Keyhole/Spry Conditions

[Chanobelli]

Hey all,

Headed to do Spry & Keyhole next weekend and haven't seen any conditions on Keyhole show up here or candition just curious if anyone has been through in the last week or is planning to this coming week. We are just wondering how cold the water will be we are hoping to not need wet suits. From what i've been able to find in years past we should be fine to do spry without a wet suit barring any rain right before, sense it's suppose to be mid 90's the day we do it. Just to keep in mind this same group did Echo last year at the end of June without wet suits even though we were highly suggested to take them and was perfectly fine, we were actually glad we left them in the truck that day.

As always thanks for any info.

[dougr]

Amen. Wetsuits only in the most dire circumstances!

[Scott P]

I think Keyhole usually requires a wetsuit year round since the sun never shines in the slanted corridor.

In Spry you can get away without one if conditions are pretty dry and if the weather is really hot. We didn't bother with one last June, but in May the water will likely be much colder. Check with the Backcountry desk and see if there is water in there and if you need a wetsuit. If they say you do, take one! If it's mostly dry, you shouldn't need one.

[Iceaxe]

Never used a wetsuit in Spry.

About half the time in Keyhole I use a wetsuit. With an experienced group moving fast I don't bother with a wetsuit. Noobs that will need baby sitting a wetsuit for sure.

Tap'n on my Galaxy G3

[gingerproblems]

This time last year in Spry the only significant water was in the last couple hundred feet of the canyon. We did not bring wetsuits. It would have been fine had a stiff wind not been funneling through the canyon at the time. It was a chilly wait at the top of a couple rappels but far from unbearable and we warmed up even in the wind going down the boulderfield. Considering conditions have been similar this year I doubt the canyon would be too different but I could be wrong.

[2065toyota]

Never used a wetsuit in Spry.

About half the time in Keyhole I use a wetsuit. With an experienced group moving fast I don't bother with a wetsuit. Noobs that will need baby sitting a wetsuit for sure.

Tap'n on my Galaxy G3

x2

Except this years trip in February :haha:

[Chanobelli]

Thanks for the info. My current plan is to for go the wet suites in Spry and probably the same for Keyhole unless the weather changes drastically from what the forecast shows. I'm curious to know if any of you know if the snow that hit Cedar City also made its way into Zion this past weekend?

[Bootboy]

Thanks for the info. My current plan is to for go the wet suites in Spry and probably the same for Keyhole unless the weather changes drastically from what the forecast shows. I'm curious to know if any of you know if the snow that hit Cedar City also made its way into Zion this past weekend?

At this point in the year, I'd definitely suit up for keyhole. The exposure time is significant given the short length of the canyon. Daytime highs should be over 90F for a little while before I'd go suit less in keyhole. It's such a short approach that you don't really mind carrying the suit.


LNT

[ratagonia]

Did Middle Echo last week. Yikes! was that water ever cold. Even 4/3 suit with boosters, we powered through because we were cold.

no wetsuit in Keyhole = how to ruin a perfectly good canyon.

Tom

[Erik B]

Did Middle Echo last week. Yikes! was that water ever cold. Even 4/3 suit with boosters, we powered through because we were cold.

no wetsuit in Keyhole = how to ruin a perfectly good canyon.

Tom

Agreed. I almost always wear a 5/4 surf suit (designed for flexibility) It's easy to flood a suit of you're hot. It's easy to strip a suit if hot. It's impossible to warm up once you're cold.

That said, I've done Keyhole without a suit once as part of a race on a 110 degree day. You can only get so cold in 13 minutes. :)

[Canyonater]

Speaking of Keyhole...the only time I ran it I stemmed the flooded hallway. How deep is the water here? I'm 6' tall and wondering if I could walk it keeping my daughter dry above my head?

[2065toyota]

Speaking of Keyhole...the only time I ran it I stemmed the flooded hallway. How deep is the water here? I'm 6' tall and wondering if I could walk it keeping my daughter dry above my head?

Every year / trip is different. A couple of weeks ago it was completely full of sand and only waist deep. Changes all the time

[Iceaxe]

Speaking of Keyhole...the only time I ran it I stemmed the flooded hallway. How deep is the water here? I'm 6' tall and wondering if I could walk it keeping my daughter dry above my head?

I took one of my daughters through Keyhole when she was 4. At the flooded hallway she just climbed on my back and I pulled her through, easy as could be. The hallway is to deep to touch but you are not swimming because you can touch both walls. It was just the two of us and no wetsuits. My daughter never even got wet above the waist as I carried her over the potholes. The part she like best was on exit a group of 10 canyoneers were sunning themselves and gave her a big cheer and a bunch of high fives. At that point she knew she had done something special. It was pretty cool.

Tap'n on my Galaxy G3