Hwy 89 baby canyon trifecta

Yesterday Rosalea and I took advantage of the sunny weather to run a few canyons along the Hwy 89 corridor. Seeking dry ground we started off heading east towards Page to hit Wildcat Tank Canyon. This was our first experience with high stemming and it was a great introduction. Tons of fun! After a nice little approach along the rim we reached some neat toadstools characteristic of the arid gray/brown country around Big Water, next to which we dropped into the canyon on a ~50' rappel. The stemming started right away, with two main (longer than we thought) sections separated by a few short places where the canyon opens up for a bit. After smushing our way through, we dropped down the last rappel into a beautiful alcove with lots of beautiful carved sandstone, a small slide, and a little pool we managed to skirt around.

From the last rap it was a quick trip to the car and back towards Big Water to the pull-off for Blue Pool Wash. We ran this canyon quick, getting down the couple of minor downclimbs and short rappels and hiking out to the wide open wash of Wahweap Creek. Blue Pool Wash had a few nice alcoves of tan-and-steel colored sandstone with pockets of vibrant green grass springing up, a lovely contrast. Ironically it was the driest canyon of the day. From the mouth of the canyon we scrambled up to the clifftops and hiked back to the car via the trail near the rim.

We drove back to Kanab, munching on trail mix and rehydrating along the way, and got to the pull-off for the Huntress in a little over an hour. After hiking up the dirt road to the trail down into the canyon, we made our way down the various obstacles and rappels, fighting more and more with the wet gunk our ropes and hardware had accumulated throughout the day. Having started this canyon around 4pm the timing was perfect for the sun to point down much of the length of the canyon, but the last two downclimbs/raps haven't gotten much sun and were still coated in a thin layer of ice. There were a couple more small pools in the Huntress that we managed to skirt as well. The anchor components looked good in all three canyons.

After the canyon opened up, we slogged up the sand hill and got back to town just in time for a burger and a beer.

-Derek




At the end of one stretch of stemming in Wildcat Tank Canyon




"I think I see the end, just around the corner..."




Pool after the last rap in Wildcat Tank Canyon




Rosalea in Blue Pool Wash




Wahweap!




Biggest rap in the Huntress

Lookin good for beginners! Now your hooked?