Buckskin Gulch

[Bo_Beck]

I figured Buckskin would be difficult this time of year with deep sand and hot days.... how was it? how long did it take you?

I figured your camera would love this canyon. When are we going to see a couple of your usual great pics?

Ok Shane, Now you have me wondering? I remember the other time I hiked Buckskin a long time ago we crawled thru a hole to avoid rapelling or ropework. You call this the Rabbit Hole? Or maybe you call the entirety of Buckskin the Rabbit Hole? Right from the git-go as we entered Buckskin there were literally dozens and dozens of Rabbit Legs and carcasses all the way through. Kinda like humans munchin chicken wings during the Super Bowl, I think the Birds of Prey munch on rabbits as they watch us humans hiking thru their canyon? Near the end though I saw a couple birds of prey carcasses....maybe they met up with a couple mutant Jackrabbits and finally met their match?

[thedesertnomad]

Off the Buckskin topic, but with the rabbits feet...

While first checking out Englestead, we get to the drop in and my "not so good with heights partner" starts going on about bad omens (jokingly of course) There were 7 torn rabbits feet, normally GOOD luck, but when they are within 2 feet of the "void" and surrounding a pothole of blood... hehehehehe PRICELESS!!!

If you're gonna eat, what a freakin' view!!!

[tanya]

Here is one.... just starting going through them. It was tough in there. I am not too pleased with most of them. Buckskin is a tripod sort of place and I am not a tripod sort of person.

I do like this one though! Hopefully there are some more good ones in my batch. Bo probably got some too.

[tanya]

I figured Buckskin would be difficult this time of year with deep sand and hot days.... how was it? how long did it take you?

I figured your camera would love this canyon. When are we going to see a couple of your usual great pics?

The usual time! Where it's photogenic... Real SLOW!
Where its not.... Real Fast.

There was a lot to take photos of in the slot so ..... We left here at 5:30 am --- got the trailhead at 7ish. I did not pay attention much to the times... Bo would know every second... but my guess it that... it took from 7am to about 6pm to do the photos and enjoy the slot... What is that ???? ... about 16 miles?

Then 3 hours to do the less photogenic (is it about 6-8 miles?) slog out.

I hope I got some good ones, but it was so dark! I was trying to get the background (sky, etc...) and ended up getting a lot of dark, non contrasty shots. If I went the other way they are too washed out. Tough place to photograph without a lot of batteries and a tripod!

[tanya]

I have yet to see Buckskin dry. Those 2 times it was flowing all the way through.


Bill

Wow - flowing through would be amazing to see. My one and only time was dry dry dry. 2 mid-thigh puddles only - and no cesspool.

One day I'll do it again, we'll see what happens then...


Tanya - looking forward to your photos!

It was really dry yesterday.... and sandy. Paria was totally dry and sandy. I think I have hiked enough in the soft sand for a while.

[tanya]

Off the Buckskin topic, but with the rabbits feet...

While first checking out Englestead, we get to the drop in and my "not so good with heights partner" starts going on about bad omens (jokingly of course) There were 7 torn rabbits feet, normally GOOD luck, but when they are within 2 feet of the "void" and surrounding a pothole of blood... hehehehehe PRICELESS!!!

If you're gonna eat, what a freakin' view!!!

That first drop in Englestead is scarey enough without any needed help!

[tanya]

I figured Buckskin would be difficult this time of year with deep sand and hot days.... how was it? how long did it take you?

I figured your camera would love this canyon. When are we going to see a couple of your usual great pics?

Ok Shane, Now you have me wondering? I remember the other time I hiked Buckskin a long time ago we crawled thru a hole to avoid rapelling or ropework. You call this the Rabbit Hole? Or maybe you call the entirety of Buckskin the Rabbit Hole? Right from the git-go as we entered Buckskin there were literally dozens and dozens of Rabbit Legs and carcasses all the way through. Kinda like humans munchin chicken wings during the Super Bowl, I think the Birds of Prey munch on rabbits as they watch us humans hiking thru their canyon? Near the end though I saw a couple birds of prey carcasses....maybe they met up with a couple mutant Jackrabbits and finally met their match?

And very very loud Ravens! Dang! Scared me several times! They like to perch up there on the rocks and laugh at us I think.

[montanablur]

Any more tips? Anything that is not obvious that one should not miss? Are the pictographs all in one spot?

I just updated my route description:

http://climb-utah.com/Escalante/buckskin.htm

That has about everything I can think of. I'm sure there is a lot I've missed. I find new items every time I go through the slot.

The rattle snake is known as a Faded Midget. Not to be messed with.

"The venom of the Midget Faded Rattlesnake is composed of a much higher neurotoxin than one would assume. This species carries the presence of a phospholipase A2-based B-neurotoxin (concolor toxin) and several myotoxins (Mackessy et al. 2003) which makes concolor venoms highly toxic. In fact concolor is the most toxic out of the (Western Rattlesnake clade, Crotalus oreganus). It was hypothesized that concolor had an ontogenetic variation in venom composition due to is shifts in diet from juvenile to adulthood. However, it was discovered that although juveniles feed predominantly on lizards (Scleoporus ssp.) and adults on rodents (Peromyscus and Tamias) there isn't much in ontogenetic variation in venoms (Mackessy et al. 2003)."

http://www.venomousreptiles.org/articles/213

[tanya]

Any more tips? Anything that is not obvious that one should not miss? Are the pictographs all in one spot?

I just updated my route description:

http://climb-utah.com/Escalante/buckskin.htm

That has about everything I can think of. I'm sure there is a lot I've missed. I find new items every time I go through the slot.

The rattle snake is known as a Faded Midget. Not to be messed with.

"The venom of the Midget Faded Rattlesnake is composed of a much higher neurotoxin than one would assume. This species carries the presence of a phospholipase A2-based B-neurotoxin (concolor toxin) and several myotoxins (Mackessy et al. 2003) which makes concolor venoms highly toxic. In fact concolor is the most toxic out of the (Western Rattlesnake clade, Crotalus oreganus). It was hypothesized that concolor had an ontogenetic variation in venom composition due to is shifts in diet from juvenile to adulthood. However, it was discovered that although juveniles feed predominantly on lizards (Scleoporus ssp.) and adults on rodents (Peromyscus and Tamias) there isn't much in ontogenetic variation in venoms (Mackessy et al. 2003)."

http://www.venomousreptiles.org/articles/213

I am glad I know now, rather than before or while hiking Buckskin.

[stefan]

buckskin buckskin buckskin ... looking forward to the report tanya. it's great to get a titration of photoreports of the buckskin from different times of year.

you guys blazed through it, you tryin' to beat kelsey or something

it's all about the mindset ... there are times where i am amped and just wanna go-go-go and other times when i am so mesmerized i can't bring myself to leave or move.

[tanya]

buckskin buckskin buckskin ... looking forward to the report tanya. it's great to get a titration of photoreports of the buckskin from different times of year.

you guys blazed through it, you tryin' to beat kelsey or something

it's all about the mindset ... there are times where i am amped and just wanna go-go-go and other times when i am so mesmerized i can't bring myself to leave or move.

Kelsy and Bo would love each other!

Blazing would be when Bo did it with his Buds...... They started about the time we did and were done by 3pm!

With camera in hand it's hard to go fast by the really good stuff.

[Iceaxe]

Ok Shane, Now you have me wondering? I remember the other time I hiked Buckskin a long time ago we crawled thru a hole to avoid rapelling or ropework. You call this the Rabbit Hole?

Yeah we also noticed a lot of rabbit parts

What I used to call the Rabbit Hole was a way to by-pass the rock fall and crawl under instead of having to rappel/handline over the top. The Rabbit Hole was sometimes a little hard to find and not really noticeable unless you knew about it before hand. It is now covered with 5' of dirt.

[tanya]

Another one I like....

[tanya]

Any more tips? Anything that is not obvious that one should not miss? Are the pictographs all in one spot?

I just updated my route description:

http://climb-utah.com/Escalante/buckskin.htm

That has about everything I can think of. I'm sure there is a lot I've missed. I find new items every time I go through the slot.

The rattle snake is known as a Faded Midget. Not to be messed with.

"The venom of the Midget Faded Rattlesnake is composed of a much higher neurotoxin than one would assume. This species carries the presence of a phospholipase A2-based B-neurotoxin (concolor toxin) and several myotoxins (Mackessy et al. 2003) which makes concolor venoms highly toxic. In fact concolor is the most toxic out of the (Western Rattlesnake clade, Crotalus oreganus). It was hypothesized that concolor had an ontogenetic variation in venom composition due to is shifts in diet from juvenile to adulthood. However, it was discovered that although juveniles feed predominantly on lizards (Scleoporus ssp.) and adults on rodents (Peromyscus and Tamias) there isn't much in ontogenetic variation in venoms (Mackessy et al. 2003)."

http://www.venomousreptiles.org/articles/213

I am glad I know now, rather than before or while hiking Buckskin.

[Iceaxe]

The rattle snake is known as a Faded Midget. Not to be messed with.

You don't have to worry about that...... I hate snakes!

[RedRoxx]

Hate snakes!!! Snakes are cool!!!

[stefan]

wow great photos ... you took all of them?

[Iceaxe]

Thanks... now I'm going to have nightmares about snakes jumping out of trees!!!!

[RedRoxx]

Yep, I took all of them, the rattler my BF almost stepped on, then he/she posed for pictures. With a zoom lens of course. The other non-venemous snakes we encountered in some canyons we were exploring in the Sierra Anchas near Globe.

Entering caves this time of year in Az usually with have a rattler of varying types cooling off in the entrance, Tigers, Mohaves, Blacktails--you name it. Kinda stimulating to be crawling in and have that rattle about 2-3 feet away from you.

[tanya]

Yep, I took all of them, the rattler my BF almost stepped on, then he/she posed for pictures. With a zoom lens of course. The other non-venemous snakes we encountered in some canyons we were exploring in the Sierra Anchas near Globe.

Entering caves this time of year in Az usually with have a rattler of varying types cooling off in the entrance, Tigers, Mohaves, Blacktails--you name it. Kinda stimulating to be crawling in and have that rattle about 2-3 feet away from you.

I really love your photos! You have quite a talent with the camera. Not just these but your scenery shots!