us to take a hike. Luckily the folks at blarney were much more polite.

Is this a good thing for the growth of the sport or a bad thing that's turning more remote places like the Roost into the next Zion, with all the terrible canyoneers (terrible in more ways than one, ie. littering, cigarette butts next to dead sagebrush, ticking off local land owners, inexperienced, unprepared, etc)?

[PG Rob]

Did you end up doing Alcatraz?

[MPH]

That is why I have always stayed away of the North Wash area, for the most part...just right off the road. Not sure who you are going to run into when it's right off a highway. The times that I have been out to the main Roost area, Burr Pass, NFRR area, Hans Flat, etc. I have always run into great people. Sorry you had a tough time down there...give it another try:) I have had the same feeling at times about the Swell. Then, one time I will go down there and not see another person. Go figure...

[DWayne27]

We only saw a few cars all of Thursday and Friday this weekend, and no one was hiking/canyoneering the same places we were. However, on Saturday as we were headed out, we probably passed at least 8 cars coming in to the Larry/Alcatraz area.

[qedcook]

Did you end up doing Alcatraz?

Yeah, excellent as always. Sorry, forgot to give you a status update. There are three ankle deep pools and a couple of sections with little puddles on the ground. One of us was able to keep our feet dry, but two were not. The pothole anchor was in good condition, and no water in that pothole. We got out to the very edge of the canyon with the chevy malibu without hitting bottom.

[Wasatch]

The last 4 years way more people are showing up at North Wash, but it depends on what days your there also. Watch out for new people to canyoneering because of 127 Hours for sure.

[Scott P]

I've been going there in the fall/winter/spring for four or five years and have never seen more than 3-5 cars.


Times are changin'.

When we used to go to the Roost, we would almost always see zero cars. Even at times like Easter weekend. It was the same way until not that long ago either; even up to the mid or even late 1990's you would hardly see anyone. Even when doing canyons such as Bluejohn (1990's) and Larry (March 2000), it seemed pretty isolated out there.

Same goes for places like the San Rafael Swell and even Cedar Mesa (minus Grand Gulch and Fish and Owl Creeks) in the 1980's.

As kids, we even went to some "secret places" in the with the Sierra Club. One of those secret places was Little Wildhorse Canyon (early to mid 1980's). There was never a soul out there (and we always went on holiday weekends).

I was young, but I still remember how utterly remote the Black Box felt when did it in 1981. I was seven and my brother was five, but we both remember it pretty well. We had our uncle with us who is about 6'10" and was very usefull getting us across the deep pools.

Around that time, it was a bit challenging navigating the roads and finding the correct turnoffs in the Swell because none of the maps available showed I-70.

More people aren't always that bad though. In the early 1980's our AMC Pacer broke down in the West Desert somewhere west of Topaz Mountain. My uncle had to walk quite a ways before finding a miner that came and helped us out. Another breakdown was at the mouth of Eardly Canyon in the 1980's. Luckily it isn't that far from the highway and it was walkable. If we had broken down in say around Hidden Splendor or Tomsich Butte, you could wait for weeks before anyone else passed and it was a really long walk out.

More people getting out and excersizing is a good thing too.

[PG Rob]

Thanks for the update.

[Matt Lemke]

Weird...When I was out there for 5 days early last week we didn't see a single soul or car around Upper Chute, Hidden Splendor/Quandry, Happy Canyon and we only saw 1 other family hiking Little Wild Horse/Bell.
It felt pretty remote to me especially when we were at Hidden Splendor and descended Quandry Canyon

[ExpUt]

Recreating closer to home and more 'budget' vacations are an obvious trend related to the current economy. Combine that with an increased awareness for not only the outdoors and recreation but particular locations such as Horseshoe Canyon... its no surprise that your seeing more people in once secluded spots. The 4x4 industry has seen a similar trend, rather than bulk numbers heading to Moab proper for a week of 4-wheeling, they are heading to the Swell or the West Desert, or the Maze. Any they are no longer in a $50k+ purpose built 'rock-crawler' they are recreating in their family commuter, their Toyota 4Runner or Suburban. Again I think its a combination of the economic times and more awareness of this great state, some for good, some for bad.

Urban recreation areas are being influxed the hardest, places like Millcreek Canyon (hiking, biking), American Fork Canyon (OHV, equestrian) and Five Mile Pass, its rare to even have a weekday when the parking lots are not somewhat crowded and unfortunately with increased numbers you have an increase in apathetic users that don't have any vested interest in staying on the trail, packing out their own trash or leaving historical spots as they were.

[Iceaxe]

^^^ Great Post ^^^

[ratagonia]

Recreating closer to home and more 'budget' vacations are an obvious trend related to the current economy. Combine that with an increased awareness for not only the outdoors and recreation but particular locations such as Horseshoe Canyon... its no surprise that your seeing more people in once secluded spots. The 4x4 industry has seen a similar trend, rather than bulk numbers heading to Moab proper for a week of 4-wheeling, they are heading to the Swell or the West Desert, or the Maze. Any they are no longer in a $50k+ purpose built 'rock-crawler' they are recreating in their family commuter, their Toyota 4Runner or Suburban. Again I think its a combination of the economic times and more awareness of this great state, some for good, some for bad.

Urban recreation areas are being influxed the hardest, places like Millcreek Canyon (hiking, biking), American Fork Canyon (OHV, equestrian) and Five Mile Pass, its rare to even have a weekday when the parking lots are not somewhat crowded and unfortunately with increased numbers you have an increase in apathetic users that don't have any vested interest in staying on the trail, packing out their own trash or leaving historical spots as they were.

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