Blue John Canyon, Down East Up Main May 2011

[WorkBad]

28 May 2011 Natalie and I made our way down Blue John East Fork and up Blue John Main Fork. Time for this loop was somewhere around 7.5hrs truck to truck. We brought the 100ft rope and a bunch of webbing and hardware.

Arriving at Granary Springs from a fun week in the N. Wash, we were pretty sore but our thirst for more canyons led us to take on this seemingly all day adventure. Navigation for this route can be tricky with all the side drainages, for a first-timer I'd recommend a compass and map just to be safe. East was a lot of fun and deserves a return trip. The water we experienced was cold but refreshing on this hot spring day. We found tons of twists and turns leaving the mind to imagine what cool stuff might lie ahead. There was one pothole that was full of water whose depth with sand wasn’t bad. Although I’d bet this pothole can get quite deep, go prepared. After seemingly endless turns, the canyon drops into a dark section which then ends abruptly into the gleaming sun of midday. It’s like someone flips on the lights and yells “party’s over”! Once the East Fork is exited there’s a long crappy slog in full sun down to the confluence of Main. Truck-East-Confluence W/Main total time 3.75hrs.

Once the confluence was reached we ate lunch then headed up Main Fork and started counting the steps back to the truck. Main Fork is straight as an arrow but fairly long. Funny, East and Main are side by side canyons but their characteristics are completely different. There isn’t much back and forth in Main, and the walls seem much higher, as if they go all the way to the top in one giant slab. We were out of the sun which felt good and the stroll through the canyon was fun. The climb up and out of Main was challenging and at times a little nerve wracking. I did all the climbing and belayed Natalie up behind me. Once we breached the top it was another hot windy sand slog back to the truck, blah! We had a great time and our camp food tasted really good this night.

All beta was obtained from www.climb-utah.com

Enjoy the photos.

Overview






Motel 6 in the background


Looking East from a vantage point towards our goal


The first rap is from the bunch of sticks middle of photograph


Natalie on the first rap


Scenery








Natalie, lowering herself off a single bolt into the aforementioned pothole


Scenery


















At the end of East (before the slog to the confluence)


Now in the Main Fork, sand slogging


Scenery














Beginning the climb up and out

[hikster11]

Nice TR and great pics

[WorkBad]

Thanks Duane! I just showed Natalie and she said "Lets do it again!"

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[hikster11]

Thanks Duane! I just showed Natalie and she said "Lets do it again!"

Sent from my HTC6525LVW using Tapatalk

I would up for doing that route. I have only done the main fork.

[WorkBad]

Totally, we should plan this together! Let's make this happen.

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[hikster11]

Sounds good to me

[New Mexico]

I'd like to tag along

[hikster11]

I'd like to tag along

Your in

[WorkBad]

Trip report updated and formatting repaired. @hikster11 @New Mexico ,let's plan this!