Big Wash + "Real Hairy" (WF Big Wash) - GJ, CO

[yetigonecrazy]

Whew! What an adventure. I have been trying to get this done for two years, and on Sunday the right combination of conditions and team came together and we did an obscure route near Grand Junction, CO that got us into two narrow sandstone canyons, a handful of rappels, numerous downclimbs, one of the most intense bush-thrashing sections I've ever done, and a blast of an adventure. We paired two canyons; Big Wash, which drains the extreme northwest corner of Grand Mesa, and one of it's primary tributaries to the west, which we were calling just "West Fork Big Wash" but we later named it "Real Hairy" because of the thick brush which I will discuss below.

We started at the parking lot where Big Wash meets Plateau Creek, a half a mile off I-70. We gained the toe of the ridge that extended from the summit down to us, and started hiking up. We went right at the halfway cliff band, then angled up right to the top two bands. The first we climbed up, the second we found a hole through that gave us easy access to the top of the mesa. Way cool.

A brisk blast across the mesas had us to the West Fork. We dropped in, couple of short d/c's, and BAM, right into the thick shit. Oakbrush I think, but it doesn't really matter. Only remember that while it's thick, and you will get bloodied, it only last maybe 100 meters or so. There's no way around it, or under, or past it. Once past that it's through a couple of short narrows, down a sketchy d/c we rapped, down some more d/c's, to a big slab. We rapped this one from a tree, but after looking back up realized you could probably CAUTIOUSLY d/c it. Down some more d/c's, through another short brush bash, and out through a hole in the rock to the right. Over the hill and into Big Wash proper, we found a traverse to the top of the ~60' falls right there and get into the stream itself. Flow was perhaps 5 cfs?

100 yards upstream is the narrows of Big Wash. They are not that narrow, perhaps 12-15 feet, but the walls are steep, and hem in close on either side. There is one narrow section, then a slight opening, and another, shorter narrows. Above this it stays wide and uninteresting.

Back down to the 60', we continued down, expecting 2 or perhaps 3 ledges/dryfalls/now waterfalls that we thought we could bypass. There ended up being 6 larger waterfalls (~20' or higher) that you have to get down. We rapped twice, once at a falls that lands on a slab of rock, but looking back up we realized we could have very easily d/c'd it , and the other a mandatory rap at a free falling spout into an overhung pool. There was no d/c'ng that one, and I think it would likely stop progress from those traveling upcanyon to that point.


There are numerous d/c's of varying heights (5' to 20') intermixed throughout- suffice to say there is little easy movement until the last half mile of the wash.

Our total time was 7.5 hours car to car. If anyone wants further info or pics give me a line. There is also much more in the general area on my radar and we will doing many more trips this spring in the area if you'd like to join.

[yetigonecrazy]

The photos are in order to a point but then they all go to hell, sorry, having some problems with the uploader. Captions:

1- scouting the ascent
2- climbing thru the hole to the top
3- looking down at Real Hairy
4- real hairy brush
5- more real hairy brush
6- downclimb
7- setting up a rap
8- looking back up at real hairy
9- rap 2
10- the overhung spout falls in lower Big Wash
11- rapping around the spout falls ledge
12- big wash narrows
13- big wash narrows
14- big wash narrows
15- lower big wash - below the 60' but above the spout
16- ben rapping the slab falls
17- the spout falls
18- real hairy canyon
19- crossing a pool in real hairy

[ghawk]

nice TR

[SRG]

Great trip report!
Way to get out there and explore. Looks like a fun time even with the pain-in-the-ass bushes.

Thanks for posting

[yetigonecrazy]

Looks like a fun time even with the pain-in-the-ass bushes.

even though the brush was bad, it was still one of those moments where we all fought our way out and then just looked at each other and started laughing. no words, just good hearty laughs. not much else to do at that point!

[accadacca]

Great report!