Kolob Canyon TR 6/17/09

[blueskies]

Kolob Canyon

Pics are in my camera, which is resting at the bottom of Rappel #9.

Four of us left our top shuttle below Lava point at 9:15. After reaching the first rappel (the shower), we spent about 30 minutes talking about the Kolob accident years ago and how the large flow of water at that time would surely have scared us off. Today the water was reported to be 3 cfs, and it looked good to our one guy who'd been through the canyon before. We also heard the sounds of people in front of us, although we never saw them again.

While we were gearing up at about 10-1030 the skies were scattered grey and blue and we had a light drizzle which we'd had every day for a week in this area - just as forecast (20% was the morning forecast for the area). All week the skies had threaten but would never do anything so we were comfortable jumping into the canyon. The whole day through Kolob we got weather just as forecast - some blue skies and some light drizzle, and never any water flow from the rain. It even cleared up about mid to late afternoon.

Meanwhile across the park, Pine Creek and Spry flash flooded about 4 pm(they had the same forecast as our area) and shot the flow in the Virgin River/Springdale to 430 cfs in 30 minutes. So we were lucky.

Kolob is a great canyon! The many colors in the rock walls are bright and the lush foliage packs even more colors and challenges in this route. We had dry suits and were so comfortable that we didn't need gloves to protect us from the water; it was chilly, but not cold or painful.

Rappeling down the waterfalls was wet and fun, and I wasn't expecting the steady flow of water on the rope and how that greatly reduced my ability to grip the rope. Somehow I survived.

We took about 4 hours in the technical section, and the snow drifts are now two short sections that can be walked underneath, and may only have a few days left...

The water is flowing about 90% of the length of Kolob before it drops underground, and that gave us another 15 to 20 pools of water to swim/push across. Kolob is much narrower than the Narrows, and so it is filled with a lot of 'recent' treefalls, rockslides and dirtslides so there is no chance for a trail - only a 'way' through the debris at hand.

Hours later we set up camp in the Narrows at campsite #7. We noticed lots of water in the trees and grass.

The next morning we start hiking through the Narrows and then came the unexpected fun - Hiking in our drysuits and with large airproof drybags in our packs, we foud that we could get into the deep flow of the water, lean back onto our packs and float down the river while just gazing up at the canyon walls! This was a major cool fantasy experience here. After a while we learned how to 'shoot' the rapids, feet forward, lying on our backs. This gives you a face full of water, but shooting out the end was so cool. Floating past hikers was weird, and we got through the bulk of the Narrows almost an hour faster than hiking.

We took about 17 hours total to do the route, and a lot of time was used on gear - (drysuit management).

[nonot]

Does anyone know what does the water management agency do with respect to regulating the flow of water into Kolob canyon when it rains...do they just open the hatch and let it rip when the lake starts to rise? Do they check with the Zion permit desk first?

[Iceaxe]

It's a reservoir.... a little ol' rain storm will have no effect on the lake level or release rate.

But you will probably get other flow from a storm.... but the tech section of Kolob is not that long. I think it took us less than 2 hours last trip through. It's not like Imlay or Heaps where you are in the slot for hours....


Kolob Route Description - With both the MIA and Narrows Exits
http://climb-utah.com/Zion/kolob2.htm

[cilantro13]

Thanks for the Trip Report. I will be in SoUt over the 4th -- debating doing more canyoneering or mountain biking. These reports push me to ditch the bike...

[tanya]

Nice trip report! Sorry about the camera