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| Canyoneering | 9.86 Miles |
598 AEG |
| | Canyoneering | 9.86 Miles | 3 Hrs 50 Mns | | 2.65 mph |
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| 598 ft AEG | 7 Mns Break | | |
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| no partners | | This hike was a scouting event for a future group hike. I took a good friend along and we first stopped off at the BLM Paria Contact Station on Route 89, where they told us House Rock Valley road was quite sticky and rutted past the Buckskin Gulch TH (i.e. the rest of the way to the more popular trailhead, Wire Pass). So we decided to go see how bad the condition of road was from 89 to Buckskin Gulch TH. Just after leaving the contact station, we picked up an Australian hitchhiker who we had seen loading his pack at his car near the contact station. Turned out he was going to do the Buckskin-Paria loop back to the contact station, so we had some additional company for a while!
The road was fine to Buckskin Gulch TH--we didn't try past that, so I don't know the condition--this day. Keep reading.
We unloaded and started out as light snow flurries started coming. Well, at least they wouldn't cause a flood, right? We thoroughly enjoyed all of the sandstone formations, the same types as a bit further south in the Coyote Buttes area. There are many trails which "shortcut" the corners of the wash, but you can follow the wash all the way if you want. Some of the sand in the wash wasn't as easy to walk on so we took a few of the shortcuts.
About 3 miles in we got to the beginning of the famous Buckskin Gulch slot canyon. It's pretty cool coming in this way...it's a gradual narrowing, and when the slot is only about 30' deep you get excited because it's starting. Then it gets deeper...and deeper....and darker, and very cool. This area, still upstream of the Wire Pass confluence, is very scenic and far less rocky than the Buckskin Gulch slot downstream from Wire Pass. But I'm getting ahead.
We arrived at the confluence with Wire Pass, which is pretty obvious. We found the trail register, which is near the faint petroglyphs on the south side of the Wire Pass canyon, left of the big arch. We then hiked a bit up Wire Pass to see what it was all about, and yes, it's pretty darn narrow! Very cool.
At this point, our Australian friend (Felix) set off on the rest of his hike while me and my friend returned the way we came...with a bit better weather as the day went on.
The next day was intended to be a hike from Wire Pass into Buckskin, and then further downstream in Buckskin, but that was not to be as the rain happened again overnight and getting to Wire Pass was not possible. House Rock Valley Road was impassable south of Buckskin Gulch TH, even with a Jeep Cherokee in 4WD--too much sticky clay. So we ended up redoing this same hike (on a sunnier day) but in a much wetter canyon, and went a bit below Wire Pass.
This hike is very much worth doing....I know a lot of people want to "get right in the slot" at Wire Pass, but consider this version. You get the slot canyon, but a lot of other gorgeous scenery too.
I also want to thank ddgrunning for his excellent trail report for his Buckskin-Paria hike earlier this month! Was really helpful to read such a recent triplog in planning this hike. |
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