You Better Be Thin, Adventurous & Have The Ability To Shapeshift.

Hiking through some of the slot canyons in Southern Utah can be intimidating and claustrophobic.

Hikers make their way through the narrow slot canyon called Spooky Gulch at The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah.

Off The Well-Beaten Path.

I showed you images from the iconic Narrows hike at Zion yesterday, but these images are from a small and remote slot canyon called Red Canyon outside the park. My friend Scott brought his adorable 6 -year old daughter along and she couldn’t get enough.

Dead End. It does go further but you need ropes and harnesses to negotiate the rest

Crazy Canyoneering

From last week. My friend Lian’s first time but she looks like a pro. Obviously I completed what she is doing because how else would I have gotten this shot?  Near Zion National Park, which is a mecca for canyoneering and rock climbing. The one thing we learned is to make sure the rope reaches to the bottom!

 

 

 

Below is our fearless leader Steve descending into another canyon at Zion NP

A Frozen Willis Creek

I’ve been to Willis Creek’s slot canyon during the warmer months so I wasn’t expecting snow and ice the other day. It made for some slick navigation which shortened our hike. Willis Creek is located in the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument in Southern Utah.

 

 

 

The Nautilus

Aptly named as it resembles the seashell, The Nautilus is a highly eroded sandstone rock formation in Southern Utah. My friends Ali and Thomas gave the scene some sense of scale.

 

 

 

Wire Pass- Barely Passable

Wire Pass, along the Utah/Arizona border is a prelude to the more famous Buckskin Gulch. Unfortunately, Buckskin was full of water after recent rains so my friends Ali, Thomas and I settled for the narrow Wire Pass.

 

Even Frodo won’t go in there….

 

 

 

Rabbitbrush at the confluence of Wire Pass and Buckskin Gulch

 

Not claustrophobic…

 

That’s an alcove!

 

That’s a cheeseburger!

 

Petroglyph

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even Frodo Won’t Go In There….

 

 

I’d Rather Be….. Hiking With Friends at Buckskin Gulch or Spooky?

This was from a few years ago but the same friends are visiting in a few weeks. Maybe Buckskin Gulch or Hole In the Rock Road’s Spooky Gulch.

Hiking in Buckskin Gulch at Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Utah

 

 

Buckskin Gulch

OR

Spooky Gulch at The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah.

 

SQUEEZING THROUGH

 

 

The Magnificent Waterhole Canyon

Page, Arizona has its Antelope Canyon including crowds and guided tours that whisk you through. Waterhole Canyon is not quite like Antelope Canyon but it is a reasonable alternative especially since very few people know where it is.  No tour buses here!

 

 

It’s a bit tight but not claustrophobic.

 

The entry is rather ordinary.

 

Using a tripod for longer exposures helps to reveal the natural hues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Waterholes Canyon

 

Waterholes Canyon

The Fabulous Undisturbed Willis Creek

Willis Creek is a slot canyon that almost anyone can enjoy. It’s located in a remote area of the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument in Southern Utah.  It is a place where peace and solitude are easily experienced.

Hopefully this beautiful area will remain protected. There is currently a push by The Department Of The Interior to reduce the size of the GSENM and allow gas, oil and mining exploration. These industries have a haphazard track record when it comes to protecting the environment they are compromising.

Willis Creek is one of those few gems where pristine waters trickle through the brilliant Navajo Sandstone walls that the creek carved over millions of years.  It would be a shame if the waters were muddied in an instant. I noticed some children playing happily in the waters, waters that could be disturbed if proposed changes to the monument are enacted.

We are all trustees of our public lands and have the right to raise our voice on environmental concerns. You can submit your comment about these proposed actions at The Department Of The Interior