Ah, Buckskin Gulch, the longest slot canyon in the world... it's been on my to do list for many years... But I always figured I would do it as part of a 4-day backpack trip, combined with going down the Paria River Canyon. I have yet to find someone willing to do it with me, though, with the time, experience and skills necessary. This isn't an easy walk in the park. Traversing the canyons often requires wading or swimming through cold pools while floating your pack, some scrambling and a climb down a rockfall that may require a rope, the threat of quicksand, unfilterable water, and flash floods, and of course arranging for a shuttle to pick you up at the end. Or... you can at least get a taste of the canyons by doing a dayhike. And that is what my sister suggested we do to celebrate St. Patty's Day and my Grandfather's birthday.
So after trying unsuccessfully, again, to get permits to hike to the Wave, we headed down the House Rock Valley Road to the Wire Pass Trailhead. Day Hike Permits here are unlimited and you just have to register and pay $5/person at the trailhead. Then off we went. Wire Pass isn't a trail, but a route down a sandy wash then a very narrow slot canyon. It is incredibly scenic. There were 3 spots we had to do a little bit of scrambling but it wasn't difficult. Then when we reached Buckskin Gulch we were in for a treat :) There at the confluence is a huge alcove that has a bench you can sit on if you can scramble up the carved out hand and toe-holds. Then there are petroglyphs on the walls there and abundant wildlife including Ravens, Canyon Wrens, and photogenic lizards.
From the confluence we hiked upstream. I figured if I ever did the backpack trip I'd hike from Wire Pass to Buckskin and go downstream. So going upstream and seeing that stretch was very much worth it. Here Buckskin Gulch is quiet and serene. And the going was easy, no more scrambling and no water pools to contend with. We had a great time exploring this incredibly scenic, deep, and narrow canyon. We took lots of photos, of course, ate lunch, then headed back the way we came.
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