Keyhole Pine Creek

[moab mark]

My buddies is heading to St George in two weeks and wants to go do Keyhole Pine Creek. Anybody been recently? What can he expect?

Mark

[ratagonia]

The Park has made a few changes since last fall. Hot water service has been installed in Keyhole, with a 1cfs flow down the canyon. No wetsuit required even in winter. Reservations are, however, required, and the permit fee has gone up somewhat, to pay for the kerosene water heating system. Also you must specify a start time, the water only runs for an hour after your start time, though for another thou you can get another hour.

In Pine creek, there is now a nice Starbucks after the Cathedral rappel. You key in your order at the first rappel, and they have it ready for you when you get there. Climb the gilt spiral staircase to the platform, then a zipline runs out the rest of the canyon, to the last two rappels. Unfortunately, wetsuits are required, but wetsuit valet service is available for those who prefer not to bother bringing and dealing with their own.

All this brought by our new President Romney, with the turning over of Utah's National Parks to Deer Valley for management, so they can be refashioned to appeal to the 1%ers, the True Americans, the Job Creators... The $ 10,000.00 permit fee will hopefully keep away the riffraff, though for Job Creators like you and me, Mark, it's just casual bet chump change...

Oh, did you want a serious answer?

It snowed and rained gently here in Zion today. So Keyhole and Pine Creek will be full of water, wet, cold. Snow unlikely, ice unlikely. Unless, of course, it snows significantly between now and then. Then it could be colder and wetter still. Sounds like fun!

Tom

[Branin]

It snowed and rained gently here in Zion today. So Keyhole and Pine Creek will be full of water, wet, cold. Snow unlikely, ice unlikely. Unless, of course, it snows significantly between now and then. Then it could be colder and wetter still. Sounds like fun!

Who's up for an adventure?