First Descents

[SlickRock]

The pioneers of first ascents or other significant routes and styles often document the great events in mountaineering and rock climbing.

The story of canyoneering is equally compelling but virtually non-existent.

Is there any record of who, how and when the first descents were made in Utah's canyons, Zion in particular?

While a couple of DVDs describe the origin of Pine Creek and one or two others, little is known. Yet rarely do I open Bogley and not find a trip report on the first few entries on the Canyoneering page. That's great and appreciated but aren't we as a community missing something?

Maybe I've over-looked the voluminous posts on or the books describing these historic adventures.

In any case, the first descensionists or those in the know should record the event and tell the story... How the canyon was found, risks encountered, challenges overcome, equipment used, who was there... before it's all lost to time.

[Scott P]

The Black Book has a lot of stories of first descents in Zion, but most of them are written in information style rather than dramatic events style.

I guess it is possible that I may have two first descents in Zion (Secret Falls and Border, which I used to call Boundary, before a different canyon became known by that name), but neither story is that dramatic other than one had a really big rappel and was in a really remote and unvisited area in Zion.

Does the NPS still let people thumb through the Black Book?

[2065toyota]

http://www.math.utah.edu/~sfolias/canyontales/intro/

This has a lot of fun info and stories

[Glenn]

Does the NPS still blew people thumb through the Black Book?

What means sentence written by you?

[Scott P]

Stupid autocorrect.

[Glenn]

Bwahaa...been there.

I didn't know about The Black Book until now. Since I'm hoping to do my first canyoneering on the next trip to Zion, I'll have to ask if I can peruse through it.

[Iceaxe]

I used to keep track of a lot of this until I realized every time I thought I knew who did the first descent I was usually able to find someone who did them earlier.

A couple other thoughts on this is there were very few crooks or crannies on the CP not explored during the uranium boom.

A while back a group was bragging up all their first descents around Lake Powell. But if they did any research at all they would know the entire reservoir and shoreline was surveyed when the lake was in planning. That survey was an impressive job and I've spoken with a couple members of the survey crews and their stories easily rival most of our modern canyoneering stories.

I was once in the middle of frickin' nowhere doing a 4B X slot that I just knew had to be a first descent. That thought lasted until we turned a corner and found a set of ancient Moki steps exiting the canyon.

If first descents must be recorded I have taken to reffering to them as "first recorded descent", that way when someone provides proof of an earlier descent I don't feel like a total dumbass attention whore.

YMMV

[ratagonia]

I recorded some stuff here: http://www.canyoneeringusa.com/history/


from the Black Book. I think the Black Book is done, finished, over. But it has been a long time since I asked or looked for it.

Tom

[Brian in SLC]

I think the Black Book is done, finished, over. But it has been a long time since I asked or looked for it.

Last I asked to see it the backcountry desk folks didn't know about it. Probably archived somewhere I'd hope.

My beta including copies of some of the old trip reports from the black book is in a large white binder I call...the white book. Ha ha.

[Scott P]

Probably archived somewhere I'd hope.

Let's hope so. I would suck if someone threw it out. Back in the day hikers and canyoneers were always encourage to post new or unpublished routes in it. I don't think they do that anymore.

[Iceaxe]

I would be awesome if they would digitize the old black book and put it on the interwebs.

[Iceaxe]

Who has a copy of the old green book ;-)

Does anyone who began canyoneering in the last 10 years even know what the green book is.

Damn I'm getting old :-(

[Scott P]

I would be awesome if they would digitize the old black book and put it on the interwebs.

I agree that it would be awesome, but it is unlikely that they would do it. If it even still exist, it's probably in some basement somewhere. I do know that there used to be at least two copies, one for each visitor center. I don't know if both contained all the same reports. I haven't seen the Black Book since 1998 when Stu Addler wrote up our trip report for Icebox Canyon.

Anyway, we should just ask the NPS directly if they would let us borrow and digitize the Black Book.

Who has a copy of the old green book ;-)

I do.

I even have an old l copy of the old Zion Trails guidebook Tom mentions in his link. It talked about how to properly build fires at your backcountry campsite. I should take it into the visitor center one day and show it to the rangers and ask them about the best areas for building fires in the backcountry.

It also had the Death Point Trail, an old official trail long forgotten. In September 1992, we used the guidebook suggestion when we used it to access Secret Falls Canyon. Along the way to the old trailhead, a cattle rancher ask what we were doing there and we told him we wanted to get to the Death Point. He said we could cross his land if we didn't bother the cows, so we were given permission to go to Death Point. The old trailhead sign was still there (and still might be) and I remember it as having the best view in the park.

Also, the trail to La Verkin Creek and Kolob Arch used to start near the visitor center.

Anyway, another trail which seems to have dropped off the radar, is the one from Kolob Reservoir to the Kolob section of the park. This used to be a popular trail in the 1980's and it was never a problem accessing it, but by 1994 you were supposed to call the rancher to use it. The park service used to give you the number when you asked about hiking it or got a permit. I don't think many people use the trail anymore (if it is even still legally possible). The NPS has removed the trail from the newer maps.

Another trail that has dropped way off the radar is the one that goes up Gifford Canyon and Hepworth Wash to Parunaweap Canyon. It's an old and historic trail, but became somewhat popular in the 1980's (maybe in the late 70's too?) due to the Shunesburg Ranch being stricter about hikers crossing the ranch land (supposedly they wanted to sell their land to the park for a high price, but the park didn't want to buy for that price). Too bad the NPS didn't promote this as an alternate route instead of closing lower Parunaweap Canyon.

We also found an old trail (or at least parts of it) up Trail Canyon (imagine that), a side canyon of Right Fork North Creek. It went all the way up to the rim east of Cougar Mountain. There was actually even old sheep camps somewhere near "The Bishopric" rock formations (I don't remember exactly where) and you could get into Phantom Valley (no trail). I have told other people more recently about the trail and they couldn't find it. Maybe the last few decades (has it really been that long?-ug?) have wiped out the remaining traces of the trail.

There is another forgotten trail that leaves the North Fork North Creek below the Subway and before Little Creek. In the 1980's, this trail was actually in better condition than the now used one. I'm surprised that the trail never gained popularity since it allows you to do the Subway without having a car shuttle. I don't know the condition of it now, but in the 1980's it was a pleasant trail and there was a nice little waterfall as the trail crossed Little Creek.