Planning a Labor Day trip

[PhysWiz]

I'm trying to plan a canyoneering trip for Labor Day weekend. We want to go to the Roost or Zion and since it's Labor Day weekend it is going to be crowded! :facepalm1: Were do you guys stay and play to avoid the crowds? Were is a good place to camp near Zion? I imagine the big camp grounds like Watchman will be a mad house.

[Stillnoeyeddeer]

I'm trying to plan a canyoneering trip for Labor Day weekend. We want to go to the Roost or Zion and since it's Labor Day weekend it is going to be crowded! :facepalm1: Were do you guys stay and play to avoid the crowds? Were is a good place to camp near Zion? I imagine the big camp grounds like Watchman will be a mad house.

We just left Zion on Sunday and it was a MADHOUSE! Heaps Canyon wasn't crowded, as the three of us in our group had it all to ourselves. As far as camping our hotels, there were "No Vacancy" lights flashing everywhere. Even the little campground north of Virgin (Kolob Road) is getting very popular...

[PhysWiz]

Thanks. It sounds like it might be a bit of a scramble.

I was also thinking it would be fun to do an overnight backpacking trip. Has anyone done fat man's misery / Parunuweap as an overnighter? Can you head up Parunuweap and find a camp site?

[ratagonia]

Thanks. It sounds like it might be a bit of a scramble.

I was also thinking it would be fun to do an overnight backpacking trip. Has anyone done fat man's misery / Parunuweap as an overnighter? Can you head up Parunuweap and find a camp site?

Hmmmm. The section of the East Fork where Fat Man's enters has almost no campsites, really, either up or downstream. There is a fine campsite part way up the climb out, as in, 15 minutes at most above the river. I think I would loiter and have dinner at the river, then move up there as it got dark. A bit of scrambling to get up that, but not too bad. Ya wanna keep the pack weight low to make the day a lot more enjoyable.

Even if Fat Man's is FULL, you would not need a wetsuit.

Tom

[2065toyota]

Last year we did rock canyon, down the river, fat mans exit, camped, down fat mans, up the river, french exit and back to cars as a loop. It was an awesome trip

[ratagonia]

Last year we did rock canyon, down the river, fat mans exit, camped, down fat mans, up the river, french exit and back to cars as a loop. It was an awesome trip

Parunaweap above Rock Canyon is not very interesting. Might be a great way to do it. Requires a soft-sand-capable vehicle.

Tom

[PhysWiz]

Last year we did rock canyon, down the river, fat mans exit, camped, down fat mans, up the river, french exit and back to cars as a loop. It was an awesome trip

That sounds awesome! It even looks like you would avoid a lot of the hot slogging hike and still get the best parts. So looking on this map: http://www.citrusmilo.com/zionguide/barracksmap3.cfm Did you park at the "Joe's French Canyon" parking spot and then head right down into Rock Canyon? Then did you camp where Tom is suggesting? Any problems with the boulder obstacle going back up?

[PhysWiz]

I found this: http://www.canyoneeringusa.com/utah/zion/technical/rock-canyon/ I guessing this was your entrance and exit.

[2065toyota]

We parked at the head of Rock Canyon.

Camped up higher than where Tom suggests, but only because we wanted to make the next day shorter.

No issues getting back up the river, it's actually a lot easier to go up the waterfall than up the side boulder section.

http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthread.php?72244-Rock-Canyon-Parunuweap-Fat-Man-s-Misery-French&highlight=french

[PhysWiz]

We parked at the head of Rock Canyon.

Camped up higher than where Tom suggests, but only because we wanted to make the next day shorter.

No issues getting back up the river, it's actually a lot easier to go up the waterfall than up the side boulder section.

http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthread.php?72244-Rock-Canyon-Parunuweap-Fat-Man-s-Misery-French&highlight=french

I think we are going to try the same trip. It sounds awesome! Toyota you mentioned a small rout finding issue with getting to the head of misery. Do you have any suggestions on the best way to get to the head of the canyon from the bottom?
I'm also thinking about overnight temps, my wife doesn't like to sleep in the cold. I was thinking about using a SOL bivvy and a sleeping bag liner. Do you guys think that will enough warmth?

[2065toyota]

We just should have dropped in a lot earlier rather than going all the way to the pothole series


I've been camping the last 3 weekends and havnt been cold at all.

On that trip we used bivy sacks and a fleece liner and a small pad

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