Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

All the pictures

My friend and I traveled to Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM) from April 16 - 23, 2011 for our annual backpacking trip. The plan was to spend the week along the Hole-in-the-Rock Road descending as many canyons as time and energy allowed before returning. The core of the trip was to be a four day basecamp along the Escalante River near the mouth of Neon Canyon. From basecamp, technical descents of Neon, South Fork Choprock, and Ringtail Canyons were completed. Afterwards, the plan called for playing it by ear further down Hole-in-the-Rock Road. We ended up taking a mellow two day walk through Coyote Gulch, including a hike up to Steven's Arch, then for the final day hiking two forks of Red Breaks Canyon, including a cross country hike and search for a geologic anomaly called "The Volcano".

I would rate the technical descents of Neon, Choprock, and Ringtail beyond compare. It was truly otherworldly to be rappelling, down-climbing, swimming, and lemon squeezing through these subterranean canyons. The isolation and technical challenge of these canyons combined for a very unique experience. Flawless execution was required in the canyons as there were no escape routes, and no one was going to be coming to rescue you. Brad and I wore thick wetsuits, and carried an arsenal of technical gear that included ropes, harnesses, hardware, prussiks, pothole escape devices, and drybags. These canyons are amazing, but you need to know what you are doing to make safe descents.

The remaining days of our trip in Coyote Gulch and Red Breaks Canyons were much more mellow, but also stunningly beautiful. We enjoyed Coyote Gulch just as much, and the canyons of Red Break were less than a foot wide at times.

Below are our pictures from the week in GSENM, enjoy.

Neon Canyon Narrows



Neon Canyon



A cold, cold swim in Neon Canyon



Golden Cathedral Rappel, Neon Canyon



Subway Narrows, South Fork Choprock Canyon



South Fork Choprock Canyon Narrows



Final Rappel in South Fork Choprock Canyon



Tight Narrows of Ringtail Canyon



Ringtail Canyon Exit

Continued

Coyote Gulch, Grand Staircase-Escalante



Alcove Campsite in Lower Coyote Gulch



Canyon View from Steven's Arch



Unnamed Canyon, Dry Fork Coyote Gulch



Canyon Glow



Big West Fork of Red Breaks Canyon



Narrow Section in Red Breaks Canyon



Glowing Narrows, Red Breaks Canyon

Superb photos, thanks for posting them.

It's a beautiful place. Am glad it's on its way to becoming a NP.

- Outstanding -

Thanks for sharing

Nice...

Doug

My favorite place in the desert.

Kevin, what advantage would the new designation bring? Increased security from development? Will it get rid of the overgrazing that we have found in so many areas?

I enjoy the solitude that is much harder to find in parks like Zion and Bryce. I'd be mighty disappointed if they paved Hole-in-the-Rock Road.

Brings back many memories

A few of us spent 10 days doing the loop in the Grand Staircase about 5 years ago. Only living things we saw the entire time were stray cattle and a few deer one night that were running from something. Conditions were very dry so we didn't need to wade through any water higher than our knees. Many of the pictures are very familiar. If I remember correctly we also camped at Lower Coyote Gulch as the picture looks exactly like a few I have.

Great pictures. Thanks for posting them.

Audrey - if/when it reaches NP designation, it's my understanding that cattle grazing, ORV use, lumbering, etc will no longer be permitted uses. Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is managed by the BLM, which has a different mission than the FS & PS. Am not sure all of those uses I mentioned are permited in that monument area, but they often are in other areas managed by the BLM.

The BLM manages an enormous chunk of the US. Something like 12% of the entire US is under their management.

Steve, such a cool trip. If I edited an outdoors magazine and you sent me this story with the best dozen pictures, I'd run it. Very few people tackle this kind of thing.



The photo below bears a spooky resemblance to you-know-who in Blue John Canyon. I'm sure that was not lost on you.

halfmoon said:

Click to expand...

Snake photo

Awesome photos of an amazing place!!

The rattlesnake looks exactly like one I saw in Moab last autumn. I showed a photo of the one I saw to a herpetologist friend who informed me that it was a Midget Faded Rattlesnake. He said the venom of this particular snake is particularly toxic. I am not a snake lover but felt extremely fortunate to have seen one!

Wow! What an incredible adventure!!