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Thread: Cap Reef In Winter?

  1. #1

    Cap Reef In Winter?

    With some time off coming to me, I am interested in doing Pandora's Box in a couple weeks. Does anyone know what conditions might be, and if it would at least marginally safe to attempt? I'm not so much concerned with the narrow as I am ice/snow/water making it difficult to get over and around problems.

    To round out the weekend I am also interested in Cassidy Arch, though I don't know if the road to the TH is accessible to HC 2WD.

    Feasible, or should I look at North Wash alternatives? Any input appreciated!

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  3. #2
    Content Provider Emeritus ratagonia's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bubbles View Post
    With some time off coming to me, I am interested in doing Pandora's Box in a couple weeks. Does anyone know what conditions might be, and if it would at least marginally safe to attempt? I'm not so much concerned with the narrow as I am ice/snow/water making it difficult to get over and around problems.

    To round out the weekend I am also interested in Cassidy Arch, though I don't know if the road to the TH is accessible to HC 2WD.

    Feasible, or should I look at North Wash alternatives? Any input appreciated!
    Meeks Mesa is up rather high, and is likely to have a lot of snow on it, still (maybe). And the canyon is likely to have a lot of snow. Might be considerably slower and more difficult, both the approach (the last bit) and the canyon itself. But, it is not usually a very wet canyon.

    The shortcut exit is unlikely - the slope faces north - so I would go for the long exit north to the trail.

    A long, difficult canyon in snowy winter conditions, and short days.

    Perhaps you are burly, perhaps you seek your 3 minutes of fame?

    Tom

  4. #3
    Did Cassidy Arch today. Weather was perfect. Zero snow/ice. I don't know where Pandora's is, but there is not any snow in Capitol Reef that we could see. I'm not saying there wont be any in or around Pandora's, but Cassidy Arch was 100% dry and free of snow. We drove to the trailhead in our 2wd Equinox. You can make it in anything.

  5. #4
    I've done Pandora's in February with snow on the ground. The snow was not really an issue and the potholes were all frozen solid so we could walk over them. Typical winter canyoneering issues, short days and cold temps.

    It was kinda strange... a couple of inches of snow on top of the mesa, but in the slot itself there was often no snow, or the snow was 3-feet deep... nothing in between.

    YMMV

  6. #5

  7. #6
    an echo of tom's mention of the length of time the route takes during the shorter days

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