This won’t be a full blown report as this is being typed from my phone but wanted to give a current conditions.
The drive to the Observation Point/East Rim trailhead is NOT driveable in a small sedan currently.
However, you *can* drive on it until the last 3/4 mile from the Observation point trailhead in a small sedan.
So much mud!! deep ruts! Maybe 8-12” deep. Even when it dries out in the upcoming weeks, those ruts will remain.
A high-clearance vehicle will make just fine though.
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The East Rim trail is muddy, but it doesn’t cake on your shoes. So it’s not an issue.
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From a report over at CC, someone reported a foot of snow last week in Death Gulley. Definitely not the case! We ran into a few spots where the was maybe 3 or 4”, but it was in spots. For the most part it was dry with a few sections of damp trail. Near the bottom of death gully, there was spots were it was muddy, so please watch your footing.
The trail from the bottom up until the first rap was dry. No problem there.
About 20ft from the 1st rap however, there is some flowage there! Garden hose, if that, but was definitely a new experience. This was my 7th time and I have not seen in flow. I have done Mystery in March maybe 3 times in the past, and have never seen it with any flow. Not anything to head to the canyon for right now, but still neat.
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All of the rappels has ankle to knee-deep water.
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Btw, nice quick-link. We tried to remove it but didn’t have a wrench. If anyone goes through soon - please remove it.
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As you can tell we are wearing wetsuits. It wasn’t quite necessary until we hit the lake. And I’m glad we had ‘em! I was thinking due to snow conditions, lack of rain down there, etc. that the lake would be gone or at least quite low. Last year in June when I last went, it was not there.
For most people it was more than chest deep. For shorter people, it was a full swim. And it was cold!!
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The remaining canyon was the same from last year, a swimmer at Mystery Springs, followed by the swimmer at the downclimb in between until the last rap.
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“Hands-up! Don’t shoot!!”
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No traveling upstream but down-streamers, like is, were apparently okay....hopefully.... *crossing-fingers*
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EDIT: We also lost TWO pairs of Oakleys somewhere in the rock narrows. One has a white frame and the other has a black frame. If found, please contact me here!