Bogley

blueskies · Joined: 12 Jul 2006 Posts: 7 Location: Hurricane, Utah

Saturday 6/24 we drove 4.5 hours to Ecalante to do our first major canyon outside of Zion.

Once you get a vehicle out into the area you notice that almost the entire surface is covered with a fine sand/dust that gets into everything. This isn't like Zion with some moisture, some dirt, trees etc. This is like the moon. In Zion, once you get in a canyon, it is tough to get lost. In Escalante you start off being lost, and then try to find your way around and back to the vehicle.

Egypt 3 is one of the premier slot canyons. When we dropped into the beginning, it immediately got narrow. The slot goes almost uninterrupted for 4 miles, and is about 4 feet to 6 inches in width at times. People over 200 lbs cannot get through some parts. You hike for miles in slow motion, leaning against the walls for support. After a few hours you realize your hands/gloves have been sliding against the walls for hours and are very dried and chaffed.

The feel is totally different than Zion. In Egypt 3 you can still see towering walls hundreds and thousands of feet above, but these are shear walls - no plants trying to grow out of them, no streaks of water colors. These are funnel walls seemingly just waiting to channel any drop of water into our drainage. The intense heat from the June Sun scorches the ground all around Escalante and while hiking you have the feel of hiking in a tunnel just under a raging fire; and when you have to hike an open spot it definitely felt like we were being burned.

We were extremely fortunate that there was no water in this canyon. There hadn't been any rain for weeks, which is rare. Normally you'd need a wet/dry suit, but not this time. We found about 10 small 'keeper' potholes where you needed a partner to help get out. If they had been full of water, we could have waded across at waist/shoulder height, but climbing out would have been a challenge.

The walls were sometimes smooth and pleasant to the touch, and then for miles wold have little tiny rock mixed into the wall composite that could rake and cut you skin and pack as you go through. The pack take a lot of abuse and wear in Egypt 3 - much of the time you can't wear your gear but have to carry it sideways or even on top of your head!

The last stretch of slot canyon we hit a 100 yard stretch of dark stinky water (3 dead crows floating) and that water, the only water, was about chest/shoulder deep. This was one of the few pools I've been in where the oder stayed in my clothes for a long time. We did use our 150' rope for the one rappel near the swim.

Having made it out of the canyon, and it being our third canyon in 6 days, we just found a shady spot and napped for about 2 hours. When it was time to hike out 2 hours in the direct sun, a series of light clouds formed overhead and gave us a friendly and welcome shade for almost our entire hike out to the car. Things could not have been better or easier for us.

The drive home is long, even after stopping in Escalante for a smoothy. After a canyon like this, you feel sort of numb from the work, the thrills, the heat, the cold water, the wonder, the accomplishment ...... it is almost too much to take in right away. But the next few days are filled with memory and adreneline flashes of yet another great canyon, and another great day of life!

Blue Skies!

stefan · Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Posts: 4214 Location: somewhere

nice trip report, thanks :2thumbs:

dead crows...stinky water...uggh. i guess that last section really is only pleasant after a flood has cleansed it. but it's a very fun canyon indeed.

:popcorn:

ps. welcome to the forum :mrgreen:

moabfool · Joined: 11 Jan 2006 Posts: 641 Location: Sunset

Egypt 3 is great. It was my first real slot canyon back in '97. We didn't get cooked like you since we went over New Years. It was too cold to try the water though.

If you have pictures you should edit your post and add some. Here are some good instructions for adding pics to the forum. Some people won't even look at a thread if it doesn't have the little paper clip by it.

http://uutah.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1718

rockgremlin · Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 3924 Location: Hotel California

Nice TR. Thank you! Egypt 3 has been on my to-do list for a long time.

Welcome to the forum....a sweet TR right out of the box! :2thumbs:

accadacca · Joined: 02 Dec 2004 Posts: 7421 Location: On Your Screen

Sweet! Yup, welcome to the outdoor asylum. Looks like you've got a capable partner. :mwink:

hike2kolob · Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Posts: 76 Location: Salt Lake

Welcome blueskies! Nice trip report.

Did I meet you on the shuttle in Zion after you were finishing Mystery a few weeks ago?

Iceaxe · Joined: 07 Mar 2005 Posts: 7758 Location: Local Bordello

:2thumbs:

blueskies · Joined: 12 Jul 2006 Posts: 7 Location: Hurricane, Utah

hike2kolob wrote: Welcome blueskies! Nice trip report.

Did I meet you on the shuttle in Zion after you were finishing Mystery a few weeks ago?

Hey H2K - Your photo doesn't bring back a memory, but yeah - we met you on the bus. How was Imlay? We are going to Buckskin in the next week.... the office there told me they just had some flooding rains and the road is washed out currently between Buckskin trailhead and Wirepass. That means 4 more miles - crap- ever notice how you plan to get out into nature, maybe swim some potholes, then when you get there you try everything to minimize the walking and try everything to get around the pools ......

Man, you guys are all over this site. The info is great, but I don't expect to be online as some of you are. Except when I need info ......

rockgremlin · Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 3924 Location: Hotel California

blueskies wrote: Man, you guys are all over this site. The info is great, but I don't expect to be online as some of you are. Except when I need info ......

....and you constitute the majority. That's how this place is set up - to assist those looking for beta on the weekends, and to entertain the desk jockeys during the week. :haha:

stefan · Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Posts: 4214 Location: somewhere

rockgremlin wrote: blueskies wrote: Man, you guys are all over this site. The info is great, but I don't expect to be online as some of you are. Except when I need info ......

....and you constitute the majority. That's how this place is set up - to assist those looking for beta on the weekends, and to entertain the desk jockeys during the week. :haha:

well, look at it this way, blueskies, if you're bored ... you know where to come :mrgreen:

accadacca · Joined: 02 Dec 2004 Posts: 7421 Location: On Your Screen

rockgremlin wrote: and to entertain the desk jockeys during the week. :haha:
Huh? Did someone call... :user: :lol8:

hike2kolob · Joined: 27 Feb 2006 Posts: 76 Location: Salt Lake

blueskies wrote: hike2kolob wrote: Welcome blueskies! Nice trip report.

Did I meet you on the shuttle in Zion after you were finishing Mystery a few weeks ago?

Hey H2K - Your photo doesn't bring back a memory, but yeah - we met you on the bus. How was Imlay? We are going to Buckskin in the next week.... the office there told me they just had some flooding rains and the road is washed out currently between Buckskin trailhead and Wirepass. That means 4 more miles - crap- ever notice how you plan to get out into nature, maybe swim some potholes, then when you get there you try everything to minimize the walking and try everything to get around the pools ......

Man, you guys are all over this site. The info is great, but I don't expect to be online as some of you are. Except when I need info ......

Cool. We didn't get to do Imlay the day I was talking about due to the fire. But I did head down last weekend and finally did it. It was great! Have fun in Buckskin.

I like the swims when I am prepared for them, but I do understand minimizing the sand slogs.