Zion Winter Canyons

[xxnitsuaxx]

I want to get down to Zion next weekend. What canyons are doable midwinter? I've done Spry during the winter, what about Mystery or Behunin? Would there be too much snow on the approach to do those?

[ratagonia]

I want to get down to Zion next weekend. What canyons are doable midwinter? I've done Spry during the winter, what about Mystery or Behunin? Would there be too much snow on the approach to do those?

The Death Gully in Mystery faces north, and thus retains snow, and has considerable snow on it now. Probably not enough to ski, however. The whole canyon faces north so is less pleasant in winter than some other choices.

Behunin, on the otherhand, mostly faces south. The first couple raps tend to run with a little meltwater, which can make the raps wet and the rope hard to pull (especially the 3rd rap). 2nd to last rap also tends to be drippy, and often unavoidable water to waist deep - might want some protection.

Lower Fridge could be a good half-day, in the sun type canyon - and you can see if it is running with meltwater from the road.

Fat Mans can also be good, or at least, walking around on the slickrock out there.

Tom

[Iceaxe]

Just curious.... why Zion this time of year? Its really "outta season" right now..... There are much better canyons this time of year that are "in season"....

[xxnitsuaxx]

Thanks Tom. Shane, I know it's not exactly the season for Zion, but I've got to spend two days in St. George and I can't get out of it. Trying to get a canyon in was my next best option.

[Iceaxe]

In that case.... I'd do Misery if you have some neo.... just get an early start because you don't want to be searching for the route back over Checkerboard Mesa in the dark. The hardest part of the route with regards to snow is at the beginning, so if you can do the first mile you should be golden.

[oldno7]

In that case.... I'd do Misery if you have some neo.... just get an early start because you don't want to be searching for the route back over Checkerboard Mesa in the dark. The hardest part of the route with regards to snow is at the beginning, so if you can do the first mile you should be golden.

Thats a long route, considering we are closing in on the shortest days of the year.

[ratagonia]

Thanks Tom. Shane, I know it's not exactly the season for Zion, but I've got to spend two days in St. George and I can't get out of it. Trying to get a canyon in was my next best option.

The weather has been spectacular! Hope it holds till you get here and get a chance to enjoy it. As Kurt points out, Fat Man's itself is a loooong route - I was thinking more head out that way and poke around, rather than doing the actual canyon. Mighty lovely slickrock country out that way...

Tom

[oldno7]

It may not be the most exciting, but Yankee Doodle should be good. There was minimal water a couple weeks ago.

[mtthwlw]

It may not be the most exciting, but Yankee Doodle should be good. There was minimal water a couple weeks ago.

What about Frog Hollow? I read a couple of posts about it in the last year.
http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthre...sh-trip-report
http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthre...96-Frog-Canyon

[ratagonia]

What about Frog Hollow? I read a couple of posts about it in the last year.
http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthre...sh-trip-report
http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthre...96-Frog-Canyon

As Urban canyons go, not so bad. But not so good either, kinda cowed up, and an open canyon. Yankee doodle is much better, and I am not a big fan of Yankee Doodle (but it does have some fun downclimbs...)

Tom

[shummer]

A buddy and I just went down mystery on Saturday. It was a bit of a slog getting to the drop-in. The climb down into the canyon was pretty fun, but a workout. We ended up breaking trail through about 20 inches of snow until getting into the slot. Lots of postholing. The snow made the first couple of downclimbs much easier. The initial rappels went fine. We ended up having to build some anchors because the existing anchors were either buried or impossible to get to. The only real problem we ran into was a really narrow part of the canyon what filled up with ice and had huge ice curtains hanging over it. It was pretty freaky and we had to squeeze through an ice wall before boogying out. We ended up doing the last half of the canyon in the dark, but everything else went fine as well.

I've also done pinecreek and keyhole in the middle of the winter. Both canyons required massive amounts of ice breaking but were pretty excellent adventures. In the winter, the wet zion canyons seem like totally different places.

[ratagonia]

A buddy and I just went down mystery on Saturday. It was a bit of a slog getting to the drop-in. The climb down into the canyon was pretty fun, but a workout. We ended up breaking trail through about 20 inches of snow until getting into the slot. Lots of postholing. The snow made the first couple of downclimbs much easier. The initial rappels went fine. We ended up having to build some anchors because the existing anchors were either buried or impossible to get to. The only real problem we ran into was a really narrow part of the canyon what filled up with ice and had huge ice curtains hanging over it. It was pretty freaky and we had to squeeze through an ice wall before boogying out. We ended up doing the last half of the canyon in the dark, but everything else went fine as well.

I've also done pinecreek and keyhole in the middle of the winter. Both canyons required massive amounts of ice breaking but were pretty excellent adventures. In the winter, the wet zion canyons seem like totally different places.

Wow! Excellent! Good Effort! --- Pictures??

Tom

[shummer]

We were in the dark most of the time, and for some reason our camera's lens kept fogging up, but here's one of the drop in, and another one the first rappel.

[Brian in SLC]

Wow, that's a bunch of snow!