Bogley

trackrunner · Joined: 27 Nov 2007 Posts: 663

My wife's grandparents have a yearly tradition of camping and dinner down in Zion NP once a year. This last Tuesday was the first time I've ever been able to attend. I wanted to hike Dalton Wash but after reading the driving description I didn't want to chance my little Honda Civic on the road, I'll save it for later. When we got to ZNP it was windy and getting colder. We wanted to do a hike but felt the main canyon with the little one would take too long. So I wanted to find the start to Spry since I plan on knocking that canyon off my list. Read all the trail descriptions and drove a .5 mile past the tunnel and parked. Walked along the road back to the canyon where it crosses under the road. I figure it was the right canyon from the descriptions and map (1/3 to .4 mile past tunnel); Tom Jones describes it as "sandy bottom" canyon floor. Correct me if it is the wrong canyon from my pics. We hiked up the canyon like the descriptions tell for 15 minutes until the canyon narrows. To the left on the 4th class slab was a cairn. I assume this was the climb up to the saddle. Though lost people build cairns too.

Was next planning on hiking wherever on slick rock but it became windy and cold. Went back helped with dinner. Boulder climbed on some of the boulders near Watchman Campground.

Right canyon from the pics? Sorry tanya no money shot for you.

oldno7 · Joined: 16 May 2007 Posts: 490

Your in the right canyon, right were you took the pic of narrowing walls---backtrack to the first weekness to the west.
The ascent to the saddle is in a somewhat Northwestern direction from there. Easy routefinding. probably 2 false looking tops going up. Stay south of the south buttress of Deertrap and you can't go wrong. There is a petroglyph up towards the top if you hug the drainage closest to deertrap.

tanya · Joined: 18 Oct 2005 Posts: 5479 Location: Utah

Deertrap Petroglyphs
37°13.5850N
112°56.5650W

So you don't miss them.. they are hard to see unless you know where to look.

Bo_Beck · Joined: 02 Dec 2005 Posts: 703 Location: Southern Utah

tanya wrote: Deertrap Petroglyphs
37°13.5850N
112°56.5650W

So you don't miss them.. they are hard to see unless you know where to look.

And maybe this will help too?

trackrunner · Joined: 27 Nov 2007 Posts: 663

oldno7 wrote: Your in the right canyon, right were you took the pic of narrowing walls---backtrack to the first weekness to the west.
The ascent to the saddle is in a somewhat Northwestern direction from there. Easy routefinding. probably 2 false looking tops going up. Stay south of the south buttress of Deertrap and you can't go wrong. There is a petroglyph up towards the top if you hug the drainage closest to deertrap.
I wonder how far off I was, I did hike 15 minutes, but I've been told I hike sometimes at a fast pace. IIt must be the first place where the canyon narrows??? I'll have to go back and look? If so lost people to build cairn :haha:

Jaxx · Joined: 16 Jan 2007 Posts: 1477

trackrunner wrote: I wonder how far off I was, I did hike 15 minutes, but I've been told I hike sometimes at a fast pace. IIt must be the first place where the canyon narrows??? I'll have to go back and look? If so lost people to build cairn :haha:

Yes they do. We followed one of those cairns and it added a couple our sun baked climb into the canyon. See here for our TR http://bogley.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8371&highlight=spry
If I ever go back I will demolish that cairn with avengance! :haha:
Actually, it was a very fun canyon and I hope to visit it again soon.

trackrunner · Joined: 27 Nov 2007 Posts: 663

Jaxx wrote: trackrunner wrote: I wonder how far off I was, I did hike 15 minutes, but I've been told I hike sometimes at a fast pace. IIt must be the first place where the canyon narrows??? I'll have to go back and look? If so lost people to build cairn :haha:

Yes they do. We followed one of those cairns and it added a couple our sun baked climb into the canyon. See here for our TR http://bogley.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8371&highlight=spry
If I ever go back I will demolish that cairn with avengance! :haha:
Actually, it was a very fun canyon and I hope to visit it again soon.
Actualy my cairn reference throughout this thread was to your earlier adventure. Iceaxe had posted to your spry adventure Iceaxe wrote: We always joke when we see a cairn.... "Oh look, somebody else is also lost".

And Tom Jones wrote
ratagonia
wrote: People who are lost also build cairns.

I got lost on a trail in Arches because someone built a cairn that took you off an establish trail :ne_nau: So I thought it was a slick rock trail and end up getting cliffed out. On the return trip it wasn't there anymore :wink: :nod: