Slot Canyons

Hey everyone, my job will be sending me to Grand Junction area next week. I figure if I am going to be out that way for a few weeks I may as well check out some cool slot canyons.
I have never been into a slot canyon, however, I have picked out a couple I would like to get into.
Have any of you been canyoneering out there before?
If so, do you have any tips?
Mainly about the weather. I really do not want to try my skills at slot canyon white water log riding if a gusher comes flying down on me. Any gear recomendations ect...

check the other sports forum, there is a thread in there that you might find useful. For that area I don't think you will find many slots. Dinosaur Ntl. Monument has some but that's not in grand junction. Utah is where it's at for slots.

Although you always need to be wary about the weather, the monsoon season is pretty much over, so you probably don't have to worry as much about the big gully washers as you would in late summer. It's actually starting to get kind of cold for slot canyons, so if you do go into some, take plenty of warm clothing. If you go in one that requires swimming, you will want the thickest wet suit you can find. Unfortunately, there aren't any significant slot canyons in the GJ area so you will need to travel a bit. Have fun!

Yeah...watch out for those canyoneers and their Home Depot anchors.

Tyson Anderson wrote:Yeah...watch out for those canyoneers and their Home Depot anchors.

Bomber Canyoneering Anchor!

My favorite slot canyon of all time is up near Page, AZ., Lower Water Holes. Some pictures:

canyonchronicles.com/Archiv…

This group did the big rappel in a way I wouldn't do it. Here is an awesome trip report from another group, along with pictures:

bluugnome.com/canyoneer_tri…

Tom Jones re-bolted the big rappel so you don't have the Lower Water Holes Rope Exchange Program anymore, you can get a clean pull.

If you want any details, email me. Fun canyon.

Some of our pictures, not the greatest:

facebook.com/album.php?aid=…

I've done the Lower Waterholes, too. A really fun experience. The boaters thought we were pretty weird inflating our little rafts to make it down to Lee's Ferry.

Moab, or Robbers Roost areas are not very far from Grand Junction ( Moab maybe 2 hours, the roost a bit further).

Canyoneering anchors can be a little... uh... less solid and redundant than climbing anchors. Check them carefully.

Lot's of good info here:

ajroadtrips.com/go/

Static ropes work best for canyoneering (8mm or 9mm), but you can get by with an old climbing rope. If your doing canyons with water, a wetsuit will be needed as it's getting cold this time of year.

When are you going to be in GJ? I'm going to be in Moab this weekend, and around Oct. 19th for a few days doing canyons.If you around then, your welcome to join up.

-Ryan

There are some great slots in the San Rafael Swell (Goblin Valley SP area in Utah). My first slots were Bell and Little Wild Horse just outside the SP. They're non-technical but astonishing. Ding and Dang in the same region are supposed to be similarly cool but more scrambly.

The most amazing canyon I've been in thus far was Buckskin Gulch down on the UT/AZ border. If you're fast, you can do it in a day and avoid the hassle of camping permits, etc. But that's a little ways from GJ.

swarpa.net/~danforth/run/bu…

Excellent San Rafael Canyoneering Info:
(technical and non-technical)

canyoneeringusa.com/utah/sw…
kelseyguidebooks.com/Swell3…
climb-utah.com/SRS/crack.htm

A couple easy/moderates you might consider:
Baptist Draw/Upper Chute
Little Wild Horse & Bell Canyons

I've heard of a slot in Boulder Canyon that is about 1 mile long. Anyone have any info on it or is it secret? I've got guinness. Beer for beta. :-) I didn't know there were slots in GJ.

I don't think there are any "slot" canyons in the Grand Junction area. If there are any slots in GJ, They are probably about 10-20 feet long.

Legs, I saw dream canyon listed on some canyoneering site a while ago. I don't think it ever really "slots" up like you'd like it to, I think the main reason it's listed is because it's a Class C canyon (moving water). There are numerous others in colorado like it, I heard of one off loveland pass, another somewhere in glenwood canyon, and many in the san juans. Mostly waterfall raps with I would guess not much "narrows" and no "real narrows" like you find in the North Wash aswell as many other places in UT. The canyons in the san juans sound like the real deal with extreme currents to deal with, sounds like one is a class 5 kayak rapid most of the time. They had to wait a while for the water to get low enough. Colorado canyoneering seems mostly wet and cold. We do have a few desert slots but I don't think they are all that technical. Atleast they get narrow; but it sounds like usually it's mostly sandy bottom walking, and not many raps.

Go to summitpost.org and contact scott peterson, I think he probly knows the area (western slope area canyoneering) the best of anyone I've heard of.

I agree with recommending Wild Horse/Bell. My first slots. Awesome. Plus, you can go romp around in Goblin which is so weird/way cool.