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Archive 2016 · Water Holes Canyon

  
 
GroovyGeek
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p.2 #1 · p.2 #1 · Water Holes Canyon


Greg Campbell wrote:
Next time you're there, try hiking up out of of Wire to the top of the cliffs along B.S. Around sunset. Amazing! I've been once, when the rising moon was positioned in the 'notch' on West Clark Bench cliffs to the east, but got clouded out.


Do you climb out near the confluence of WP and BS? If memory serves me right that were some pretty steep sidewalls at least on the south side. Never went north so maybe there is a way there. Or do you peel off to the left before you enter the WP section


Greg Campbell wrote:
What I did get was... lost! Leave clear trail markers! I got very confused as the light faded, and couldn't figure out which path I'd taken to get up there. Since the terrain is so steep, descending the wrong draw can put you in real danger. Next time I'm gonna bring a few small glow sticks to mark the way...


I always hike with a GPS recording my track, whether it is broad daylight or the middle of the night. And I never go at night anywhere that I have not hiked during broad daylight. As you point out getting lost in the desert is super easy. The GPS track also helps me find my car, another thing that is easy to "misplace" in the desert.

I am always worried about damaging my phone by accident in the middle of nowhere. A few weeks ago I was contemplating buying a dedicated Garmin GPS and was appalled at what these things cost. Ended up buying a second-hand Droid Turbo 2 with a shatter-proof screen and a gigantic 3900 mAh battery and sticking it in a LifeProof FRE Waterproof Case bought used from eBay for $25. Add another $20 for Gaia and you end up with a setup that beats the crap out of any dedicated GPS on the market for around $200.



Oct 30, 2016 at 02:47 AM
Greg Campbell
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p.2 #2 · p.2 #2 · Water Holes Canyon


The place I got out of Wire to head to the north cliffs was about 1/4 mile west of B.S.
Yea, it's one of the sections of lower W.P where any (non-technical) climbing is possible.

The cliffs to the south, and the path to the top of the 'Monolith' at the SW corner of the convergence, are a little less difficult. And don't stray too far from Wire Pass - at some point you reach the edge of the Coyote Buttes region where a permit is required. There are some neat formations that might lure you into the Ranger Danger zone....

I think the toe of rocks shown here is the place I started climbing out of Wire.
The exact path up the cliffs is unknown. You'll have to pick the most likely canyon to scoot up.



Oct 30, 2016 at 09:27 AM
JSecord
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p.2 #3 · p.2 #3 · Water Holes Canyon


Just wanted to post an update now that I'm home- a huge thanks to everyone who gave advice for my trip! We ended up doing the Narrows, Kanarraville, and Waterholes (and a ton of other hikes...sunrise-sunset every day!!)

Here's the first thing I've processed from the trip, ended up saying screw it and took a day trip to Waterholes on a clear skies sunny day, it was amazing!

Waterholes Canyon by Jon Secord, on Flickr



Nov 06, 2016 at 05:06 PM
Greg Campbell
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p.2 #4 · p.2 #4 · Water Holes Canyon


Looks like it worked out great!


Nov 06, 2016 at 09:46 PM
Plinian
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p.2 #5 · p.2 #5 · Water Holes Canyon


At the risk of hijacking the thread, I wanted to chime in, and thank the FM community in general, and Greg Campbell and JSecord in particular, for their advice, both public and via PM.

Prior to eating turkey with my in-laws last week, I spent a couple days based in Page, and had a terrific visit to both White Pocket and Waterhole. (I skipped the crowds at Antelope but did do the obligatory walk to Horseshoe Bend).

For those who happen across this thread and are interested in similar trips, a few additional comments regarding my experience:

(1) On the way to White Pocket, I stopped off at the Wire Pass trailhead, and walked into that slot part way. Difficult to do a direct comparison because I didn't go all the way to Buckskin Gulch, and because it was overcast, but I found more photographic opportunities at Waterhole than Wire Pass.
(2) I was in a rental GMC Yukon, and the drive to White Pocket was easy. High clearance seemed more important than 4WD. I had originally planned to camp at White Pocket (some advise to avoid driving on deep sand at night), but it was supposed to rain, so I ended up driving out around 8 PM with no problem, especially with the aid of Gaia GPS on my phone.
(3) White Pocket is amazing.
(4) Permits are required to park (and hike) at Waterhole; the LeChee chapter house is almost always closed (and they never answer their phone or email), Upper Antelope doesn't sell them, but they can be purchased from the entry booth for Lower Antelope. While parked at Waterhole, I saw a couple cars with notes on the windshield explaining their unsuccessful attempts to get a permit, and containing an envelope with the fee ($12 per person).
(5) I found the information online about Waterhole slightly confusing, but it's actually very accessible; there is a walk-in entrance in the barbed wire at the parking area north of the bridge, and cairns to follow about 1/4 mile on the north rim that lead to an easy entrance to the canyon, after which one should proceed east. It's possible to hike east through the canyon to where it opens up (about 1.5 mile), but only if you're sufficiently tall or facile to climb up an ~ 10 foot section of ~75 degrees. I was by myself so decided to turn around (but that section comes after the narrows so it was OK).

Greg







Iconic but still impressive







Nice section of Waterhole




Nov 29, 2016 at 02:06 PM
Fred Amico
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p.2 #6 · p.2 #6 · Water Holes Canyon


^^ Very nice images, and thanks for the additional info.


Nov 29, 2016 at 03:01 PM
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