John Morrow
04-25-2013, 09:10 AM
72157633236772988**Now with Maps**
Trying to find the routes less travelled in the crowded land of Zion. After leaving the roads, for the most part I have been seeing few people on some unmaintained routes and scrambles. A day or two has turned into almost a week!
April 9: Watchman Trail
I wasn't even planning on Zion for this trip but as I left Salt Lake I drove in snow the entire way on Tuesday. When the roads diverged, and it was decision time, I remembered that the Zion Campgrounds are at only 4000 feet. Glad I brought the Zion maps just in case! I arrived in time to basically catch muted evening light on the Watchman Trail, 3 mile RT, to an overlook of the campground.
http://static.flickr.com/8124/8644669859_a1fb0eaa44_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8381/8645769256_4e5a9f14f2_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8243/8644669811_2dc1f956fa_m.jpg
April 10: "Mountain of the Sun" 6723' scramble
On my way through the Kolob Visitor center a Park Service ranger gave me great route information on an exciting peak scramble. The enitre route was so cool, leaving the Zion-Mt Carmel Highway at the Pine Creek parking area. Such a neat approach hike, first, by going up Pine Creek, then climbing a slickrock bowl up to the northwest to the Spry Canyon divide. I then dropped into the Spry headwater and climbed to its' divide with Lodge Canyon. I descended Lodge Canyon to the base of the scramble route. Here I was greeted by more than a dozen bighorn sheep!!!
http://static.flickr.com/8110/8652754650_d276381bbe_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8125/8644669753_5cbef3b68d_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8252/8645763902_ca959b8c28_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8116/8644669705_966a57e6ee_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8108/8644664829_189d5c2f9c_m.jpg
The route is so great from here. It consisted of a fantastic low angle slickrock ramp southward at the base of the peak's east face to gain the saddle with Twin Brothers. Then I turned north and found an opposite trending ramp and shallow gully system trending north along the east face. Some Class 3 slab climbing here. It finished with an unexposed Class 4 gully with great positive holds and minimal exposure. A final gritty Class 3 SW rising traverse took me to the final walk to the summit. I'll post a topo of it later. It is so worth it!!!!
http://static.flickr.com/8122/8645768898_efc50b1bbc_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8116/8645768824_c18d325d10_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8118/8645768788_5e42055f71_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8240/8644669469_fec6b0fa8e_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8100/8644664737_82dd3e8b81_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8403/8644693689_2639888e84_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8533/8645763730_c6032ee19c_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8401/8645769728_6c80ca606b_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8245/8645769648_bd93bed52b_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8101/8644670325_8027082e2e_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8519/8644670279_c08e7221c9_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8530/8645769504_12f8474351_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8544/8644696033_0e2683ab37_m.jpg
Returning to Spry Canyon I descended and explored it until it got technical and I turned around at the rappel anchors. I reversed my route to the car and campground for relaxation in camp and planning of another day.
http://static.flickr.com/8538/8645764092_3a2c3c3ecb_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8254/8644670061_a8c26a1d07_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8239/8645769322_cb42ff169b_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8247/8644665041_cf53ea3440_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8389/8645763954_5ce390cf51_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8258/8645769268_703fdbaa16_m.jpg
April 11: Checkerboard Canyon to Parunuweep Barracks and Misery Slot
This route is described in Kelsey's "Non-Technical" Guide to Colorado Plateau. The Kolob ranger gave me more detailed info. What a helpful, experienced ranger he was.
Again on the Mt Carmel Hwy to start, I drove to a pullout at the base of Checkerboard Mesa and took its' western canyon edge to the Parunuweep divide.
http://static.flickr.com/8124/8652754880_7d80d17316_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8388/8645768094_ddc67c5f12_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8263/8645768030_8730cf8720_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8525/8645768036_67b1b28401_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8122/8644668751_18594182dd_m.jpg
At the divide a good tread and cairned route took me the whole 4 miles to the final gully descent into the East Fork Virgin River at the Parunuweep Narrows called "The Barracks". Again I hope to post a topo but email me for more details. Shoot for a small knoll at the base of the ridge that the trail descends. A sweet campsite in the saddle between the knoll and the main descending ridge marks the route. Here I dropped in the western gully out of the campsite saddle that put me right at the Powell Memorial Plaque meander.
http://static.flickr.com/8530/8644668699_780bf6c6bb_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8389/8644668673_2db714eb4e_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8247/8645767752_220ca48489_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8536/8644668493_05568aaba7_m.jpg
First I waded the river downstream to a log jam/chockstone impasse I could not pass through. Then I returned upstream through the Barracks to the mouth of Misery slot.
http://static.flickr.com/8393/8644668443_056fff442b_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8108/8645767638_13e7d65303_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8259/8645767552_1ce35f2a21_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8382/8644668351_be97bed57d_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8523/8645767588_0f103cc0e1_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8540/8645767444_9a950b326e_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8389/8645767402_12b312b6de_m.jpg
Then it was time to explore Misery slot as far as I could. I upclimbed the small flumes and waterfalls until it widened. Beyond I knew it had a rappel falls that I could not climb, and the pools got deep!
It was absolutely sublime! I have touched upon other slot canyons but this one was so tortuous I often could not even see sky. It even had twin arches to walk under!
I did sacrifice my binocs, unfortunately, not being able to negotiate a downclimb. I took a spill into a deep pool I attempted to back out around. A painless way to relearn the ," remember it is harder to downclimb sandstone than go up!" Fortunately, I tossed the camera onto a sandbar first.
http://static.flickr.com/8520/8645768600_e7fd092889_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8262/8645768588_f96c316f0d_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8264/8645768530_636445df37_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8402/8644669317_63cd49bcef_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8390/8645768468_802073ceea_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8385/8645768480_03031e242a_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8388/8645768448_6384d29c03_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8391/8644669235_f0e58b287c_m.jpg
Climbing back out I took the east gully, which Kelsey describes, back to the campsite knoll. Don't do it! (you will hear that often with regard to Kelsey) Go the plaque route I descended. Reversing the trail route to the car I detoured to view an arch, and attempt an alternate route out. I'll say which, ahem, didn't go. What a surprise, in this sandstone land of vertical faces.
http://static.flickr.com/8384/8645768488_8a129ebbbf_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8522/8644669155_de3dbfa1c4_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8261/8644669121_355dcb8c82_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8398/8645768232_4bce593e2e_m.jpg
The route back was just as enjoyable. Stay tuned for more, hopefully much more, from the land of slickrock to come!
Trying to find the routes less travelled in the crowded land of Zion. After leaving the roads, for the most part I have been seeing few people on some unmaintained routes and scrambles. A day or two has turned into almost a week!
April 9: Watchman Trail
I wasn't even planning on Zion for this trip but as I left Salt Lake I drove in snow the entire way on Tuesday. When the roads diverged, and it was decision time, I remembered that the Zion Campgrounds are at only 4000 feet. Glad I brought the Zion maps just in case! I arrived in time to basically catch muted evening light on the Watchman Trail, 3 mile RT, to an overlook of the campground.
http://static.flickr.com/8124/8644669859_a1fb0eaa44_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8381/8645769256_4e5a9f14f2_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8243/8644669811_2dc1f956fa_m.jpg
April 10: "Mountain of the Sun" 6723' scramble
On my way through the Kolob Visitor center a Park Service ranger gave me great route information on an exciting peak scramble. The enitre route was so cool, leaving the Zion-Mt Carmel Highway at the Pine Creek parking area. Such a neat approach hike, first, by going up Pine Creek, then climbing a slickrock bowl up to the northwest to the Spry Canyon divide. I then dropped into the Spry headwater and climbed to its' divide with Lodge Canyon. I descended Lodge Canyon to the base of the scramble route. Here I was greeted by more than a dozen bighorn sheep!!!
http://static.flickr.com/8110/8652754650_d276381bbe_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8125/8644669753_5cbef3b68d_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8252/8645763902_ca959b8c28_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8116/8644669705_966a57e6ee_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8108/8644664829_189d5c2f9c_m.jpg
The route is so great from here. It consisted of a fantastic low angle slickrock ramp southward at the base of the peak's east face to gain the saddle with Twin Brothers. Then I turned north and found an opposite trending ramp and shallow gully system trending north along the east face. Some Class 3 slab climbing here. It finished with an unexposed Class 4 gully with great positive holds and minimal exposure. A final gritty Class 3 SW rising traverse took me to the final walk to the summit. I'll post a topo of it later. It is so worth it!!!!
http://static.flickr.com/8122/8645768898_efc50b1bbc_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8116/8645768824_c18d325d10_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8118/8645768788_5e42055f71_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8240/8644669469_fec6b0fa8e_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8100/8644664737_82dd3e8b81_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8403/8644693689_2639888e84_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8533/8645763730_c6032ee19c_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8401/8645769728_6c80ca606b_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8245/8645769648_bd93bed52b_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8101/8644670325_8027082e2e_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8519/8644670279_c08e7221c9_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8530/8645769504_12f8474351_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8544/8644696033_0e2683ab37_m.jpg
Returning to Spry Canyon I descended and explored it until it got technical and I turned around at the rappel anchors. I reversed my route to the car and campground for relaxation in camp and planning of another day.
http://static.flickr.com/8538/8645764092_3a2c3c3ecb_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8254/8644670061_a8c26a1d07_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8239/8645769322_cb42ff169b_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8247/8644665041_cf53ea3440_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8389/8645763954_5ce390cf51_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8258/8645769268_703fdbaa16_m.jpg
April 11: Checkerboard Canyon to Parunuweep Barracks and Misery Slot
This route is described in Kelsey's "Non-Technical" Guide to Colorado Plateau. The Kolob ranger gave me more detailed info. What a helpful, experienced ranger he was.
Again on the Mt Carmel Hwy to start, I drove to a pullout at the base of Checkerboard Mesa and took its' western canyon edge to the Parunuweep divide.
http://static.flickr.com/8124/8652754880_7d80d17316_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8388/8645768094_ddc67c5f12_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8263/8645768030_8730cf8720_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8525/8645768036_67b1b28401_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8122/8644668751_18594182dd_m.jpg
At the divide a good tread and cairned route took me the whole 4 miles to the final gully descent into the East Fork Virgin River at the Parunuweep Narrows called "The Barracks". Again I hope to post a topo but email me for more details. Shoot for a small knoll at the base of the ridge that the trail descends. A sweet campsite in the saddle between the knoll and the main descending ridge marks the route. Here I dropped in the western gully out of the campsite saddle that put me right at the Powell Memorial Plaque meander.
http://static.flickr.com/8530/8644668699_780bf6c6bb_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8389/8644668673_2db714eb4e_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8247/8645767752_220ca48489_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8536/8644668493_05568aaba7_m.jpg
First I waded the river downstream to a log jam/chockstone impasse I could not pass through. Then I returned upstream through the Barracks to the mouth of Misery slot.
http://static.flickr.com/8393/8644668443_056fff442b_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8108/8645767638_13e7d65303_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8259/8645767552_1ce35f2a21_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8382/8644668351_be97bed57d_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8523/8645767588_0f103cc0e1_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8540/8645767444_9a950b326e_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8389/8645767402_12b312b6de_m.jpg
Then it was time to explore Misery slot as far as I could. I upclimbed the small flumes and waterfalls until it widened. Beyond I knew it had a rappel falls that I could not climb, and the pools got deep!
It was absolutely sublime! I have touched upon other slot canyons but this one was so tortuous I often could not even see sky. It even had twin arches to walk under!
I did sacrifice my binocs, unfortunately, not being able to negotiate a downclimb. I took a spill into a deep pool I attempted to back out around. A painless way to relearn the ," remember it is harder to downclimb sandstone than go up!" Fortunately, I tossed the camera onto a sandbar first.
http://static.flickr.com/8520/8645768600_e7fd092889_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8262/8645768588_f96c316f0d_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8264/8645768530_636445df37_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8402/8644669317_63cd49bcef_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8390/8645768468_802073ceea_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8385/8645768480_03031e242a_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8388/8645768448_6384d29c03_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8391/8644669235_f0e58b287c_m.jpg
Climbing back out I took the east gully, which Kelsey describes, back to the campsite knoll. Don't do it! (you will hear that often with regard to Kelsey) Go the plaque route I descended. Reversing the trail route to the car I detoured to view an arch, and attempt an alternate route out. I'll say which, ahem, didn't go. What a surprise, in this sandstone land of vertical faces.
http://static.flickr.com/8384/8645768488_8a129ebbbf_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8522/8644669155_de3dbfa1c4_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8261/8644669121_355dcb8c82_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8398/8645768232_4bce593e2e_m.jpg
The route back was just as enjoyable. Stay tuned for more, hopefully much more, from the land of slickrock to come!