Forget the Subway!
Give this group a look, find something you like, and go shoot it!
http://www.flickr.com/groups/slot/pool/

I would personally rather do The Grand Staircase Escalante then Antelope.. but I dunno if the OP wants to get his car that dirty, driving Hole in the Rock Road. It is my favorite part of Utah, hands down. You CAN access the trailhead where a few of the slots are located at.. ie; Spooky, Peek-A-Boo and Zebra, in a 2WD vehicle. A guy we ran into drove the road in a Civic Hybrid 4 door..

Here is a shot of Spooky .. I want to go back asap!!!

Planning a trip to spooky next spring hopefully... Coyote gulch is marvelous as well.

Planning a trip to spooky next spring hopefully... Coyote gulch is marvelous as well.

Now I am intrigued

I am ditching antelope and heading to The Grand Staircase Escalante . I'm going to stay at bryce 2 days. I'll definitely go check out the slot canyons there.

The great thing about this area is that the trail to get to the slots is like an easy 20 minute walk - and IT IS fabulous!!!

This might be a bit hard to find - and the road was a bit rough to get to this location - HOWEVER we were in a 2WD Ford Escape. This is Sunset Arch at Sunset (duh )

Dustin,

Really appreciate your tip on this as I would have no idea such a place existed. I find myself wanting to stay in UTAH longer but alas.

So doing some research it seems the main road to get in this areas is as you suggested "hole-in-rock" road off highway 12.

http://www.utah.com/hike/escalante_river.htm

i see directions for mile markers to get to spooky and peek a boo.

what time of the day do you recommend I go for the slot canyons for the best light?

Jason

My buddy got that book that suggested, and it was stated that the best time of day to shoot was before we got there. I can't remember what exact times it stated, but we got to the trailhead at 4pm - when by coincidence, everyone was leaving! So we had the whole place to ourselves. I am sure all times of the day are good (except when the sun is straight up), as the canyon walls change colors with the different lighting.

Also down that road is Devils Garden (I think that is what it is called). Cool spot to shoot as well!

Time of day completely varies depending on time of year....
The sun angle is really changing here now.

Hole in the Rock! WO-HOOO!!!

Download http://dl.dropbox.com/u/60092457/Canyon_Hikes.kmz and drop it into Google Earth. Or aim GE or GMaps at the above URL.
Like this! http://goo.gl/maps/wFR4A

That ought to keep you busy for a few days.

Spooky is a real gut scraper. You literally have to scooch sideways...

(This is NOT close to being the narrowest section!)

Other H.I.T.R. area highlights include Zebra, Neon/ (A bit of a hike. Explore the lower section of Choprock or Ringtail if you need more excercise!), Egypt3 (hike down 'till you threaten to get stuck ), the classic Peek-a-Boo/Spooky Loop (throw in Tunnel if time/energy allow), Dinosaur footprints, Devil's Garden (pre-dawn and sunrise), several nice arches, as shown above, and about a zillion other places.

Closer to Bryce, a super easy and quite pretty hike is Willis Creek. Check that Skutumpah Rd is in decent shape (ask at the Canonville GSENM center). The creek is maybe 45 minutes from town. If you're feeling adventuresome, make it a Twofer and check out Bull Valley Gorge. (Semi-technical in places, depending on recent rainfall, etc. Some scrambling and crawling. In other words, LOTS of fun!)

Hole-in-the-Rock is usually quite passable in a standard family/rental car. Keep an eye out for sandy areas and try to slow BEFORE you hit the washboard! Distances are great and speeds will be modest, so allow time for driving. Do NOT head down any of the area's dirt roads if significant rain threatens. Once soaked, the road material transforms into greased owl poo that can scare off ever the 4x4 crowd. The northern sections of HITR get enough traffic that you won't have to wait long for help. Some of the side roads are pretty remote, and it wouldn't hurt to leave a trip plan with the motel or rangers at the Escalante center.

There are several decent motels in Escalante, and some $40 (last I looked) cabins at Escalante Outfitters. (They also have a GREAT supply of maps and books. Decent food too.)

I thought the subway requires permits 3 months in advance, which of course I just found out. So I don't thnk I can do the subway which is a shame because it looks really cool

NO! You can walk up to the back country desk at Zion and obtain a permit to the Subway the day before you want to visit if they have any left. I've done that a couple of times.

One more shout-out. You'll probably want to drive Hwy 12 at least as far as Boulder. The road is just amazing. If you've got the driving bug, a real pretty side trip from there is the Burr Trail Road. This is refreshingly paved, and takes you INTO a fantastic canyon. 2 hours will show you the highlights, including a short, pretty side canyon you need to hike into and explore. ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/19806236@N00/4563269851/ )

Of course, with only 4 days, you can't hope to see anywhere near all the "Must see" places in GSENM, so please don't try! Just getting to a place like this: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/36928014 is a multi-hour hike. (I SOOO want to see this feature!) Take your time and try to spend as much time looking through the viewfinder as possible, instead of running wildly from one destination to the next. And start making plans to return next Spring!

Dustin Gent wrote:
My buddy got that book that suggested, and it was stated that the best time of day to shoot was before we got there. I can't remember what exact times it stated, but we got to the trailhead at 4pm - when by coincidence, everyone was leaving! So we had the whole place to ourselves. I am sure all times of the day are good (except when the sun is straight up), as the canyon walls change colors with the different lighting.

Also down that road is Devils Garden (I think that is what it is called). Cool spot to shoot as well!


Thanks Dustin and Ckcarr!

DonH wrote:
I thought the subway requires permits 3 months in advance, which of course I just found out. So I don't thnk I can do the subway which is a shame because it looks really cool

NO! You can walk up to the back country desk at Zion and obtain a permit to the Subway the day before you want to visit if they have any left. I've done that a couple of times.


Thanks for the tip! I'll check it out and see if can sneak in a subway.

Greg that picture has me thinking am I too fat or not! Should I bring industrial grease in case I get stuck


Man all these awesome places. How can I quit my job and pay the mortgage and go to these places?! anyone?

Jason

Jason, this sort of poking about IS somewhat physical. Here's a 'spoiler' for Spooky and Peek-a-Boo. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXp5Tjp0Mn0
If this looks like fun, you're set! These canyons are quite short, and you'll be past the difficult places in a few tens of minutes. It's not like you'll be climbing the Eigernordwand, but you do need to free from basic health issues. If you're significantly over 200#, have a bad hip or other mobility problem, some of the suggested canyons may not be much fun. Willis Creek is a dead-level stroll. Zebra is quite easy apart from a modest hike in and a few pools of variably (Inches to a few feet!) deep, potentially cold, water near the entrance. 'Flood' conditions depicted at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4qQn8gm7cQ . Every other 'interesting' canyon I've visited has required at least a minor bit of rock hopping.

When we were at Zebra in March, there was no signs on water - what so ever. I was told that it usually has water in there.. And yes, Spooky does get a bit tight in there! I was on my stomach quite a bit.

Here are my HITR notes:

"Gateway to slots, goblins, and fun! Possibly the most washboarded road on the planet! Let some air out of the tires before you loose all your teeth. You can re-fill at the convenience store opposite the Escalante High School, on the east end of town.

Distances, as calculated with maps. NOT verified!

From Hwy 12:
12 - Zebra trail head. 8.0
12 - Devil's Garden 12.2
12 - Egypt Rd. 16.5
12 - Spooky turnoff 26.0
12 - Sunset Arch access Rd. 36.1
12 - Dance Hall Rock 36.9

From HITRR along Egypt Rd.
HITR - Egypt3 crossing. 9.0
HITR - Neon Turnoff 9.3(Another ~1/8 to trailhead)
"

Dustin,

Guess I better go on a no french fry diet for a while :P


Thanks Greg for the notes! So those distances are just to the trail head. Are the trails to the spots marked well and path pretty easy to follow?

Jason