Kolob Creek (Canyon)

[kenrick]

Planning our Zion trip for the start of July and was planning on doing Kolob Creek via the Narrows but dont want it to take up 2 days.

I have a couple questions, is how long has it taken some of you to do it? Do you recommend 2 days or bolting through it, where did you camp at? or do you prefer MIA exit...

My last question may be a little out there... Is is practical to setup the Rapel for into the Narrows to check it out shortly, and then climb out and go ahead and take the MIA exit... and... GO!

[Brian in SLC]

Planning our Zion trip for the start of July and was planning on doing Kolob Creek via the Narrows but dont want it to take up 2 days.

I have a couple questions, is how long has it taken some of you to do it? Do you recommend 2 days or bolting through it, where did you camp at? or do you prefer MIA exit...

My last question may be a little out there... Is is practical to setup the Rapel for into the Narrows to check it out shortly, and then climb out and go ahead and take the MIA exit... and... GO!

Huh?

[spinesnaper]

Planning our Zion trip for the start of July and was planning on doing Kolob Creek via the Narrows but dont want it to take up 2 days.

I have a couple questions, is how long has it taken some of you to do it? Do you recommend 2 days or bolting through it, where did you camp at? or do you prefer MIA exit...

My last question may be a little out there... Is is practical to setup the Rapel for into the Narrows to check it out shortly, and then climb out and go ahead and take the MIA exit... and... GO!

Others will answer you more definitely than I. I have not done Kolob. I have not done MIA. But I have done Boundary exiting the narrows in a day. We were dropped by shuttle at lava point. I think we were making our first rap into Boundary around 9 AM and reached Kolob Creek around 12:30 PM. We had a quick lunch and it was almost 1:45 PM before reaching the MIA. We continued down stream and had our second lunch when we reached the Narrows at about 5 PM. Traversing Kolob would probably be significantly slower than Boundary . That's a long winded way of saying that it is far and rugged to go from the the MIA to the Narrows and going back up you have a couple of significant but not impossible drops to reverse but you will be fighting current which might also add to the task of reversing course. I am going to guess that once you get to the Narrows, it would be easier to keep going down stream than to return up Kolob Creek and exit MIA.

I sure would not be excited to carry camping gear through Kolob canyon.

Ken

[Iceaxe]

You are so messed up in what you are asking I don't even know where to begin. You need to get a good map and beta, spend some time studying them and then come back and ask your questions.

MIA exit is 8 to 10 hours total for EXPERIENCED canyoneers.

Narrows exit is 12 to 15 hours total for EXPERIENCED canyoneers.

And when I say experienced I mean you have over 100 canyons under your belt, otherwise the required times can go up exponentially.

[spinesnaper]

Gotta love that Leon Russell.

[Iceaxe]

Gotta love that Leon Russell.

[kenrick]

Others will answer you more definitely than I. I have not done Kolob. I have not done MIA. But I have done Boundary exiting the narrows in a day. We were dropped by shuttle at lava point. I think we were making our first rap into Boundary around 9 AM and reached Kolob Creek around 12:30 PM. We had a quick lunch and it was almost 1:45 PM before reaching the MIA. We continued down stream and had our second lunch when we reached the Narrows at about 5 PM. Traversing Kolob would probably be significantly slower than Boundary . That's a long winded way of saying that it is far and rugged to go from the the MIA to the Narrows and going back up you have a couple of significant but not impossible drops to reverse but you will be fighting current which might also add to the task of reversing course. I am going to guess that once you get to the Narrows, it would be easier to keep going down stream than to return up Kolob Creek and exit MIA.

I sure would not be excited to carry camping gear through Kolob canyon.

Ken

I appreciate the info. I haven't taken a look at the topos yet but saw it was only a couple of small raps in between the narrows and MIA. Only reason I asked is if it was doable it makes it much less hassle dropping a car off at the park and picking it up while still being able to drop into the narrows above big springs which I haven't seen yet. Knew it was probably a long shot.

[kenrick]

You are so messed up in what you are asking I don't even know where to begin. You need to get a good map and beta, spend some time studying them and then come back and ask your questions.

MIA exit is 8 to 10 hours total for EXPERIENCED canyoneers.

Narrows exit is 12 to 15 hours total for EXPERIENCED canyoneers.

And when I say experienced I mean you have over 100 canyons under your belt, otherwise the required times can go up exponentially.

I expect we could do it in 16 hours...
I'm not experienced, just slightly crazy.
Only canyons I've down are subway top down, orderville, and summiting Hidden Canyon from the bottom (no easy or sane task). I'm familiar with the narrows up to big springs. I was just trying to find a possible way to see the narrows from kolob creek and not camp or river walk in the dark. I also plan on taking time and enjoying the canyon and not racing through it. CampOut it is! 🔥😬

That said dropping a car off at the park, calling the water district, and grabbing the permit I imagine will slow down an early start.

[Scott P]

I haven't taken a look at the topos yet but saw it was only a couple of small raps in between the narrows and MIA.

Unless things have changed, there is only one and it's long before the Narrows.

Only reason I asked is if it was doable it makes it much less hassle dropping a car off at the park and picking it up while still being able to drop into the narrows above big springs which I haven't seen yet. Knew it was probably a long shot.

MIA to Big Springs and back is actually a very long way. Also, the part of the river between Kolob Creek and Big Springs isn't narrow. It's the widest part of that canyon. The more impressive and narrow parts are either above Kolob Creek or below Big Springs.

[ratagonia]

Only canyons I've down are subway top down, orderville, and summiting Hidden Canyon from the bottom (no easy or sane task).

[sarcasm]

Yes, it looks like you are well-prepared to do do Kolob. After all, you HAVE rappelled before.

[/sarcasm]


Isn't there an internet law out there, that Trolls and Compleat Idiots are impossible to tell apart? Maybe Gandalf's law?

[kenrick]

[sarcasm]

Yes, it looks like you are well-prepared to do do Kolob. After all, you HAVE rappelled before.

[/sarcasm]


Isn't there an internet law out there, that Trolls and Compleat Idiots are impossible to tell apart? Maybe Gandalf's law?

Like I said, I'm not experienced... But even you have not summited hidden canyon. What canyons do you suggest are a good bridge for preparing for kolob? We have one where I live that is class c that we'll be practicing with getting ready for it.

[Eric Holden]

[ratagonia]

Like I said, I'm not experienced... But even you have not summited hidden canyon. What canyons do you suggest are a good bridge for preparing for kolob? We have one where I live that is class c that we'll be practicing with getting ready for it.

How do you know what I have or have not done?



For the record, I have not climbed up Hidden. I don't see the point. If I wanted to go climbing, I would go climbing. If I wanted to canyoneer, I would go DOWN a canyon. Climbing UP Hidden is irrelevant to this discussion, except perhaps to show a lack of understanding and a tendency towards chest-beating. That you had not looked at a map before asking questions tends to be a bad sign, too.

Here's a link you might find useful: http://bit.ly/R3GWAt

Kolob is an advanced canyon, though perhaps the easiest of the advanced canyons in Zion. It is not so much that it is "hard", as that any mishap in there can have very serious consequences. Getting a rope stuck, easy to do in a flowing-water canyon, could result in spending a night or two in there. Depending where, that could be quite uncomfortable.

Appropriate Preparation: maybe 30 canyons, demonstrating some proficiency. A Telephunin would be a good choice (Telephone and Behunin). You should also do something that involves being cold for a long period of time and still functioning. Not sure what to recommend there, as Boundary is mostly dry these days so it does not help much. Das Boot is on the right track, but neither technical enough nor long enough to provide good preparation.

I recommend doing Boundary first, which is dry or almost dry these days. People often struggle on the MIA the first time, and because Boundary is considerably shorter, this gives people more time and energy to deal with finding the MIA route. I like Boundary better as an overnight-out the Narrows start, because it is shorter, drier and requires less rope. The hike out Kolob to the Narrows is long enough in "normal" conditions, when there is little flow. If there is significant flow in Kolob, hiking downstream can be VERY slow.

But now that I have lapsed into actual advice, rather than snarky rejoinder...

Whatever you do, a reasonably early start is highly recommended. Which means the permit etc. is dealt with the day before. Best if you can camp up at Lava Point. "Reasonably Early" means hitting the trail at 8 am or so, maybe 7 am in high summer. There's a TR on here somewhere about a group that got an early start (10 am was it?), spent the night in there, got a rescue called on them... all easily avoided problems if one is wise enough to follow the advice of the elders...

The water district is only open during banking hours, so your call to them will need to be made on a weekday, middle of the day. You will want to call about a week in advance, and also the day before you head that way. You will also want to check the water level where Kolob runs under the KT Road - even if you are ONLY doing Boundary.

"Class C" covers a wide range of canyons. What canyon is in your hood that you are running laps in?

Not many people have been through Kolob yet this year, so you should expect to have to re-rig some, most or all of the anchors. 100 feet of webbing and 10 rapides?

Other than the wealth of advice and information elsewhere available... what else would you be interested in knowing?

Tom

[Brian in SLC]

I expect we could do it in 16 hours...
I'm not experienced, just slightly crazy.
Only canyons I've down are subway top down, orderville, and summiting Hidden Canyon from the bottom (no easy or sane task). I'm familiar with the narrows up to big springs. I was just trying to find a possible way to see the narrows from kolob creek and not camp or river walk in the dark. I also plan on taking time and enjoying the canyon and not racing through it. CampOut it is! 

That said dropping a car off at the park, calling the water district, and grabbing the permit I imagine will slow down an early start.

Also consider that you'll have to drive back up to Lava Point too. And, find the trailhead, which, if you've never been there before might be interesting. Given how late you'll probably end up starting...and...how "average" parties fair...you might well be coming out in the dark as it is, best-on-best. I've been lost in the dark on the MIA...that ain't no fun (eh, Tom? But, I'm sure it doesn't compare to climbing up Hidden Canyon...har har).

Its hard to know how to answer these solitations for advice...I mean, we have no idear how fast you move in this type of canyon terrain, what your level of fitness is, how saavy your canyoning skills are, and, how "durable" you are. Plus...you won't be alone, right? How's your team?

I think the walk out Kolob Creek is amazing. I've done it a couple of times, always as an over nighter. Camping gear, 'cause most folks don't know how to pack light, really can slow you down. Way slower for some.

Can't imagine walking all the way down to Big Spring, then, turning around and going all the way back up Kolob...at the end of a long day, no less. Nope, not for most.

That said, for Kolob as your first go in that canyon/area, with a hesitation to leave a car at the bottom, I'd say just do Kolob and hike out the MIA. Why complicate or add distance/time to a trip like this? Might be hard enough!

[spinesnaper]

[sarcasm]

Yes, it looks like you are well-prepared to do do Kolob. After all, you HAVE rappelled before.

[/sarcasm]

Tom

Fantastic, I never knew there was mark up language for sarcasm-great, just great.

Ken

[deagol]

on that note:


Hi everyone,

I just saw 127 Hours and decided to get into Canyoneering 'cuz it looks totally sick. I thought about taking some friends through some canyon in Zion called Heaps since the permits seem easier to get than Subway. Any advice?

[harness man]

Edit of previous post-
I apologize for passing judgment on others when I am not qualified to do so and will strive to be a more positive
contributor on Bogley.
There- I feel better now!

[Iceaxe]

[ratagonia]

Now will someone qualified PLEASE talk to the Imlay Sneak dudes about SRT, rope selection and management, double dry bagging critical gear, how you are SUPPOSED to have an Imlay veteran with you, and why you would never go in there with out a helmet (see the video), etc.

Did I miss an opportunity to display my rapier wit?

T

[harness man]

YES...no, actually you were pretty nice-
The trip report 4/26 on Imlay (sneak): dudes with TWO 200' ropes... and one without helmet.