Fools Canyon - Escalante

[oldmanwinter]

Hey everyone, I am new here and I hope to contribute, but first I have a question.

Has anyone any beta on Fools Canyon (drainage just north of Coyote Gulch)? I am planning on exploring it this week and am just wondering if anyone has some advice on entrance/conditions. The interweb is low on beta for this canyon.

I appreciate your help!

[ratagonia]

Hey everyone, I am new here and I hope to contribute, but first I have a question.

Has anyone any beta on Fools Canyon (drainage just north of Coyote Gulch)? I am planning on exploring it this week and am just wondering if anyone has some advice on entrance/conditions. The interweb is low on beta for this canyon.

I appreciate your help!

Thank you, Old Man Winter. Questions are contributions too.

There is some information in Steve Allen's Canyoneering 3 book.

Tom

[dougr]

I was just up there last week, reached the span of Stevens Arch. Definitely worth the 2 hrs. up and back to it btw. My original plan was to do gown Crack in the Wall to Fool's, up Fool's, then over to the Long Branch into Coyote, then out at either JHA or the crack. Rain caused me to divert. Not only does Steve's Canyoneering 3 mention this as a viable non-technical route, but the topos at the interagency center in Escalante show a route penciled in going up Fool's. But also there's a route penciled in going up to Les Georges just south of the mouth of Fool's. I was going to check that out first as well.

Post what you find.

[nonot]

Hmmm, I have beta (gleaned off web sites over the years) that seems to indicate the following:

Lower 3ish to 4 miles OK for backpacking to the Escalante, though I observe a pouroff/pothole about 2ish miles from the end that nobody mentions - must not be a problem. Reports of some brushy sections and beaver dams.

More reliable information indicates that you can at least cross fools canyon from south to north at this 3.5ish mile point from the bottom. There is an old cattle trail in the area. Apparently dynamite was involved.

I note: "Spring Fed Plunge Pool" about a mile plus change going up canyon from this crossing point.

I note I have no information about a route in the canyon above this point - maybe it goes tech?

[ratagonia]

Hmmm, I have beta (gleaned off web sites over the years) that seems to indicate the following:

...

I note: "Spring Fed Plunge Pool" about a mile plus change going up canyon from this crossing point.

I note I have no information about a route in the canyon above this point - maybe it goes tech?

I think it more likely to go riparian/brushy and a PITA. Might be poison ivy too.

Tom

[oldmanwinter]

Hey thanks for the beta. I got back yesterday. We hiked to the mouth of Fools from Red Well. It was great hike (I like hiking on rolling sandstone)! We had two ropes at the car but only the 20m made into our packs which means we were SOL at the canyon mouth. There's no non-rap way into the canyon, at least that we could find. We weren't excited about finding the cattle trail down canyon or missing the top portion of the canyon so we bailed. We played around in the many small slots in the area and the next day hiked Coyote since a couple people in the group hadn't been down there.

But we'll be back, it looks like a beautiful canyon. And Coyote is awesome right now. (although I was a little disappointed at all the unnecessary rope scars at Crack in the Wall)

For those who care: All the reasonable raps looked about 150-200ft. However, there was one drainage that would have been a short 50-80ft rap onto a ledge/FPH and then another 80-110 feet to the canyon floor. Also, down canyon there's a large tributary where we down climbed a 5th class section and found a great 180-230ft rap (I say great just because it would be a free-hanging rap into a beautiful area/small pool). If anyone wants more beta just PM or whatever.

[ratagonia]

Hey thanks for the beta. I got back yesterday. We hiked to the mouth of Fools from Red Well. It was great hike (I like hiking on rolling sandstone)! We had two ropes at the car but only the 20m made into our packs which means we were SOL at the canyon mouth. There's no non-rap way into the canyon, at least that we could find. We weren't excited about finding the cattle trail down canyon or missing the top portion of the canyon so we bailed. We played around in the many small slots in the area and the next day hiked Coyote since a couple people in the group hadn't been down there.

But we'll be back, it looks like a beautiful canyon. And Coyote is awesome right now. (although I was a little disappointed at all the unnecessary rope scars at Crack in the Wall)

For those who care: All the reasonable raps looked about 150-200ft. However, there was one drainage that would have been a short 50-80ft rap onto a ledge/FPH and then another 80-110 feet to the canyon floor. Also, down canyon there's a large tributary where we down climbed a 5th class section and found a great 180-230ft rap (I say great just because it would be a free-hanging rap into a beautiful area/small pool). If anyone wants more beta just PM or whatever.

Thanks Old Man ...

YEAH!, I'm interested in more betta beta. email me at CanyoneeringUSA at gmail dot com, would ya?

Lots of boating on the Escalante this year, probably contributed to the rope scars at Crack in the Wall.

There are a lot of very difficult canyons in that area so be mighty careful out there - know what you are getting into.

Tom

[anton_solovyev]

Friend and I did a loop hike from the water tank across Coyote, down Bobway, up Escalante, up Fools to cow trail exit and back across Coyote to the car, two years ago. Fools was a good hike. Some riparian jungle sections difficult to get through. Some pools to jump in and swim. I seem to remember the exit was right after a big pool with a (dry) waterfall of the type you see in Hog Spring.

[dougr]

If anyone wants more beta just PM or whatever.

Do you have access to something like Garmin's Mapsource with topos on which you could plot some waypoints and notes?