Talk to me about the Barracks/Parunuweap in November.

[OwenM]

Wondering if the water is warmer than the North Fork/Narrows, along with how deep, and how sustained any significant depth may be.
From the trip reports I've read, it's not clear how much time is actually spent in the water on this hike...
Chart shows ~50cfs in the first two weeks of November the last two years, if that means anything.
Current plan has me flying into Vegas Oct. 29, and out Nov. 12.

I'm debating doing this as a 3 day/2 night backpack to allow time for exploring the side canyons, and probably coming in via Meadow Creek to Mineral Gulch(am aware of the rappel).
Curious if I'll be in the water briefly, and can make do with water shoes and my NRS 2mm wetsuit pants and wetsocks, or will need something heavier, and/or more coverage.
I'm also planning Orderville from the top, and may solo a beginner canyon or two, so thought I might buy a 3mm Farmer John, anyway. Other than that I'll be renting.

Thanks for any advice or comments.
Can't wait to get back!

[OwenM]

Is November just an uncommon time, a bad time, what? I figured there wouldn't be any people, which I generally consider a good thing, and is why I avoid tourist season to begin with...

[ratagonia]

The Barracks is not a route a lot of people do. I haven't done it, but plan to in November.

Generally, talking lots of ankle to knee deep walking. Might be more in a few places. Hard to say what the wetsuit tradeoff is - not sure what I will bring. Probably no wet suit, just neo socks, wool and lots of fleece.

"Wondering if the water is warmer than the North Fork/Narrows, along with how deep, and how sustained any significant depth may be.
From the trip reports I've read, it's not clear how much time is actually spent in the water on this hike...
Chart shows ~50cfs in the first two weeks of November the last two years, if that means anything.
Current plan has me flying into Vegas Oct. 29, and out Nov. 12.

I'm debating doing this as a 3 day/2 night backpack to allow time for exploring the side canyons, and probably coming in via Meadow Creek to Mineral Gulch(am aware of the rappel).
Curious if I'll be in the water briefly, and can make do with water shoes and my NRS 2mm wetsuit pants and wetsocks, or will need something heavier, and/or more coverage.
I'm also planning Orderville from the top, and may solo a beginner canyon or two, so thought I might buy a 3mm Farmer John, anyway. Other than that I'll be renting. "

The water will be the same temp as the Narrows, more or less, maybe warmer. Neo Socks for sure. Might want to bring the wetsuit pants and only put them on for the deepest bits. Generally it will not be wet enough to justify wearing wetsuit parts. As in the Narrows, best to wear quick-dry shorts, neo socks with wool, and add fleece on top to maintain comfort. Drybag for the pack contents for sure.

We plan on hiking in from Mt Carmel. No rope needed.

Tom

[OwenM]

Thanks, Tom.
I got chest deep in the Narrows before Mystery Falls the last week of October before last, and was glad I rented a drysuit, which was comfy the whole time. Think the water temp was ~50F.
Aside from that and a couple of spots in the bottom part of Orderville, I probably could have made do with the pants, though. Maybe I'll just use the pants and rent a wetsuit jacket for Orderville this time(?). I don't like renting stuff, but gearing up for something I get to do once a year isn't practical.

I'm not set on coming down Meadow Creek, not 100% set on doing the Barracks alone at all, just saw that route would put me straight into some of the slot sections I'd want to hike up to anyway.
I don't know about that boulder obstacle, and wondered if I might need some rope or webbing there, anyway. That's another reason I figured I might as well do the rappel. Read a trip report somewhere about someone(how vague is that?) bypassing the obstacle, but they said there was about a 10' drop from where the bypass put them. I'm Mr. Safety, anyway, but also have an injury that lets me do anything I want except jarring my spine, so jumping and dropping are things I actively avoid.

[ratagonia]

Thanks, Tom.
I got chest deep in the Narrows before Mystery Falls the last week of October before last, and was glad I rented a drysuit, which was comfy the whole time. Think the water temp was ~50F.
Aside from that and a couple of spots in the bottom part of Orderville, I probably could have made do with the pants, though. Maybe I'll just use the pants and rent a wetsuit jacket for Orderville this time(?). I don't like renting stuff, but gearing up for something I get to do once a year isn't practical.

I'm not set on coming down Meadow Creek, not 100% set on doing the Barracks alone at all, just saw that route would put me straight into some of the slot sections I'd want to hike up to anyway.
I don't know about that boulder obstacle, and wondered if I might need some rope or webbing there, anyway. That's another reason I figured I might as well do the rappel. Read a trip report somewhere about someone(how vague is that?) bypassing the obstacle, but they said there was about a 10' drop from where the bypass put them. I'm Mr. Safety, anyway, but also have an injury that lets me do anything I want except jarring my spine, so jumping and dropping are things I actively avoid.

Water depths are unpredictable, because floods move the sand around, sometimes depositing and other times scouring out holes. The "deep spot" before Mystery Falls was especially shallow this year.

If you are doing Orderville top-down, there are a couple swims in there. The drypants work really well up to a point...

;-)

Tom

[rick t]

I have done Paraunaweap from Mt Carmel junct a couple of times, the last being 3-4 years ago. There were no deep spots, but of course the sand does change things regularly. We downclimbed the boulder problem without much difficulty, and then just for the heck of it I downclimbed it on the opposite side (left, LDC), through a crack to see if it went. A little more sporting, but not too tough. A good idea to have a short rope here for a hand line if needed. We camped the second night near the bottom of fat mans, and did that route in the morning, leaving our camping gear at the bottom while we did the canyon, before hiking out with everything to our dropped car on the normal fat mans exit. A beautiful area, and hike. The water was not real cold, though in November, along with the cooler days you do always have the possibility of colder water from an early snow meltoff, though less than the narrows. Once did a UEA narrows hike the first weekend of October, after an unusual 4 ft snow dump up on Cedar Mt in september, and as it had warmed up in the interim, melting all of the snow, we had a high water day hike with sub 50 degree water, making it a bit of a challenge. Be prepared.