Hikable areas for Christmas time

Regional discussion and conditions reports for the great state of Utah, from the alpine peaks to the desert slots. Please post partners requests and trip plans here or in the Utah Climbing Partners section.
User Avatar
Andrew Rankine

 
Posts: 135
Joined: Sun Oct 18, 2009 4:11 pm
Thanked: 25 times in 18 posts

Hikable areas for Christmas time

by Andrew Rankine » Mon Dec 05, 2011 5:20 pm

I am going to Southern Utah for Christmas, and I am wondering if there are any areas or peaks that it will be possible to hike over the Christmas holiday without complete winter conditions. Thanks!

User Avatar
Scott
Forum Moderator
 
Posts: 8549
Joined: Thu Aug 21, 2003 1:03 pm
Thanked: 1212 times in 650 posts

Re: Hikable areas for Christmas time

by Scott » Tue Dec 06, 2011 3:16 am

Moab, Robbers Roost, Labyrinth Canyon, Eastern Reef San Rafael Swell, Lake Powell and around St. George are all good bets in winter. There are more that the above, these are just some ones that popped up in my head.

Moab backpacks usually good in winter:

Pritchett/Hunters Canyon Loop
Upheaval Dome/Taylor Canyon Loop
Cottonwood/Thompson Canyon (if roads are dry)
Lower Red Lake Canyon in the Needles is usually good too.

Robbers Roost backpacks usually good in winter:

Lower Larry Canyon
Robbers Roost Canyon via White Roost Trail
No Mans Canyon
Happy Canyon (one wade-bring neoprene socks)
Hatch and Fiddler Cove Canyons

Book:

http://www.amazon.com/Hiking-Exploring- ... 998&sr=1-1

SP pages:

http://www.summitpost.org/hatch-canyon/457422

http://www.summitpost.org/fiddler-cove-canyon/457448

http://www.summitpost.org/happy-canyon-narrows/705698 (it's much better to come in from Poison Springs)

Labyrinth Canyon backpacks usually good in winter:


Lower Horseshoe Canyon/Twomile Canyon

http://www.amazon.com/Canyoneering-Rafa ... 900&sr=1-1 (hard to get-look around)

Eastern San Rafael Reef backpacks usually good in winter:

Iron Wash/Ernie Canyon
Cottonwood Wash
Spring and Nates Canyon
Chimney Canyon (one short wade, bring neoprene socks)

Books:

http://www.amazon.com/Hiking-Exploring- ... 867&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Canyoneering-Rafa ... 900&sr=1-1 (hard to get-look around)

Lake Powell backpacks that are usually good in winter:

Moki Canyon
Ticaboo Creek/Fourmile
Swett Creek
Castle Creek

Books:

http://www.amazon.com/Hiking-Exploring- ... 998&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Non-Technical-Can ... 354&sr=1-1

Castle Creek and Moki Canyon are not in any books, at least not for overland routes.

St George Area backpacks usually good in winter:

Coalpits/Huber Wash

The following user would like to thank Scott for this post
Andrew Rankine

User Avatar
Andrew Rankine

 
Posts: 135
Joined: Sun Oct 18, 2009 4:11 pm
Thanked: 25 times in 18 posts

Re: Hikable areas for Christmas time

by Andrew Rankine » Tue Dec 06, 2011 5:27 pm

Thanks fro all of the great info. I am looking more for peaks to climb than canyons, but I will keep these suggestions in mind. Would Zion or Bryce Canyon be possible in winter?
Thanks!

User Avatar
MoapaPk

 
Posts: 7780
Joined: Fri May 13, 2005 7:42 pm
Thanked: 787 times in 519 posts

Re: Hikable areas for Christmas time

by MoapaPk » Tue Dec 06, 2011 5:57 pm

Zion is iffy in winter, especially because so many routes to peaks are N-facing part of the way. Check out this cam
Zion Theater view NE. The mountains on the right are ~6800', and unfortunately, the camera is seeing the south sides. No snow visible now, but that can change in a wink. You can see Mountain of the Sun in that pic; and while what you see is bright and sunny, drop over the NE side of Employee Canyon to get to the route, and you will hit ice on class 3/4 rock.

Will you have a 4x4 HC vehicle? Not too far from St George is Moapa Peak in Nevada (on DPS list). How far are you willing to go into NV?

From Saint George, you can look N to Signal Peak; the S side is often fairly snow-free in winter, but once you drop over the rim, you typically get deep snow.

Many people X-C ski around the Bryce rim in winter.

The following user would like to thank MoapaPk for this post
Andrew Rankine

User Avatar
Scott
Forum Moderator
 
Posts: 8549
Joined: Thu Aug 21, 2003 1:03 pm
Thanked: 1212 times in 650 posts

Re: Hikable areas for Christmas time

by Scott » Tue Dec 06, 2011 10:01 pm

I am looking more for peaks to climb than canyons


For some reason I thought you were looking for backpacking (I should have read closer), but if you are looking for desert peaks, then there are many possibilities (though it would be a shame to miss the canyons). Most peaks that require backpacking are also going to require snowshoes or skis, but that's not true of day hikes.

Bryce Canyon usually has a fair amount of snow and it's really not a peak bagging destination.

Some great peaks to try in winter are the cincer cones and peaks (short) around Snow Canyon (named for a person with the last name of snow, not the white stuff), Mollies Nipple in the Old Paria area, Turkey Knob in the North Wash area, etc. Mount Holmes and Elsworth usually don't have that much snow either (despite their elevation) and neither do the peaks along the San Rafael Reef. Most of the desert peaks around Moab as well.

SP pages for some of the above mentioned peaks:

http://www.summitpost.org/turkey-knob/591359

http://www.summitpost.org/mount-ellsworth-ut/514738

http://www.summitpost.org/mount-holmes/293592

http://www.summitpost.org/yellow-rock/461045

http://www.summitpost.org/elephant-butte/155199

http://www.summitpost.org/temple-mountain/613272


Return to Utah

 


  • Related topics
    Replies
    Views
    Last post

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests