Steve Allen's Canyoneering 2 White Canyon Route

[Steve Hawkins]

My buddy and I are headed back to Southern Utah for another canyoneering adventure, it's been 2 years since we were in the area. We like to backpack, so we are sizing up the White Canyon route in Allen's Canyoneering 2. The route basically goes up the full length of Long Canyon, and descends the ENTIRE length of Gravel Canyon. Needless to say we are super excited. We have done Allen's routes before, and we have done a lot of stuff in escalanete (Choprock, Neon, etc).

There is very little printed material on the net, and almost zero information on Long Canyon. I can't find any report of someone doing the full length of gravel canyon. This is super exciting to us, it must be incredibly remote...at least I am hoping.

We'll come loaded for bear, and we have the skills. What is everyone's experience or impressions on these canyons (Long and Gravel). We only get to go to Utah once is a blue moon, so we want to make the most of it: technical challenge, solitude, and most importantly spectacular slots! Thanks for any input guys.

Steve Hawkins.

[Scott P]

This is super exciting to us, it must be incredibly remote...at least I am hoping.

No; not really. Those canyon parallel roads and are fairly popular. Still very nice and the combination of ruins and slots make them good canyons.

The loop is a good one and there is much to explore. Some people aren't as impressed, but I really like those canyon and would recommend them.

[Iceaxe]

Technical canyoneers made a habit out of cherry picking the best parts of Steve Allen's Canyoneering 2 book and turning his long backpacking adventures into several one-day trips. You will find a lot info on Gravel (which has some great sections of slot canyon), but must of it is set up to do one day trips.

Gravel Canyon Technical Route
http://climb-utah.com/CM/gravel.htm

here is a TR of Cowboy Canyon that drains into Gravel Canyon (not sure if this is mentioned in Canyoneering 2)
http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthread.php?31309

Kelsey's second Tech book also has info on the full (or at least most) of Gravel

Technical Slot Canyon Guide to the Colorado Plateau
http://www.amazon.com/Technical-Cany...=vglnk-c659-20


Hope that helps... Good luck. If you do the loop a trip report would be nice.

[Steve Hawkins]

No; not really. Those canyon parallel roads and are fairly popular. Still very nice and the combination of ruins and slots make them good canyons.

The loop is a good one and there is much to explore. Some people aren't as impressed, but I really like those canyon and would recommend them.

Allen acknowledges the areas proximity to 95, but says you would never know it's there once you get into the canyons. I am glad to hear that you recommend those canyons, we'll have fun no matter what but good to hear they are enjoyable.

[Steve Hawkins]

Technical canyoneers made a habit out of cherry picking the best parts of Steve Allen's Canyoneering 2 book and turning his long backpacking adventures into several one-day trips. You will find a lot info on Gravel (which has some great sections of slot canyon), but must of it is set up to do one day trips.

Gravel Canyon Technical Route
http://climb-utah.com/CM/gravel.htm

here is a TR of Cowboy Canyon that drains into Gravel Canyon (not sure if this is mentioned in Canyoneering 2)
http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthread.php?31309

Kelsey's second Tech book also has info on the full (or at least most) of Gravel

Technical Slot Canyon Guide to the Colorado Plateau
http://www.amazon.com/Technical-Cany...=vglnk-c659-20


Hope that helps... Good luck. If you do the loop a trip report would be nice.

Thanks Ice, appreciate it. I can't recall if Steve Allen mentions Cowboy Canyon by name, but I know for sure Kelsey has it in his orange tech book. Kelsey actually says Cowboy is one of his favs in the area, but I saw a report on Bogley (CarpeyBiggs maybe?) saying it wasn't so hot. I'll find out for myself. Allen says 4 days minimum for the loop, but you'll want 6 days to explore all the side canyons, Cowboy being one of them. Allen makes it sound like there is a world of side slots on the route if you are so inclined.

[Iceaxe]

If a route is good or not depends a lot on what you are looking for. If you enjoy hiking in the backcountry and visiting seldom seen places you will probably like the route. If you are a hardcore technical canyoneer just looking for a challege the route is probably not your cup of tea. The ruins and rock are in Gravel are really good. I know of two rock art panels in Long Canyon but I've never visited it.

The rock art and ruins I know of in Gravel have waypoints furnished in my technical route description posted above. The two panels in Long are at:

37N 44' 7", W110 14' 3"
37N 44' 3", W110 13' 51"

Enjoy

[Scott P]

Kelsey actually says Cowboy is one of his favs in the area, but I saw a report on Bogley (CarpeyBiggs maybe?) saying it wasn't so hot.

Personally, I liked Cowboy Canyon, but coming in from the bottom, there is a difficult climb to get to the good parts.

PS, there are actually several ruins in the Gravel/Long Canyon complex. Unfortunately I haven't been there in several years (1996, but I did visit lower Gravel/Cowboy in 2007, but don't know of any ruins in that part), so I couldn't pinpoint them on the map, but if you look around you will find several.

[mcweyen]

Our group did the Cedar Mesa area stuff last year (Gravel, Cheesebox, Black Hole, Duckett and Fry) and really loved the area. Not super heavily traveled canyons from what we could tell, but used often enough. We did a significant portion of Gravel in one day. We should have planned to do it all in one day. We had planned to do only the upper section but decided to keep going down well below the subway section after we realized we had a lot of time. We hiked the half way up ledge back on out to a point we could climb out safely. It was a long day in the desert! Gravel was a really beautiful place in my opinion. I think you'll like the trip you've planned.

[Byron]

I've done the same loop you're going to do. It's awesome, you'll love it...and don't worry about cars or roads, as the highway is where you'll park your car and then take off away from it.

Sounds like you'll be prepared and it's a pretty straightforward backpack with some moderate climbing in Longs, nothing too bad, as long as someone in your group has scrambling skills. There is plenty of water in the canyons, but it's dry up high when you make to cross over from Long's to Gravel.

Tip...there is a very large pothole at the top of Longs...but you'll need to lower a cook pan from a rope to scoop it up, it's the last tight slot you walk by before the canyon opens up...only about a half hour walk from being out of Longs altogether. Unless there are fresh rainpockets, it's the last water between Longs and Gravel. The traverse from one to the other is about 3 or 4 hours, as I remember.

Great trip! We did it in 5 nights, and that was plenty of time for exploring, too. I have tons of pictures, but they're on real film and I have yet to scan them. Enjoy the trip!

[Steve Hawkins]

I've done the same loop you're going to do. It's awesome, you'll love it...and don't worry about cars or roads, as the highway is where you'll park your car and then take off away from it.

Sounds like you'll be prepared and it's a pretty straightforward backpack with some moderate climbing in Longs, nothing too bad, as long as someone in your group has scrambling skills. There is plenty of water in the canyons, but it's dry up high when you make to cross over from Long's to Gravel.

Tip...there is a very large pothole at the top of Longs...but you'll need to lower a cook pan from a rope to scoop it up, it's the last tight slot you walk by before the canyon opens up...only about a half hour walk from being out of Longs altogether. Unless there are fresh rainpockets, it's the last water between Longs and Gravel. The traverse from one to the other is about 3 or 4 hours, as I remember.

Great trip! We did it in 5 nights, and that was plenty of time for exploring, too. I have tons of pictures, but they're on real film and I have yet to scan them. Enjoy the trip!

Wow! Thank you for the very informative post, especially about the water source near the head of Long Canyon. My friend and I were rock climbers long before canyoneers, so we can probably get up the obstacles in Long Canyon. In reviewing Mike Kelsey's description of Long Canyon he mentions 4 rappels, and I was wondering if we were going to be able to climb those rappels or if they could be bypassed. Sounds like it will "go" according to Allen though. We'll plan on 5 days since that will allow time to explore. We are super excited, and I am glad to hear that you enjoyed your backpack of the area.

[Scott P]

In reviewing Mike Kelsey's description of Long Canyon he mentions 4 rappels, and I was wondering if we were going to be able to climb those rappels or if they could be bypassed. Sounds like it will "go" according to Allen though.

Allen's Route actually exits out of Longs before the rappels.

[pudgy_groundhog]

Does anyone happen to know if Hite Marina sells soda, beer, and general junk food. I didn't realize it was an hour to Blanding, and over an hour to Hanksville from Gravel Canyon. That's a long way for a post hike beer, cause there are some other canyons in the area we would like to do after the Steve Allen route. But I don't want a 2 hour round trip for a beer. We are flying, so we don't have a cooler.

[Byron]

Does anyone happen to know if Hite Marina sells soda, beer, and general junk food. I didn't realize it was an hour to Blanding, and over an hour to Hanksville from Gravel Canyon. That's a long way for a post hike beer, cause there are some other canyons in the area we would like to do after the Steve Allen route. But I don't want a 2 hour round trip for a beer. We are flying, so we don't have a cooler.

Perhaps pick up a cheap cooler after you fly in...Hite has a small gas station that operates on limited hours. It's been a going concern there since the big drought of 2002 wiped out the fishing and boating there. The lake has come up quite a bit lately, and I drove by Hite last April and there was enough water to indicate more boating action? I don't know if they sell beer there...you may want to check the Lake Powell web site for info, or better yet...if you can somehow get the phone # of the gas station there?

Regardless, I always go to that area with all the backpacking and car camping food and water that I need...I think I've only hit that store for ice, and ice cream.