Icebox Canyon - June 3rd 2014

[Michael_WB]

Set off at 07h00, after one false start bushwacking 15 minutes up the wrong ridge, made it the 1200ft elevation gain to the Slickrock Pass at 11h00. Ate lunch.

Multi-stage rapped down big wall, hopped down the bouldery canyon, got very cold after one swim, but warmed up soon enough on a sunny rock.

Arrived at Kolob Arch around 16h00, started 6 mile exit hike out at 17h00, temperature was still in the 90s. Last mile was vicious back up to the Lee Pass TH.

Arrived at car at 19h50. Drank cold beer, and was possibly the most exhausted ever in my entire life. In the previous week we have also done the Right Fork, Imlay, Fat Man's Misery and Englestead, so this really was the icing on the cake.

Icebox... a beautiful canyon, and very glad to have hiked it. So that I will never have to do it again :-)

PS Currently in Escalante preparing for a 1-day raid on Neon tomorrow. Can't bear the thought of carrying camping gear down there!


MWB.

[deagol]

You can do Neon as a day trip if you use the "sport" entrance...

[Michael_WB]

You can do Neon as a day trip if you use the "sport" entrance...

We did the "More Fun" entrance as a day trip last September, and were back at the car by 5pm. The days are longer now in June, so we'll set off an hour earlier and aim for the Fork Chop or perhaps even the Tree entrance, depending on the heat and energy levels ;-)

[TommyBoy]

I love Icebox Canyon, and I wish it was a little more accessible because I would definitely do it again if it was. The hike out kind of kills it for me. As for Neon, I've only been once but I think that area is best seen as a 4-5 day adventure where you camp down there and see Neon, Choprock, Baker, and Ringtail. It makes the canyon days nicer although the hike in and out with all that gear is a beast.

[Byron]

I did that canyon with Mike Kelsey about 10 years ago. The hike out is when I truly discovered why his hiking times are so fast...on the flats, that dude has a stride that covers 6 feet! Doing that one as a one night superlight backpack would be best.

[Michael_WB]

We thought about a 2 day trip, but decided it was the lesser of two evils to suck up the 6 mile exit with a light pack (we took no wetsuits either, as it was well in the 90s), than to carry even superlight overnight gear up to the pass, through and out the canyon.

This may well have been influenced by our experiences in the Right Fork the previous week, where dragging bivy gear out on the second day was a massive PITA :nod: