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 Outdoors addicted flyfishing, skiing, snowshoeing, hiking car crooner and resident motormouth
Da'Wack, BC
Canada
5368 Posts |
Posted - 04/02/2008 : 8:42 PM
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On Monday morning we left Page, AZ early in the morning in hopes of getting a permit for "the wave" and north Coyote Buttes. The wave is a fascinating sculpture of vivid layers of sandstone that is truly a landscape photographer's dream. David and Karen posted a bit of a TR on this area last year I believe.
Some scenery on the way in to the Paria Contact Station in Escalante Monument Park:
   
Anyway, only 10 people per day are allowed in here on permits and are issued for the following day. Short story, 49 people showed up that day for the 10 spots and we didn't get in. However, the nice ranger there recommended we do South Coyote Buttes, which in his opinion was every bit as beautiful and more diverse in scenery. Again, only 10 people per day are allowed in South Coyote Buttes, but since it's far less popular, we got permits for Tuesday.
So for today our destination was WirePass Slot Canyon and Buckskin Gulch. Wirepass Slot Canyon itself isn't all that long, maybe 3km including the first 1.5 km hike along a wash to get to the canyon itself. WirePass feeds into the Paria River, which runs in the Buckskin Gulch. The Buckskin Gulch is also the longest and probably the most diverse slot canyon in the world, and takes 2 days of backpacking to complete it.
We were only planning on going a little way down Buckskin until we hit water pools, and then turn around and head upriver past the Wirepass confluence and check that area out.
As you can see, we had a bit of fresh snow to deal with.
Fresh snow is quite striking against the deep red Navajo sandstone. As mentioned earlier, the first 30 minutes or so involves walking down a sandy wash (dry creekbed) to get to the part where it becomes a slot canyon.
   
Not sure why it's called "wirepass", perhaps due to it's narrow sections where it would be difficult to get a backpack even through if it's packed wide. Not a place for claustrophobic people. The best part of Wirepass is just before it ends and spills into the Paria River and Buckskin Gulch.
At the end of wirepass, a beautiful sanstone arch appeared:
Just past this arch were some ancient Navajo pictographs of antelope and hunters:
Towering sandstone columns 
While wirepass canyon was more on the sandy and gravelly side, Buckskin Gulch is alot muddier and much more heavily travelled. Only some 10 minutes in and we find our first waterhole. We let someone else test it's depth:
This was our que to turn around and head upstream. Nice scenery up that way:
After a bit of travel upstream, we decided it was luinchtime, but we wanted to get out of the canyon and into some warm sunshine. We eventually found a place where it was easy to head up and out of the canyon where buckskin briefly became a wash.
Here's me in my ultimate tourist outfit being the serious photographer:
Some cool formations across the valley:
Whiltst having lunch, we saw directly across from us some fascinating sandstone with some really psychadelic layers. We figured after lunch we'd saunter over there and explore as by this time we were getting a bit canyoned out anyway and the sun's warmth was too inviting to leave.
This area in question was most fascinating:
      
I just love the cool layers! Fortunately it was bright enough that I could shoot everything handheld at F16 for more DOF.
After a few hours of exploring this area, it was back into Buckskin and camping for the night at WirePass Trailhead. Coyote Buttes awaits us the next day.
(Posted by BillyGoat) |
Edited by - exscape on 04/02/2008 8:44 PM
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Fleetwood not Surrey, bc
Canada
1125 Posts |
Posted - 04/02/2008 : 9:00 PM
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| Awsome pics, the landformations are remarkable! How would you rate this trip for scenery 1-10? It is not anything you would see up here |
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Happy go lucky, plaid wearin, postholin, safeway gaitor sportin, old-school film shootin, giver of many regards
Abbotsford, B.C.
Canada
13442 Posts |
Posted - 04/02/2008 : 9:30 PM
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Incredible photos, what an exotic and awesome landscape to behold. You are truly having a glorious time of it and many thank yous for sharing with your report and pictures.
K |
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ALBANY, OR
USA
588 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2008 : 2:49 PM
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I hiked Wirepass, Buckskin Gulch in 2005 and loved it. Definitely rates in the top 5 hikes I have done. Here's a couple of pics that were a treat.     |
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Hope, BC
Canada
7093 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2008 : 3:33 PM
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| Damn that place sure is awesome looking. Thanks for sharing this post. No sign of the Roadrunner, or coyote I take it... |
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Utah's canyon trekking,deck chair packing desert explorer who dreams of visiting Canada someday
3988 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2008 : 5:15 PM
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What a great area! I've been to the wave, but never did the wire pass to the Gulch and the petroglyphs. Way cool! Amazing shots!
Great job! I have a nine miler up a sandy wash that I want to take near that area. Gotta get my knee trail tested/rated to handle it, though. Soon...soon... 
You two really got around! Can't wait to see more! Any Condors?
I love Coyote Buttes. I wish I was closer. I would visit a lot more. Heading down to Hoover Dam Sunday for a river raft trip.
I am so so stoked!! yes! |
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Satirical photoshop junkie who frolics in the mountains of the Chilliwack River Valley
Chilliwack, BC
Canada
6897 Posts |
Posted - 04/03/2008 : 6:46 PM
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quote:
Awsome pics, the landformations are remarkable! How would you rate this trip for scenery 1-10?
I'd give the whole area a solid 9. South Coyote Buttes in my mind was even more amazing. That's my next TR. |
Edited by - BillyGoat on 04/03/2008 6:46 PM |
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Outdoors addicted flyfishing, skiing, snowshoeing, hiking car crooner and resident motormouth
Da'Wack, BC
Canada
5368 Posts |
Posted - 04/07/2008 : 10:26 AM
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quote:
You two really got around! Can't wait to see more! Any Condors?
Nope but we did manage to see a vulture or two, mostly around the roadkill - from the comfort of the Hilux. |
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 | DW2
Senior Member
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West Coast, B.C.
1395 Posts |
Posted - 04/09/2008 : 1:10 PM
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| Good one guys! We would like to try the Gulch as a BP from that end too, since we did the Paria section some years ago. It really is a neat place. |
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Utah's canyon trekking,deck chair packing desert explorer who dreams of visiting Canada someday
3988 Posts |
Posted - 04/09/2008 : 9:08 PM
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Going in from the middle trail to the Cobra arch is nice, too!
Then, you can hike to the edge of Buckskin and hike back along the rim to the exit Trail. |
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Delta, BC
Canada
172 Posts |
Posted - 04/27/2008 : 9:13 PM
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Excellent report, and beautiful pics - I just love this area!
Jerry, when I did the full Wire Pass/Buckskin/Paria trip in March '07, I saw one condor partway down the Paria - but never got a chance to get a photo  .
I wanted to climb out at the middle exit and see Cobra Arch, but a combination of being solo (and scared of slipping), nobody with a permit coming in for the next 5 days, and a rapidly diminishing short spring day, all convinced me not to. Again: |
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| Q
Senior Member
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chocolate lovin, Bailey's slurpin, cold feet hatin', veggie eatin', true Cancerian water lovin', CT smilin', boulder dodgin', nosummitosis survivor
1594 Posts |
Posted - 04/27/2008 : 11:03 PM
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| Those pics of the snow just look wrong!! But beautifully wrong. |
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SW US Trip#4: Buckskin Gulch and area March 17th
