Checkerboard Canyon

[Slot Machine]

Looking to put together a group of about 6 for Checkerboard on Saturday July 20th.

Requirements for participation:

5AM departure from Zion Adventure Company
$35 to pay for shuttle (NOT optional, you cheap bastards! :haha:)
Mad skills
Cheery disposition
Bogley membership :haha:
Celebratory dinner at Oscar's afterwards - MANDATORY! :cheers:

Send me a PM if you are interested.

Bob

[Iceaxe]

5 am start puts you hiking at 7 am, 12 to 13 hours in the canyon (with a group of 6 expect the 13 and maybe 14)..... so best case you hit the Temple of Sinawava at 8 pm, hour shuttle to Oscars means 9 pm....


Looks like you are on a tight schedule..... what time does Ocars close the grill?





The key to success with this route is to begin hiking with the first rays of morning sunlight. Any other start time and you are likely doomed to failure. Small fast moving groups of experienced canyoneers will have the best results when assaulting this canyon.

FWIW: some say there is not a good warm up for Heaps or Imlay in Zion, but I think Checkerboard is a good indicator. While the technical difficulties are below Heaps and Imlay, if you complete Checkerboard in a fast and effiecient manner it probably indicates you can handle the big boys.

:popcorn:

Checkerboard Route Description (http://climb-utah.com/Zion/checkboard.htm)

[jman]

Darn...if it was any other weekend except next week then I could find myself and two others.

[Absolute Gravity]

67709
:mrgreen:

[Slot Machine]

Looks like you are on a tight schedule..... what time does Ocars close the grill?

Just called them, they stop seating people at 10PM. If we get a couple of folks that are good at leap-frogging rappels, I think we can do it. :mrgreen:

I'll post a photo of the celebratory dinner. :cool2: :haha:

[2065toyota]

We are going the 27th if you want to wait a week

[Slot Machine]

We are going the 27th if you want to wait a week

I can't wait a week. :cry1: I knew this canyon had to be on your short list. :mrgreen:

[Jolly Green]

ZAC has a 5 am shuttle? Did you have to set that up specially? Checkerboard is on my short list but I will be on the 630 shuttle to Englestead that day. Good luck.

[Taylor]

Laura and I did Checkerboard last Saturday with three teenage boys, each with one canyon under their belt, plus one of their dads who had done a couple canyons with me. With a 5:30 departure from Virgin, we were hiking at exactly 7:00. First rap at 11:00, out of the tech section at 4:30. Took a short break, hiked the narrows in three hours to make it to the shuttle stop at about 8.

Put together a strong team and you will be fine. Nice canyon. Wish I could join you.

[Slot Machine]

ZAC has a 5 am shuttle? Did you have to set that up specially?

Yes, special request. We are lucky there is a driver that is willing to get up that early. Thanks ZAC! :2thumbs:

[2065toyota]

We are just going to drive up Friday night and camp to save the extra couple hours in the morning of drive / shuttle. Also planning on up the Narrows instead of down

[Slot Machine]

Also planning on up the Narrows instead of down

The cow pasture towards Chamberlain TH is not so nice. It would be pure hell in the mid-July, mid-day heat. It's a looong way to boot.

Heading downstream, you get the very best section of The Narrows, and it's refreshingly cool in July. Mo fun. No heatstroke.

Would hate to see you and the fam perish in a cow pasture...

[iflycr500]

We are arriving on the 20th for a nice week long trip, but not in time for this trip. Might stop by for the dinner to say hi and meet some new people if that would be alright?

[Slot Machine]

We are arriving on the 20th for a nice week long trip, but not in time for this trip. Might stop by for the dinner to say hi and meet some new people if that would be alright?

Heck yes that would be alright! The more the merrier! :2thumbs:

[2065toyota]

The cow pasture towards Chamberlain TH is not so nice. It would be pure hell in the mid-July, mid-day heat. It's a looong way to boot.

Heading downstream, you get the very best section of The Narrows, and it's refreshingly cool in July. Mo fun. No heatstroke.

Would hate to see you and the fam perish in a cow pasture...

Save $35 per person shuttle ride.
2 hours less driving the morning of, can be used to start earlier or just more sleep.
2 miles less hiking distance by parking at the lower narrows gate instead of the std upper parking area.

It's been done before and I have conflicting reports as to which way is better.

Depending on how well we feel, it also gives us the option to camp again Saturday night and do another canyon in the area on Sunday without having any unnecessary car driving.

I've done the Narrows enough, and it is an absolutely amazing place, but it ends up being a long hike down round slick rocks.

[Slot Machine]

Save $35 per person shuttle ride.
2 hours less driving the morning of, can be used to start earlier or just more sleep.
2 miles less hiking distance by parking at the lower narrows gate instead of the std upper parking area.

It's been done before and I have conflicting reports as to which way is better.
Depending on how well we feel, it also gives us the option to camp again Saturday night and do another canyon in the area on Sunday without having any unnecessary car driving.
I've done the Narrows enough, and it is an absolutely amazing place, but it ends up being a long hike down round slick rocks.

In the spring or fall, I think you have a really strong argument. The cow pasture wouldn't be so bad then. But dang, this time of year? In the afternoon heat? Ouch!

Also, I don't care about shuttle fees, and I hate camping when it is 100 degrees. So, your mileage will clearly vary. :nod: :mrgreen:

[2065toyota]

We did Dead Eye Dick and hiked out of there about 3 weeks ago and it really wasn't that bad at all. A lot shorter distance obviously, but we were not in the any of the shaded part of the canyon hiking out. Hopefully it works out well, and the plan may change based on who goes and what the majority wants to do. We also all live here in St. George, so probably a little more climatized to the heat.

I took some family down Birch yesterday and it was actually a little chilly in the morning, and some wore jackets so the camping will not be bad at all. I usually through full mattress in the back of my truck so it's about as comfortable as my own bed anyways

[nelsonccc]

Save $35 per person shuttle ride.
2 hours less driving the morning of, can be used to start earlier or just more sleep.
2 miles less hiking distance by parking at the lower narrows gate instead of the std upper parking area.

It's been done before and I have conflicting reports as to which way is better.

Depending on how well we feel, it also gives us the option to camp again Saturday night and do another canyon in the area on Sunday without having any unnecessary car driving.

I've done the Narrows enough, and it is an absolutely amazing place, but it ends up being a long hike down round slick rocks.

I think it's a great idea. I absolutely hate the lower portion of the narrows, especially this time of year when it's packed with people. It always sucks to have this wonderful, scenic day topped off with a 2 mile conga line and all the crazy antics of the tourists south of orderville. I'm also a slow hiker when going down stream in the slick rocks. A quick look at Google earth and it looks like you'll spend way less time on wet slippery rocks. As an added bonus the shuttle retrieval usually sucks hardcore. Also don't underestimate the hike into Checkerboard. It takes a long time to make your way around the three pronged head of Bulloch or whatever it's called.

[Iceaxe]

I don't care about shuttle fees, and I hate camping when it is 100 degrees.

^^^THIS^^^

I vote for drinking margaritas by the pool after a nice dinner at a fine restaurant..... one of the rewards of being older is that disposable/recreational income is a lot more plentiful... its probably the only good thing that comes with age.

:kickit:

[2065toyota]

I don't really care too much about the shuttle fees either, and there wont be any 100 degree camping so those issues are pretty irrelevant. I added to my list as more of a bonus item than anything. Maybe it's a mistake to do it that way, so I will find out.

I had also heard the Wild Wind exit from Birch was pure hell. We did it Saturday and only had about 3 minutes of actual bushwacking, the rest was good trails so it's always hard to judge based on others opinion. Its faster to hike out of there than do the shuttle back and forth from even the lower Orderville trailhead.

[Iceaxe]

I had also heard the Wild Wind exit from Birch was pure hell.

WOW!!! :eek2:

I did Wild Wind and finished the day looking like I was the loser in a knife fight. There were times I was literally throwing my body into the brush to bash my way through.

You were lucky..... but I agree Wild Wind is a fast exit. I know it didn't take us too much bushwhacking because we did the route car to car in 3.5 hours, and that was back in the days before it was bolted and we had to build some of the anchors.

FWIW: I ran into a black bear hiking out Wild Wind. The good part is we each took off in a different direction.

[2065toyota]

We headed up the muddy wash, about 100' up climbed up and "right" on a cattle trail that followed right along the base of the cliffs. Once we passed the cliff band, we hit a section of pine trees and headed uphill up some deer/cattle trails and followed the ridge lines from that point all the way to the road. I don't have one scratch on me from the hike out. We had a couple of slow hikers with us, but I would bet you could go from the Birch/Orderville jct back to the vehicles in 45-60 minutes



Corrected the original post for left to "right"

[ratagonia]

We headed up the muddy wash, about 100' up climbed up and left on a cattle trail that followed right along the base of the cliffs. Once we passed the cliff band, we hit a section of pine trees and headed uphill up some deer/cattle trails and followed the ridge lines from that point all the way to the road. I don't have one scratch on me from the hike out. We had a couple of slow hikers with us, but I would bet you could go from the Birch/Orderville jct back to the vehicles in 45-60 minutes

"about 100' up climbed up and left on a cattle trail"

Up and right?

seems like it from the google-earth-picture-map.

Tom

[2065toyota]

"about 100' up climbed up and left on a cattle trail"

Up and right?

seems like it from the google-earth-picture-map.

Tom

My bad, I forgot to sharpie and L and R on my shoes that day