Right Fork of the North Creek in Zion

[TommyBoy]

I have a friend coming out this summer who wants to see Zion and he loves hiking, but he hates heights so most canyon routes are out. I was thinking of taking him through right fork since it has a lot of hiking and you get to see some amazing scenery. If the drops aren't too tall and there aren't a lot of them I think I might be able to convince him of this trip, unfortunately there isn't a lot of detailed data on this canyon. I don't want to promise him something and then get halfway through and have him freak out on me because I was wrong. A rough estimate on the number of raps and how tall they are would be great.

[ratagonia]

I have a friend coming out this summer who wants to see Zion and he loves hiking, but he hates heights so most canyon routes are out. I was thinking of taking him through right fork since it has a lot of hiking and you get to see some amazing scenery. If the drops aren't too tall and there aren't a lot of them I think I might be able to convince him of this trip, unfortunately there isn't a lot of detailed data on this canyon. I don't want to promise him something and then get halfway through and have him freak out on me because I was wrong. A rough estimate on the number of raps and how tall they are would be great.

A bunch of stuff here: http://www.canyoneeringcentral.com/canyon-guide/zion/technical/right-fork-from-the-top.html

For someone with acrophobia, the freakiest part would be downclimbing at the end of the silver staircase (Giant's Staircase?) to get into the Right Fork again. Pretty exposed slab climbing with few actual holds/features. The route has a few raps - longest probably barrier falls.

So, I gotta advise against.

Tom

[spinesnaper]

Totally agree with Tom. The right fork is incredibly beautiful but still not a place the someone afraid of heights. However, down hiking the Virgin river is spectacular, rugged, and no rappels.

Ken

[TommyBoy]

Thanks for the info, and I've actually been to that site, I love it. It just doesn't have many details on how many and what the drops are like in that route. My brother has done the hike and he's the one who suggested I take my friend on it, but he's not real reliable when it comes to that sort of info, which is why i wanted a second opinion. Sounds like its not for my friend though.

[Kishkumen]

I have been down Right Fork twice and enjoyed it very much. The longest rap is about 80 feet and it seemed like there were about 6 raps (most of them were short and very enjoyable). Right fork has a lot of hiking and not a lot of canyoneering. It is a beautiful canyon but you need to know how to read a Topo map well. I have gone down the staircase on both trips but I have heard there is a nice slot if you stay toward the West rim wall. Right fork requires two nights and a full three days hiking. I notice you are in Salem, I live in Woodland hills if you want more beta.

[tanya]

How about something like Orderville.

[trackrunner]

It just doesn't have many details on how many and what the drops are like in that route.

sometimes that is the point, just enough detail to get there & not kill your self, but not enough to let someone actually explore & work to get it.

good luck you've had some good suggestions now.

[mattandersao]

Hike the right fork from the bottom up, turn around at barrier falls?

[TommyBoy]

sometimes that is the point, just enough detail to get there & not kill your self, but not enough to let someone actually explore & work to get it.

good luck you've had some good suggestions now.

If it was just me that would be fine, I love the sport and while i'm still a beginner/intermediate right fork isn't a tough canyon and the route finding is part of the thrill. As I said though, I wanted to take a friend who wasn't really sure if he wanted to go or not and so I was hoping to get more details to let him know exactly what was involved so he could make a more informed decision. I wouldn't exactly say he has a phobia of heights, he has been rappelling before and did alright, he just isn't really fond of it. I was thinking that if there weren't too many drops and they weren't too tall he might consider doing it since he loves backpacking, and the scenery is amazing on that route. I'm not looking for a step by step walkthrough, just some info on the drops.

[spinesnaper]

The right fork is not so technical from a purely canyoneering stand point. What makes the right fork tough is that for the entire course of the hike, the country is very rugged and demands a very high level of navigational competence. The probability of running into anyone out there is very low so you are on your own. So while the down climbs and rappels are not overwhelming and overall the course of travel is straight forward, I would not underestimate this corridor. The issue is that you will be burning daylight micro-navigating. Here is my trip report from 2010:

http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthread.php?40856-Zion-Right-Fork-Trip-Report

Ken

[TommyBoy]

I think people are misunderstanding my problem here, and partly that might be my fault. I understand that there is a significant issue with route finding if you're not careful and I am prepared for that, I know how to read a map and I'm not looking for a word for word walkthrough the canyon. I have read what info is out there and i'm sure we could find the route without too much trouble, and when I asked for info on the drops i didn't mean an exact count with people taking a tape measure to tell me how high within a 1/4" the drops were, just rough estimates. For example something like there are approximately x number of drops the highest is y' tall and most of them fall in the a' to b' range. It doesn't need to be exact just a range to let my friend gauge whether he wants to tough it out or not. My friend can handle heights he just doesn't like them, if there aren't too many and they aren't too tall I think he would really enjoy this route.

[spinesnaper]

No we appreciate that. I personally suspect you will have a great time in there. Your friend might too.

On the other hand, if you have ever taken someone past their comfort point and still need them to function like a competent human being, it ain't pretty. It sounds like you are trying to find a memorable trip for your friend without freaking him out. If he competently rappels, the raps in the right fork should be ok.

If he has an issue with exposure, the Grand Stair Case will most definitely be a problem. You might be able to overcome that by belaying your buddy down these steep, exposed, but not difficult slabs. As I recall, it is just class 3 but with a nice sense of exposure. To me, if someone is unhappy with exposure, this is precisely the kind of thing that is going to induce a sense of vertigo. Insurmountable? You are the one who is going to be responsible for your friend's safety and need to make this call.

As Brigadier-General Chuck Yeager, the test pilot said:“If you want to grow old as a pilot, you've got to know when to push it, and when to back off.” Unfortunately, that decision is not one we can make for you. Generally, here at Bogley, if you ask the community if you should do something, the most conservative thing to recommend is to come back another day when the skills of your team are stronger. Are you and your buddy ready? We have to presume that if you need to pose this question in one form or another, the answer is probably no. Just sayin'.

Ken

[ratagonia]

Generally, here at Bogley, if you ask the community if you should do something, the most conservative thing to recommend is to come back another day when the skills of your team are stronger. Are you and your buddy ready? We have to presume that if you need to pose this question in one form or another, the answer is probably no. Just saying'.

Ken

:2thumbs:

And if you complain about the answer you get...

Tom :moses:

[TommyBoy]

Well I can't say I agree with you, but I will apologize for letting my sense of entitlement rear its head and whining about the refusal.