John Morrow
04-25-2013, 09:18 AM
72157633236772988
It was so convenient just staying in the campground (if a pricey $16), with Springdale right there, that I decided there was too much still to do to leave for anywhere else. So I did three more hikes.
April 12: Hidden and Echo Canyons
This was my only day on maintained trails in the main canyon. I really like the shuttle system as long as you are not short of time. I left the campground at 11:30, I think. I wanted to get back into so narrow canyons without a big effort and this fit the bill. First I took the paved and blasted East Rim/Hidden Canyon Trails into Hidden Canyon and continued on beyond until it was time to turn around at a very steep boulder field. To this point, though, there was some fun obstructions to work over and around that satisfied my appetite to be in a tight canyon.
http://static.flickr.com/8397/8644667975_7cd76028ae_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8102/8645766994_07cab5f6c0_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8537/8644666517_0f9a143c63_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8525/8644667875_5ecba99354_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8546/8644667957_2634128532_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8544/8644667903_5c9f4783c5_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8385/8645766852_cf01f5e35c_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8255/8644667733_d7cabd96e4_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8241/8644667725_d5af116082_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8249/8645766780_6e2f491f2a_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8246/8645767340_412f327e87_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8099/8645767308_af61449548_m.jpg
Then I returned to the main trail and took it to Echo Canyon where I hoped to be able to enter the Echo Canyon slot from the bottom and take it upstream to the final rappel pour off.
http://static.flickr.com/8264/8644668157_c7cc60d017_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8265/8645765734_6fc19f0cb8_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8543/8644668117_2eef0f32a1_m.jpg
Turns our it was full of deep cold water, very cold. I even tried entering from the middle and top below the maintained trail but each time I could only get in a short distance. Still beautiful, though.
http://static.flickr.com/8536/8645767136_fefbfa3383_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8381/8644666523_5af6075b42_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8264/8645767162_6c3dcc6532_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8405/8645767090_efbcd85cac_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8102/8645767128_112135bcee_m.jpg
April 13, 2013: Mount Kinesava, 7285'
At one of the mountain/canyoneering shops in Springdale a young guide gave me great information on how to find the only non-technical route up Mt. Kinesava. This turned out to be real fun. It was even clear to me that it must have been used by ancestral puebloans for over 1000 years since there were petroglyphs near the base of the summit block! At one point the only feasible route must cross a five foot wide easy ledge. It was powerful to contemplate ancient's footsteps across this. Here's my attempt at detailed description. Email me for more details.
Description:
1. Go to Chinle Wash TH and hike to second subdivision road crossing (ask NPS for specifics about the private property)
2. Cross paved road and enter wash.
3. Take the right fork 100 yards up where the wash splits. This takes you up to the ridge with a tread on it.
4. Take the ridges to the base of the vertical SE wall.
5. Upward right traverse on tread just below and along the big wall (face)
6. Return to the wall base at a gully and ascend gully (short class 3 unexposed). Two giant orange pillars on crest above you.
7. Leave gully top and continue rising traverse through junipers on a broad slope. This brings you to the key ledge.
8. Cross key ledge and climb a second class 3 gully/short chimney (pictured)
9. Angle up again on rising traverse, on tread, with notch ahead.
10. One last class 3 step in another short gully to reach notch.
11. Climb onto high plateau and walk the meadow to the summit block.
12. Fun easy scramble on ledgy, gentle slabs to summit!
Go do it if you like peak scrambling: interesting routefinding, fun easy class 3 scrambling on occasion, and a couple spots of neat safe exposure.
http://static.flickr.com/8099/8651655657_77fe83228b_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8119/8647149352_c60483dd2e_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8125/8646053567_d6d759f083_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8530/8646053859_9d83707b95_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8381/8647150092_3b4dd6d0a4_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8242/8647152334_bb92f0da3f_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8401/8647150584_1b9cd36168_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8526/8646054621_b947a4a74e_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8110/8647150944_cf6d193afa_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8530/8647150990_01e6a567de_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8239/8646055229_de69191d84_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8519/8646053087_b742a08af1_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8529/8647151286_9c27874cdd_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8249/8646055831_00a774ee62_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8532/8647151934_07646f1d37_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8391/8646056337_9b4228f36c_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8111/8646056599_7f3f0fd593_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8111/8647152822_db21c4811c_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8102/8646053409_db7c5b707b_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8113/8647153100_63c7bf8c98_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8124/8647153768_ab8668c227_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8123/8646057407_dc8a9a8724_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8114/8646057759_b04d370d2a_m.jpg
April 14: Gifford Canyon explorations
Gifford is a canyon named on the park map that enters Pine Creek right at the Mt Carmel east tunnel turret staffed by rangers. Park there and walk down to Pine Creek. Gifford enters Pine at a pour off so scramble up to the upcanyon left on a trail and reenter Gifford. It in itself wasn't a very special canyon but the stuff beyond was magical!
http://static.flickr.com/8265/8651654839_8457533a76_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8115/8651425223_e3e7605209_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8115/8652524864_43958c1541_m.jpg
I took Gifford about 2 miles to the end at a deep pool in a obviously impassable constriction. I backtracked 100 yards and climbed the slickrock bowl to the west. The was slickrock heaven! It lead me to a pure slickrock bowl and saddle beneath two peaks I viewed the prior day from Mt. Kinesava.
http://static.flickr.com/8113/8651425473_8f49c93acb_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8395/8652524760_4187092c60_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8406/8651425159_4e6a5d9578_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8520/8651425827_9919c6a94c_m.jpg
They were right there so what the hey, why not???
First I scrambled the northwest side of Roof Peak 6542' (as named by the peakbagging community here). Fun solid sandstone class 2 walk. back down to the saddle and up Hepworth Peak 6548', more class 2 slab.
Here I decided for some more challenge and began a tricky class 4 descent of Hepworth's steep northeast bowl/face. I almost pulled out my 7 mil 90 foot emergency rope to wrap around the one pine on the NE ridge but found my way, carefully, down along little ledges in the face. Whew! Exciting, and would make a great ascent, but more than I like to descend. Oh well, still fun and it put me in one of the most amazing slickrock bowls I have seen. Would be fantastic camping.
http://static.flickr.com/8260/8651425373_4f9dc4ec89_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8108/8651425777_63c3272f43_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8539/8652525172_f42d5ce37f_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8544/8652524648_3cc52577ef_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8241/8652525126_437840d88b_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8103/8651425271_d504339cec_m.jpg
This descent also put me in a different slickrock bowl aiming into Gifford Canyon for my return as a short loop. Fun stuff.
http://static.flickr.com/8122/8651425647_f22f528d66_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8530/8652525170_98a688aa7a_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8108/8652524920_1f2a6e78b6_m.jpg
Now a day of rest, resupply, and travel to someplace else as I am tapped out on Zion!
It was so convenient just staying in the campground (if a pricey $16), with Springdale right there, that I decided there was too much still to do to leave for anywhere else. So I did three more hikes.
April 12: Hidden and Echo Canyons
This was my only day on maintained trails in the main canyon. I really like the shuttle system as long as you are not short of time. I left the campground at 11:30, I think. I wanted to get back into so narrow canyons without a big effort and this fit the bill. First I took the paved and blasted East Rim/Hidden Canyon Trails into Hidden Canyon and continued on beyond until it was time to turn around at a very steep boulder field. To this point, though, there was some fun obstructions to work over and around that satisfied my appetite to be in a tight canyon.
http://static.flickr.com/8397/8644667975_7cd76028ae_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8102/8645766994_07cab5f6c0_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8537/8644666517_0f9a143c63_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8525/8644667875_5ecba99354_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8546/8644667957_2634128532_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8544/8644667903_5c9f4783c5_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8385/8645766852_cf01f5e35c_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8255/8644667733_d7cabd96e4_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8241/8644667725_d5af116082_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8249/8645766780_6e2f491f2a_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8246/8645767340_412f327e87_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8099/8645767308_af61449548_m.jpg
Then I returned to the main trail and took it to Echo Canyon where I hoped to be able to enter the Echo Canyon slot from the bottom and take it upstream to the final rappel pour off.
http://static.flickr.com/8264/8644668157_c7cc60d017_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8265/8645765734_6fc19f0cb8_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8543/8644668117_2eef0f32a1_m.jpg
Turns our it was full of deep cold water, very cold. I even tried entering from the middle and top below the maintained trail but each time I could only get in a short distance. Still beautiful, though.
http://static.flickr.com/8536/8645767136_fefbfa3383_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8381/8644666523_5af6075b42_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8264/8645767162_6c3dcc6532_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8405/8645767090_efbcd85cac_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8102/8645767128_112135bcee_m.jpg
April 13, 2013: Mount Kinesava, 7285'
At one of the mountain/canyoneering shops in Springdale a young guide gave me great information on how to find the only non-technical route up Mt. Kinesava. This turned out to be real fun. It was even clear to me that it must have been used by ancestral puebloans for over 1000 years since there were petroglyphs near the base of the summit block! At one point the only feasible route must cross a five foot wide easy ledge. It was powerful to contemplate ancient's footsteps across this. Here's my attempt at detailed description. Email me for more details.
Description:
1. Go to Chinle Wash TH and hike to second subdivision road crossing (ask NPS for specifics about the private property)
2. Cross paved road and enter wash.
3. Take the right fork 100 yards up where the wash splits. This takes you up to the ridge with a tread on it.
4. Take the ridges to the base of the vertical SE wall.
5. Upward right traverse on tread just below and along the big wall (face)
6. Return to the wall base at a gully and ascend gully (short class 3 unexposed). Two giant orange pillars on crest above you.
7. Leave gully top and continue rising traverse through junipers on a broad slope. This brings you to the key ledge.
8. Cross key ledge and climb a second class 3 gully/short chimney (pictured)
9. Angle up again on rising traverse, on tread, with notch ahead.
10. One last class 3 step in another short gully to reach notch.
11. Climb onto high plateau and walk the meadow to the summit block.
12. Fun easy scramble on ledgy, gentle slabs to summit!
Go do it if you like peak scrambling: interesting routefinding, fun easy class 3 scrambling on occasion, and a couple spots of neat safe exposure.
http://static.flickr.com/8099/8651655657_77fe83228b_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8119/8647149352_c60483dd2e_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8125/8646053567_d6d759f083_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8530/8646053859_9d83707b95_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8381/8647150092_3b4dd6d0a4_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8242/8647152334_bb92f0da3f_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8401/8647150584_1b9cd36168_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8526/8646054621_b947a4a74e_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8110/8647150944_cf6d193afa_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8530/8647150990_01e6a567de_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8239/8646055229_de69191d84_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8519/8646053087_b742a08af1_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8529/8647151286_9c27874cdd_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8249/8646055831_00a774ee62_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8532/8647151934_07646f1d37_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8391/8646056337_9b4228f36c_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8111/8646056599_7f3f0fd593_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8111/8647152822_db21c4811c_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8102/8646053409_db7c5b707b_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8113/8647153100_63c7bf8c98_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8124/8647153768_ab8668c227_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8123/8646057407_dc8a9a8724_m.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8114/8646057759_b04d370d2a_m.jpg
April 14: Gifford Canyon explorations
Gifford is a canyon named on the park map that enters Pine Creek right at the Mt Carmel east tunnel turret staffed by rangers. Park there and walk down to Pine Creek. Gifford enters Pine at a pour off so scramble up to the upcanyon left on a trail and reenter Gifford. It in itself wasn't a very special canyon but the stuff beyond was magical!
http://static.flickr.com/8265/8651654839_8457533a76_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8115/8651425223_e3e7605209_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8115/8652524864_43958c1541_m.jpg
I took Gifford about 2 miles to the end at a deep pool in a obviously impassable constriction. I backtracked 100 yards and climbed the slickrock bowl to the west. The was slickrock heaven! It lead me to a pure slickrock bowl and saddle beneath two peaks I viewed the prior day from Mt. Kinesava.
http://static.flickr.com/8113/8651425473_8f49c93acb_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8395/8652524760_4187092c60_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8406/8651425159_4e6a5d9578_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8520/8651425827_9919c6a94c_m.jpg
They were right there so what the hey, why not???
First I scrambled the northwest side of Roof Peak 6542' (as named by the peakbagging community here). Fun solid sandstone class 2 walk. back down to the saddle and up Hepworth Peak 6548', more class 2 slab.
Here I decided for some more challenge and began a tricky class 4 descent of Hepworth's steep northeast bowl/face. I almost pulled out my 7 mil 90 foot emergency rope to wrap around the one pine on the NE ridge but found my way, carefully, down along little ledges in the face. Whew! Exciting, and would make a great ascent, but more than I like to descend. Oh well, still fun and it put me in one of the most amazing slickrock bowls I have seen. Would be fantastic camping.
http://static.flickr.com/8260/8651425373_4f9dc4ec89_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8108/8651425777_63c3272f43_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8539/8652525172_f42d5ce37f_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8544/8652524648_3cc52577ef_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8241/8652525126_437840d88b_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8103/8651425271_d504339cec_m.jpg
This descent also put me in a different slickrock bowl aiming into Gifford Canyon for my return as a short loop. Fun stuff.
http://static.flickr.com/8122/8651425647_f22f528d66_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8530/8652525170_98a688aa7a_m.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/8108/8652524920_1f2a6e78b6_m.jpg
Now a day of rest, resupply, and travel to someplace else as I am tapped out on Zion!