Blue John Main fork out Horseshoe Canyon 5/5-5/6

[Jaxx]

My dad and I went to do a couple of the forks of Blue John Canyon last weekend. The plan was to camp Friday night at the Horseshoe canyon trail head and drive my Dad's motorcycle to the alternate trail head and do the main fork of Blue john to Horseshoe canyon on Saturday then the East fork out the West fork on Sunday.

When we got to the Horseshoe trail head on Friday night it was about 11 pm. We set up the camper and stayed up late talking like school girls. about 4 am we both woke up to rain pounding the camper. My dad said he woke up earlier and looked outside and there was a coating of snow on everything. We got up at about 8 am and the ground was wet. There were clouds all around us but it wasn't raining on us. We decided to wait a little and see what the clouds were doing. A ranger came to clean the bathroom and said that the canyon does flash flood but the rain we got last night wasn't enough. The ranger had about 5 inches of snow on his truck, he was from the Hans Flat station.

We got to the trail head at about 12 pm and we were hiking towards BJC. The hike in was very easy, we went a little south of the alternate TH and found a great place to enter the canyon. Immediately we were climbing over water. We got to the first rap and decided to rappel and not down climb it. Just after the first rap we go to a second and awkwardly rappelled that one. Some time-consuming down climbing and we got to a hard right turn pot hole that was easily walked around that went into another bit of down climbing and then the boulder obstacle. From the start to where the boulders were had alot of water anywhere it would hold it. The short section of canyon took about 2 hours to complete.

After the rapping and down climbing we finally got to the narrows. Very beautiful part of the canyon,and kindof a relief to be out of the hairy stuff. We were worried about daylight and it started to sprinkle a little. The hike from the narrows through the wash was not too bad since the sand was wet. A few hours more of hiking and we were at the "Ralston narrows".

We easily down climb into the last section of narrows and find the spot where Ralston had to cut his arm off. It was humbling to think of what he must have gone through in that spot. The scenery at that spot had changed a little and there was a large pile of choke stones about 10 feet from the down climb where Ralston was stuck. We climbed to the top of the choke stones and found an opening in between two stones to drop back in onto the canyon floor. The reason we did this is because there was water on the ground and we were trying to keep dry and had done so so far. We got through the last section of extremely tight and dark narrows and found ourselves 70 feet above the canyon floor. It was about 7:30 PM and we rushed to get the anchor and ropes set up. There were three bolts to rappel off of. One really good one and one that was a little loose. The one in the middle was sticking out about a half inch and was very sketchy. I did the first rap at about 8:30, in the dark. Even though we know its a big no-no to rap in the dark. We didn't really have any choice. We get cleaned up and get hiking again at about 9:30.

The hike in the dark, with headlamps, was a little challenging since there is no trail except the creek bed and we were still trying to stay dry. We decided that we will just hike through the night and get to the truck in the morning. At about midnight we are getting worn out and slowing down. We decide to make camp under a juniper pine and sleep the night. We had to find a campsite before we got into the Canyonlands boundary. I had a mylar emergency sleeping bag and blanket. My Dad had a couple emergency blankets and a good poncho that he slept with over him. We both had pants, long sleeve shirts fleece jackets and coat shells on. It was still overcast and chilly so we built a fire. The whole night the wind blew the fires smoke at us. We both woke up multiple times through out the night shivering and we would get up and stand by the fire to warm up. I put my "sleeping bag" over my head so that I could avoid breathing the smoke and at about 3 am the condensation had soaked through my pants, luckily they dried quickly by the fire. By morning we were both congested from inhaling smoke all night, but we were somewhat rested and ready to hike again.

We started back in the creek bed and found that we were only a few hundred feet from the Canyonlands fence. It was alot quicker and easier to navigate the canyon in the light. Part of the reason we decided to stop and sleep overnight is so that we could see the great gallery in the light. I'm glad we did the petroglyphs in that canyon were astounding. A couple more hours of hiking and we were at the base of the climb back to the truck. The switch backs were killer but we made it.
We spent 23 hours in the canyon. 17 Hours hiking the 15 miles (mileage figured out with a GPS my Dad carried). It definitely could have turned out worse than it was but we were prepared and determined. It was a good experience looking back now, but at the time it was very troubling worrying about the daylight and rain all day.

This was our first real technical canyon and I am glad we made it safely.
I would not recommend this hike unless you prepare to sleep overnight, it was a long canyon and you could run into trouble if you aren't prepared.

We never got to see the East fork so we may go back this summer to check it out. I will post pictures as I get them, my pops had his digital but I only have a 35mm crappy cam so I figured I would atleast get the typing out if the way until I can scan some pics. Hope you enjoyed the read!

[Wasatch]

Nice Trip Report, glad you made it out ok. Looking forward to the pics.

[Jaxx]

These are from my Dads camera so they have me in them, sorry.

Getting ready for the first little rap


Sitting on a chokestone after the second rappell. I took my rope off and just downclimbed the rest.


At the last obstacle in the first part of the canyon right before the narrows


In the narrows. Pictures don't do it justice.


Log in narrows


puddles at the end of the first narrows.


I think this is just a little below the main exit. It is a rockslide that has a pond behind it. The rockslide looked very recent.


Me getting around the pond. Whats up with my neck? I dropped something in the water just as my dad took the picture.


The narrows right before the 70 foot rappell. I am a little worried at this point because of the time. It was about 7 pm and we were running waaaay behind. Picture taken with flash.


Same spot as above except no flash. It was really dark in there.


our camp for the night.


looking south-ish from our camp on Sunday morning. To the right is where blue john canyon meets Horse shoe canyon, I believe.


pretty part of Horseshoe canyon. Again, pictures do not do it justice. We are in Canyonlands park boundry now.


The Great gallery.


On the last bit of the trail. The switchbacks up to the trail head. Looking back into Horseshoe canyon.

[jumar]

[stefan]

nice

[chin]

Great TR!

[Iceaxe]

This was our first real technical canyon

Sounds like it was also your first little epic

Sweet.....

[Sombeech]

These are from my Dads camera so they have me in them, sorry.

So are we.

Cool pics. Thanks.

[AJ]

Yeah, going Blue out Horseshoe is certainly a big trip. I've done it in a day three times now, and it seems to get longer each time... ;)

Glad you got to see the gallery during the day; and that everything turned out well.

[stefan]

This was our first real technical canyon and I am glad we made it safely.
I would not recommend this hike unless you prepare to sleep overnight, it was a long canyon and you could run into trouble if you aren't prepared.

many folks make a point of taking the shortest route to do the lower slot, to ensure enough time.

it is a long hike and shane(Iceaxe) appropriately recommends on climb-utah that one should take one of a number of shorter approaches to the lower slot: little blue john, west fk blue john, or the "exit route."

there are various entrances near the confluence of main and west fk.

while mike kelsey briefly notes any fork can be used as an approach, he describes only the route though main fk blue john through the horseshoe exit and that it can be done in 8-10 hours. however, it very well could take longer, if the group is slow, if there are many people in the group, if conditions are more time consuming, if people want to spend time enjoying the slots/narrows, if it's your first tech canyon, bla bla bla.

he should expound the shorter route options for those concerned about time.

i just passed on the suggestion to expound on this in his new tech guide, though he's probably considered this or had others make the suggestion?

thanks again for the report.

[Jaxx]

We thought about just doing the main exit through to Horseshoe but half the reason we went there was to check out the great slots. We knew there was a good chance of sleeping overnight, and at a minimum we would be hiking in the dark. We figured we could do about a mile an hour, it took just a touch longer for us.
When we got to the second narrows we knew we could turn back but we decided we wanted to finish the whole route.
Part of the reason for sleeping overnight is because we wanted to see the Great Gallery since we hiked all that way. It would have been a shame to miss them, plus hiking with a headlamp sucks in such a beautiful canyon. We actually had planned to do East fork out west fork on Sunday if we had time, but we were to hashed.

Thanks for all the responses!

[Iceaxe]

With a noon start a bivey was pretty much a sure thing.

I always joke with friends that all epic canyoneering stories begin....

The weather was iffy and we got a late start.

[stefan]

I always joke with friends that all epic canyoneering stories begin....

The weather was iffy and we got a late start.

[Scott P]

I always joke with friends that all epic canyoneering stories begin....

Acording to some in the BLM or some of those involved in recuses, all epics begin with the following:

I was following Kelsey's book, and.......

I was following Allen's book, and.......

Haven't heard it about climb-utah yet.

Only guidebook authors are to blame; never the person.

[Jaxx]

I always joke with friends that all epic canyoneering stories begin....

The weather was iffy and we got a late start.

I guess I am another example of that.

[Iceaxe]

Yeah, I've noticed MK takes a bit of an unfair beating among some SAR teams and land managers. I'm not exactly sure why that is. Maybe because many of his routes are more difficult then your average guidebook? Or because his books are so widely distributed?

I remember several years ago MK took a major hit over a rescue in the Upper Black Box that was NOT his fault in the least. That tale also began.....

The weather was iffy and we got a late start.... driving down from Provo to do a 12 hour route....

Or maybe to SAR and Land Managers all guide book authors are generically MK.... kinda like Asprin and Kleenex.

[sparker1]

Thanks for the TR and great photos. I think it's great that you and your Dad are able to do things like that together.