Grand Gulch/Shaw Arch Beta

I have a friend at work who is interested in information about the hike to Shaw Arch. A bunch of his family (his wife is apparently related to the Shaw the arch is named after, who died there in the 60's - if I understood him correctly). Anyway, he stopped by asking if I knew anything about the area or the hike. I don't, but I told him I might know some people who do.

Does anyone have any information? How long, are there any technical parts, what about poison ivy, stuff like that?

Thanks for the help.

Deb

hi deb,

shaw arch is a wonderful arch in lower grand gulch. easiest way is to start at the collins spring trail head which gives you easy access to the lower section of grand gulch (which is a long winding canyon).

there is nothing technical to get there. in one location there is a narrow section which one often needs to wade into the water (depth varying) but this can be bypassed by walking along the rincon.

poison ivy isn't a problem.

i'd have to look up the exact mileage, but this section of canyon is very wonderful and would be ideal to do as an 2-day trip (or 3 day if you have the time). tons of rock art all over this section of canyon.

Thanks for the information. Another question - is Shaw Arch by way of Collins Springs something that can be hiked in a day? Looking at the map, it looks possible, but pretty long.

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Another question - is Shaw Arch by way of Collins Springs something that can be hiked in a day? Looking at the map, it looks possible, but pretty long.

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Maybe for a marathon runner, but for most it's a 2-3 day trip, especially if you want to spend time seeing the ruins. There is no way I woud try it in a day.

collins to shaw in a day? i don"t think so. there is a canyon on the east stde of grand gulch that is down stream from shaw arch. locally known as shangri-la canyon. you could go down it and get to the arch in a long day. the canyon comes off polly mesa. you will meed 4wd. you take the road out towards government trail. then continue past the government trail turnoff and generall head towards water canyon. on the map you will see a drill hole at the head of water canyon. there is camping here. from here the road continues south and this is where you need the 4wd. park just before the road starts to turn to the east. head west and orienteer your way into the canyon. you better be good with a map and compass. it will still be a marathon day.

alternatively you could try arch canyon. shaw arch is at the bottom end of arch canyon. i have never been down it before and it"s entirely possible that it will have an impassable pooroff. might be worth a look though

I'd try coming in from Arch Canyon, looks like it could be a lot of fun and Arch Canyon could hold some interesting treasures. I don't know anyone who has hiked that canyon so it has probably not seen a lot of visitors.

And a little FYI... the new Bogley upgrade now lets you insert google maps. :clap:

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Originally Posted by Iceaxe

I'd try coming in from Arch Canyon, looks like it could be a lot of fun and Arch Canyon could hold some interesting treasures. I don't know anyone who has hiked that canyon so it has probably not seen a lot of visitors.

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i've been up the side canyon from the arch once (as well as the canyon to the north). i didn't keep notes on it and it's been some time. so i can't say for sure, but i think i remember being able to get up the side canyon a ways till it becomes a shallower canyon. i turned around before getting dark.

if it does, in fact, work from the top, the approach to this side canyon would require good route-finding/map-reading skills

every side canyon in grand gulch is very much worth exploring.

can't stress enough the need for good map skills when going cross country in this area. from looking at the google maps i would say that arch canyon would be my first choice of routes to try. looks quite doable.

inserting google maps, what a great feature.

Some interesting information about Shaw Arch....

Vaughn dumps his pack, fetches water, and begins preparing hors d'oeuvres. "You know, there's some controversy about this arch," he muses while slicing cheese. "It's named on maps for Merlin Shaw, a Mormon bishop and Boy Scout leader who died in 1963. Shaw's admirers incorrectly persuaded the USGS that he'd discovered it, but locals have always called it Wetherill, or Grand Arch." Vaughn petitioned the USGS to change the name, but Shaw Arch stuck. "Somewhere in these cottonwoods I've seen a log with an 1894 Richard Wetherill signature on it," he says. "I doubt he missed seeing the arch."

The quote above is from:
Canyon Confidential: Utah's Grand Gulch
http://www.backpacker.com/august_08_...inations/12497

I was looking at the suggestion to try Arch Canyon as a route down, and I thought that might require some route finding. I don't have any idea how experienced these people really are, but I don't get the impression they do this kind of thing very often.

Kelsey has a possible way into the lower part of Grand Gulch through a complex of side canyons he calls Water Canyon. His map has a dirt road and a trailhead marked at the top of it. His written description doesn't have much information, except to talk about going up from the main canyon. Has anyone here been down that canyon? Is that a hike-down? It looks a lot shorter than starting at Collins spring, but it still looks kind of long.

Thanks again for the information.

Denaliguide posted about Water Canyon above.... this is really not an area for novice lacking skilled and competent leadership. Errors in navigation or decision making in this remote area often carry high penalty points. And the hike in and out of Grand Gulch by the non-trade routes is usually pretty physical and require route finding.

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I don't get the impression they do this kind of thing very often.

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If that is true, I would just tell them to go down Collins Canyon and make it a three day trip. The round trip distance is 25-26 miles. If they aren't that experienced, it makes no sense to either pioneer a new route down in or to try the trip in one day.

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there is a canyon on the east stde of grand gulch that is down stream from shaw arch. locally known as shangri-la canyon. you could go down it and get to the arch in a long day. the canyon comes off polly mesa. you will meed 4wd. you take the road out towards government trail. then continue past the government trail turnoff and generall head towards water canyon. on the map you will see a drill hole at the head of water canyon.

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It may just be me, but I find the above somewhat confusing to follow. Coming in Shangri-la is actually longer than coming in from Collins Spring, at least if you are using the drill hole route. Coming down Water Canyon might be shorter than coming down Collins, but coming in Shangri-la would be quite a bit longer. Or are you thinking of something else that I'm not catching (such as another route to Shangri-la other than the drill hole at the head of Water Canyon)?

sorry for the confusion. what i had tried to say was that you have to drive past the turn down to the drill hole at the top of water canyon, continuing south. the road gets much less traveled from here. you park at the same spot you would use if you were trying to descend directly into arch canyon. head southwest cross country and down into shangri-la canyon.

as far as the length of day. it may be not be doable in a day. but it is definitely shorter than coming from collins.

coming in water canyon: complex does describe it accurately. the route i know of descends the canyon due west of the drill hole and requires finding a strategic rotten log as part of the route. it is a rough and physical, though not really a technical, route. i am sure there are other routes into water canyon as well.

it's been said repeatedly. know how to read a map! from the tops all canyons look similiar.

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sorry for the confusion. what i had tried to say was that you have to drive past the turn down to the drill hole at the top of water canyon, continuing south. the road gets much less traveled from here. you park at the same spot you would use if you were trying to descend directly into arch canyon. head southwest cross country and down into shangri-la canyon.

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Thanks. Much clearer now.

Hey, I wanted to thank all of you guys for your time and for the information. I've passed it on to my friend at work, and spent some time talking to him about route finding in that area. I think he took the warning seriously. Hopefully these guys won't get in over their heads. Again, thanks. This was very helpful.

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Originally Posted by stefan

i've been up the side canyon from the arch once (as well as the canyon to the north). i didn't keep notes on it and it's been some time. so i can't say for sure, but i think i remember being able to get up the side canyon a ways till it becomes a shallower canyon.

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just wanted to update my comment.

i noticed on my map that i've indicated a set of falls in the lower canyon.
sorry for the incorrect info.