Four of us set out Saturday morning to paddle across Canyon Lake, climb to the top of Boulder Fest and work our way down the canyon doing 3 rappels before paddling back across Canyon Lake. We parked at the picnic area just off of US88 where we launched our rafts around 9:15AM. The water was a little choppy but we were able to make it across Canyon Lake in our Supai pack rafts in about 30 minutes. Once we reached the other side, we deflated our rafts quickly before the 20 minute climb to the top.

The climb was pretty rocky and steep but short. We climbed directly up the ravine. Once at the top, we started the down climb to the entrance to the canyon. The down climb was a pretty short and an easy hike. There are 3 short rappels in the canyon with a few pools of standing water at least when we were there. No wet suits required. We didn't get wet. The last rappel is the longest and the most fun. Once we did the last rappel, we had a very short hike to the water where we inflated the rafts and paddle back across Canyon Lake to the picnic area. It took us 20 minutes to get back across the lake. Watch out for boats though. I wasn't too worried they would run us over. I was more concerned with them creating a wake that would flip us. The water that day was pretty cold. Make sure you dry bag your gear and always wear an appropriate PFD.

This is a cool little canyon that you can knock out in a morning.

Been looking across at this canyon on the farside of the lake for some time now. Even went with a couple friends last winter to scout out the last drop and then paddle around to find a ramp and then hiked up to the saddle to verify we could drop into this canyon from there... But alas, we never got around to coming back with ropes before it got too hot and the snakes and motorheads came back out of hibernation.

Worked a halfday back in town; sometimes it's tough to convince peeps to join me afterwards. Plus I have a new packraft that can inflate & deflate in minutes all while standing on unsteady and thorny banks of the lake and they don't... So I geared up, got a few funny looks, hopped on the lake and paddled across while keeping an eye out for boats speeding by. Kept paddling around to the approach ramp, deflated the raft, and scrambled up the loose slope to the saddle. Not a very large canyon by any means yet remote & secluded and the descent in was just as loose and slow going. I dropped in just above the boulder strewn narrows with a few small pools and bush to navigate past. Was quickly hit with a sweet view of the lake and my first drop of 40ft off a boulder pile with plenty of anchor options. Dropped down with another rappel soon afterwards, so I quickly found an anchor option for that 20ft drop & sighting another anchor option for the 3rd drop before pulling the rope from the first drop. The anchor on the 2nd drop is not meant for high traffic and it's tough to weight it, but at least I knew I wouldn't stick my rope in the many chockstones. My anchor for the 3rd drop is equally difficult to get to since it requires squeezing thru a hole all while trusting a rockpile bridge suspended 10ft above another boulder. Great place to place the last anchor for the 2-stage 70ft drop below. One down, you're in a cool boulder alcove hidden from the lake and the sun. Some light scrambling to get down to the lake and you need to be creative to find a safe place to blow up your packraft and launch back onto the lake. I was rewarded with a sunset across the lake while paddling back and hoping the speed boats can see me. Don't forget to figure in 3 miles of paddling there and back.