How Would You Rate MIA Exit (Scale of 1-10)?

[taatmk]

Planning on doing Boundary in Zion in near future. Looking to get an idea of how difficult the MIA exit is.
From a few canyons I have done in Zion as a comparision baseline, I am hopeful to get your rating for MIA (realizing of course the subjectivity).

Some perceived compariosons I have done lately: the Subway exit, the exit out of Fat Man's Misery, and the entry hike up to Behunin/Telephone....

With, say, the Fat Man's Misery exit being a 1, using a scale of 1-10, would you rate the climb out the MIA exit?

Thanks for your help. It gives me a comparision to anticipate. Gracias.

[Bootboy]

The hardest part of the subway exit is easier than the easiest part of the MIA. On a scale of 1-10. It sucks. It's about 1,500' gained in about 3/4mi. Its tolerable, but it is slightly exposed in places. We did it in about 1.5 hours to the road. Another hour to the car. There are some places where there are steps chopped in the dirt and your hands are on the slope in front of you when you're standing upright. The hike to behunin is all on a trail so it doesn't really compare.
The MIA is relentless but if you just keep your head down, a steady pace, and your balance, you'll be fine.

FWIW: the flow out of Kolob reservoir has been shut off for the season. Any flow in the canyon will be residual.

[hank moon]

rating on what basis? beauty? technical difficulty? route-finding skill required, number of snickers bars needed? suitability as a locale to pop the question to your baby?

and what does the scale mean? is "1" the low end of (snickers bars, for example)?

a little specificity can go a long way :)

[canyoncaver]

FWIW: the flow out of Kolob reservoir has been shut off for the season. Any flow in the canyon will be residual.

I believe you are thinking of Kolob Canyon. The flow in Boundary seems to be related to the reservoir, but is not directly affected by dam release.

Oh, and the MIA sucks pretty bad but is conquered by mouth-breathers and knuckle-draggers all the time. Just get there before it gets dark...

[Iceaxe]

Subway Exit - 1
Behunin hike up -2
Telephone hike up - 3
Fat Man's Exit -4

Coming home from work and finding Sof

[Kishkumen]

I think Bootboy said it well "It Sucks!". It is steep and the ground is soft and loose. Your packs are heavy due to your wet ropes and wet-suits. You get to the top of the first hill and you think you have to be close to the rim. You then see that you have to go back down the hill and re-take the elevation you just gained. It sucks. When you get to the top of the first hill and say, "How the %#$# are we going to get out of here". You look at the rock rim and there is sliver of vertical dirt cutting to the rim...that is your trail. The last time I did it, it was hot and humid and I sweated so much that I lost all my salt and started to cramp up. I had to take a break, eat some salty food and then I felt better. I have done this trail twice and it sucks. It isn't that long but while you are on it. yeah you guessed it...it sucks. When you get to the top follow the red metal arrows to get out (4 or so miles).

[tcott]

It depends on how many times you have done it. I personally don't thinks it's that bad anymore. The first time I said I was never coming back, which lasted all of two weeks . Now it's just an accepted part of Kolob area canyons. Yeah it's steep, but pretty short lived.

[Bootboy]

I believe you are thinking of Kolob Canyon. The flow in Boundary seems to be related to the reservoir, but is not directly affected by dam release.

Oh, and the MIA sucks pretty bad but is conquered by mouth-breathers and knuckle-draggers all the time. Just get there before it gets dark...

You are correct, boundry is dry (not flowing) last I heard though.

[ilipichicuma]

I got lost the first time I did the MIA exit. Granted, I had gotten my route description destroyed in Boundary because it was common for it to be dry back then. But, now I've done it three times, and it doesn't suck that bad. The second time I had a broken arm and still managed to get out just fine. I just realized that this post isn't making me sound very authoritative. Haha. I'm a good canyoneer I swear!

[Mountaineer]

FWIW: the flow out of Kolob reservoir has been shut off for the season. Any flow in the canyon will be residual.

Just called Washington County Water District, and they said it is being released at 3 CFS through next week.

[dude9478]

My wife and I were up there a couple weekends ago. We honestly didn't think it was all that bad, compare it to some of the approaches in Death Valley and it's a walk in the park. Boundary was not flowing when we did it on the 15th. Have fun!

[Bootboy]

Just called Washington County Water District, and they said it is being released at 3 CFS through next week.

Wtf. I called yesterday (monday) and the girl I talked to said it was shut off for the year.... Hard to trust them

[Mountaineer]

Wtf. I called yesterday (monday) and the girl I talked to said it was shut off for the year.... Hard to trust them

Yikes...not good.

[nelsonccc]

It's bad. We take a variation on the usual exit that is more direct and steeper but way faster and gets you to road sooner. We typically do the first part to the knoll (which is rough, loose, pulling yourself up by your hands). Then we rest for a bit. Then we go straight up the cliff face on the right instead of going down and then back up. A bit exposed and definitely steeper but it gets us to the easy road hiking way faster. Also the dirt scrambling is bad but for me it seems the road is always the worst part. You're already beat and tired and then begins the long slog up the road.

This TR actually has some good pics of what to expect. http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthre...-Boundary-6-21

[ratagonia]

Wtf. I called yesterday (monday) and the girl I talked to said it was shut off for the year.... Hard to trust them

3CFS is, in essence, "shut off".

They are not releasing irrigation water, just some for the fishes.

Please do not get upset about a non-difference.

Tom

[ratagonia]

It's bad. We take a variation on the usual exit that is more direct and steeper but way faster and gets you to road sooner. We typically do the first part to the knoll (which is rough, loose, pulling yourself up by your hands). Then we rest for a bit. Then we go straight up the cliff face on the right instead of going down and then back up. A bit exposed and definitely steeper but it gets us to the easy road hiking way faster. Also the dirt scrambling is bad but for me it seems the road is always the worst part. You're already beat and tired and then begins the long slog up the road.

This TR actually has some good pics of what to expect. http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthre...-Boundary-6-21

I used to do this, but...

A. Time to the Pipe Spring via both routes was very close to the same (because the "shortcut" puts you up on the road sooner, but the walk to the pipe spring makes up the difference).

B. the route is devious, and very hard to describe, and being off the route means 5th class rock climbing (very dangerous - you go first); and...

C. a key foothold that one steps to over an abyss was largely gone, last time I did it. Without that foothold, I'm not sure I could in good faith take people up that way.

So, yeah, maybe. without being shown the route, I think it would be foolish to go up that way and expect to find it.

Tom

[nelsonccc]

I used to do this, but...

A. Time to the Pipe Spring via both routes was very close to the same (because the "shortcut" puts you up on the road sooner, but the walk to the pipe spring makes up the difference).

B. the route is devious, and very hard to describe, and being off the route means 5th class rock climbing (very dangerous - you go first); and...

C. a key foothold that one steps to over an abyss was largely gone, last time I did it. Without that foothold, I'm not sure I could in good faith take people up that way.

So, yeah, maybe. without being shown the route, I think it would be foolish to go up that way and expect to find it.

Tom

Not for the faint of heart for sure. But I do think it's easier. I don't remember a step over an abyss but I do remember doing some friction moves on some pretty steep sandstone with huge penalty points. It was a simple mantle that really wasn't much except a slip meant a pretty big fall/slide.

We go straight up it to the road then go right on the road all the way back almost to the head of Boundary. Then up a little trail to the main road. Not as direct as the typical road slog but seems much easier. However the last time we were out of water and ended up going to the spring and beat another party to the spring by a good 15 minutes. I think that the roads from the spring to the TH are steep and never ending whereas going around the knoll towards Boundary seemed much less severe. Both routes took us about the same time.

[Bootboy]

Just did the MIA yesterday. 1 hour even to the road. And that was with a short break half way up. Not as bad as I remember, still not something is like to do on a regular basis.

A side note: We (3 of us) did Kolob car-car in just under 9 hours.

[Bootboy]

3CFS is, in essence, "shut off".

They are not releasing irrigation water, just some for the fishes.

Please do not get upset about a non-difference.

Tom

I didn't get upset, just a little confused. We just did it yesterday and it was just less 1cfs, a trickle, like what a garden hose puts out with moderate pressure.

[Felicia]

We go straight up it to the road then go right on the road all the way back almost to the head of Boundary. Then up a little trail to the main road. Not as direct as the typical road slog but seems much easier.

How many people use this exit route? When I was up in that are in June I wondered if people would take this route as an exit. I assume that most head for Pipe Springs for the fresh water.

Felicia