West Canyon

[timberline]

I am a newbie and interested in doing west canyon in may/june/july 2009. Anyone interested. Is this forum the best place to hook up with partners.

[CarpeyBiggs]

I am a newbie and interested in doing west canyon in may/june/july 2009. Anyone interested. Is this forum the best place to hook up with partners.

hey timberline. welcome to the forum. indeed, this is a great place to meet partners, and west canyon is pretty high on many people's hit list.

a few tips for finding partners. tell us who you are, where you're from, canyons, and style of trip your are after. if possible, meet a few folks on some small trips before a longer one (and much more logistically challenging) trip like west canyon.

you may also be interested in the forum called "canyons" on yahoo group. http://groupsyahoo.com/group/canyons/

the ACA also has a forum. spend a little time surfing around and you should get a feel for groups/partners/forums that will fit your style, or vice versa.

[Iceaxe]

I am a newbie and interested in doing west canyon in may/june/july 2009. Anyone interested.

You planning on doing West Canyon from the lake?

Anyone willing to supply a boat to do the route from the lake will find dozens of experianced and willing partners standing in line for an invite. The canyon is high on many canyoneers tick list but the logistics can suck....

Is this forum the best place to hook up with partners.

This is the perfect place to hook up with partners.... anyone who is big into canyoneering visits or at least monitors this forum...

and welcome to the forum....

[goofball]

i plan on being in the area in april. west is on the options list. starting from round rock it looks to be ~10 miles to west canyon by crossing aztec creek and cummings mesa. one day. then 2 days to hike the canyon to the mouth and back up. and a day out if west is all there is time for. saves some cash if you prefer not to spend it on a boat rental that will sit idle for 2 days or more as you play in canyon. unless you own a boat. in which case allow me to unabashedly try to insert myself into any future outings you may want to take on lake powell. gas, booze, food and gear on me. time to the overland th may be longer than a lake departure though, and definitely quicker/easier to boat to west.

[timberline]

Was thinking of entering west cyn from the lake, anyone know if a shuttle/water taxi can be arranged from wahweap. Was hoping to go with a group so transport cost could be shared. Would like to spend 3/4 days in the cyn. Also would consider access by road, understand this is possible but not the preferable way to west cyn.

Although i do not have a lot of technical canyoneering experience, i have done about 25 of kelsey's "best" canyons and have spent many days hiking around southern utah.

[Iceaxe]

anyone know if a shuttle/water taxi can be arranged from wahweap.

There's a guy in Page that will drop you off and pick you up, his prices are pretty reasonable. I had some friends use him before but it's been a couple of years ago.... I can't find his name or number right now but I'll see if I can track it down.

[stefan]

keep in mind the length of the hike from the lake changes depending upon lake level and to camp in the upper part of west canyon requires one to carry a big pack through wading corridors within the slots/narrows of middle west canyon, which i am sure you know.

also, if doing the upper semi-technical slot in may, the water is cold enough that wetsuits are helpful to properly enjoy, especially if it's really full of water. (they are not needed for wading the narrows in the middle canyon.) means more weight and a bigger pack.

have only done it from land, which requires a bit of route finding. aside from the long sandslog in jayi (pronounced jah-ha-ee) creek, the terrain is wonderful. but you would maximize your time spent in the canyon going from the lake as the overland route has a long approach/return.

and just for curiosity's sake, i did see a couple guys doing the entire canyon from the lake in a day in early may (at a low lake level), including the upper slot. they were fit but based on the time we saw them after the upper slot, they were clearly going to be hiking back in the dark a bit.