Neon Canyon Day Trip - June 5th 2014

[Michael_WB]

Set off from Escalante at 04h40, started hiking from Egypt TH at 06h10. Chatted with some folks at the Fence Camp and waded up to Neon. Making good time we decided to go to the Chop Fork entry (a way up from the More Fun drop in), which is an easy walk down from the bench into a side drainage. Deer flies and cedar gnats were pretty vicious.

Donned wetsuits too early (at the first substantial pool), as we were then treated to 45 minutes of skinny narrows, mostly pack off and often stemming up to 15ft off the deck. Temps were up into the 90s by then.

Glad to reach the swimming corridors to cool down. Pothole between the More Fun and Sport entrances is definitely in keeper mode, but bypassable by rappelling off a bolt high up LDC. Final keeper isn't, despite low water, as it is almost completely full of sand, so we handlined down and walked straight out.

Golden Cathedral still magical, where we stayed at least an hour to dry out ropes and gear, eat lunch, etc. Hike out was hot (nearly 100 in the shade, if there were any!) but we made it in about 1h45 from Fence Camp. 11hrs car-to-car and altogether a great Escalante day.

[Bootboy]

Strange, we were down there 2 weeks ago and the final keeper was full of water but the water was at least 7-8 feet deep. Crazy how things change so fast.


LNT