Fold Canyon to the Escalante River

[reverse_dyno]

In Steve Allen's Canyoneering 3 book it mentions that you can drop into Fold Canyon via a steep gully near map elevation 5355. Lat: 37.529231 Long: -110.988910

From this point in Fold Canyon I am wondering if it is possible to follow Fold Canyon to the escalante river without doing any climbing above class 4 or rappelling.



Thanks!

[Slot Machine]

In Steve Allen's Canyoneering 3 book it mentions that you can drop into Fold Canyon via a steep gully near map elevation 5355. Lat: 37.529231 Long: -110.988910

From this point in Fold Canyon I am wondering if it is possible to follow Fold Canyon to the escalante river without doing any climbing above class 4 or rappelling.

I have not hiked down Fold Canyon. I doubt very many people have. So, I will guess along with you.

Downstream from your drop in point the canyon tightens up significantly. Without a rope or harness, or willingness to to downclimb class 4+, I'd bet you get stopped.

Bing Maps give a pretty good view of your options. I bet you could hike around the difficulties by traversing along the bench on the north side of Fold Canyon, then drop back in.

[Byron]

I've been in and out and all around Fold Canyon many times. The first time I went all the way down it I thought "This sucks"...as there is a long, cold swim and a whole lot of boulder hopping. The second time I was reminded of why I disliked it in the first place. This was back in the 90s...the last time I was there was 2006, about 7 months before the big floods.

It's far easier to exit the canyon at the big crack on the south side that Allen mentions. There is a bit of exposure there, you may want a hand line (50') for anyone that's nervous with exposure. From there it's a giant Wingate sidewalk until you get close to the river...Allen describes how to get down from there...it's a bunch of broken up Wingate, semi sized chunks.

Otherwise, one big swim and then a bit of wading and then the boulderhop, which gets worse the closer you get to the river. Bring a short rope to lower packs over the lip of the big swimmer, as the drop was easy to negotiate but the flood may have changed it a bit.

Now I'm thinking about getting my butt back out there...as it's been a while. Fold Canyon is very nice, real wilderness stuff. The only canyon in that whole area that I haven't gone through is Prima Donna, two drainages north of Fold.

BTW, exiting Fold north works if you're going to leave the Escalante around Scorpion...if your exit if Fools, the Bobway or Coyote, then exit on the south rim of Fold.

It's also very scenic in the upper arms, especially the second to last one.

[reverse_dyno]

Thanks Byron! That is great info. Do you happen to remember where you can cross Fold Canyon and is the crossing all class 4 or below? I was planning on entering Fold Canyon via the south side, where my Steep Gully waypoint is. Allen mentions that as a route into Fold. Then on another one of his maps, map twenty-eight in Canyoneering 3, he indicates another entry into Fold from the north side of the canyon, just 700 yards up canyon. I was planning on taking that route up and out of Fold. Then I can go cross country and go down the crack north of Fold to get to the escalante, as Allen mentions.

Do you think that would work?

[Byron]

Yeah, you're good...you're all over it.

A couple more details, though. Where you enter, it's not climbing or scrambling at all. There is however, some exposure on slanted Wingate. Only a few that I have hiked with there slowed down considerably at that spot. No one ever needed a rope.

There is a REALLY easy way in a little further down canyon, maybe 200 yards. The Wingate will slant down lower and lower until you are directly across from a large alcove, the only one in the area. It's an easy walk down from there. Water right there as well.

If you go around the corner of the "big wall" of Navajo...you'll know what I mean...then you've gone too far. Go back a bit and look around, you'll find it.

Allen's exit on the north side is the tunnel. It's easy to get to and fun to go through.

I was talking about stuff downstream of Allens entry and exit that you will use. If you go down canyon from you're entry for about ten minutes, you'll see a tiny side canyon or big crack on you're south...that's the exit to hike down to the Escalante on that side.

There is also a route to the north side right across from that crack, too. It requires a little climbing move and certainly a rope for those that can't do it. It's about a 15 foot slanted wall with (to me) bomber holds. Most of the folks I been with have needed a handline up. Go check it out.

For sure, go downcanyon and look around. It takes about 30 minutes to get to the big swimmer and the few hundred yards before it are extra nice.