Hello,

My wife and me (we are from Boston) will spend 4 full days in Zion area - hiking/backpaking. I've heard about slot canyons and would like to explore one of those wonders of the world. I don't want to do any that may require wet suits but we should be OK with some easy semi-technical terrain and basic rope work. Ideally something just a little bit technical and mostly dry that would still need ropes to keep crowds away. I understand that any precipitation will change the picture but for now the long range forecast is for warmer and dryer than average conditions.

I'm a moderate trad climber and so have plenty of gear, my wife is not a climber.

Any advice?

I don't want to do any that may require wet suits but we should be OK with some easy semi-technical terrain and basic rope work.

You are probably out of luck then. The only one that I can think of that might not require a wetsuit is Behunin. Of course if it has rained or snowed recently.....

Anyway, Zion is not the best place to go in Thanksgiving to find canyons that don't require westsuits.

You want to go to North Wash, Robbers Roost or the Powell area. Moab isn't the best place for slots, but late November is usually good. Some of the San Rafael stuff too. Some of the canyons draining into Marble Canyon area in AZ are also good this time of year.

Anyway, here are some slot canyons on SP that are usually good in late November (though might have some wading in places):

http://www.summitpost.org/canyon/301176 ... anyon.html

http://www.summitpost.org/canyon/152118 ... anyon.html (make sure to have dry roads though!).

Tom Jones has a lot more than summitpost.

North Wash:

http://canyoneeringusa.com/utah/north/

Roost:

http://canyoneeringusa.com/utah/roost/

North Wash has both easy and hard canyons. The Roost does too, but much of the stuff on Tom's site for the Roost isn't for beginners. There is much more out there that is on the site.

Climb-Utah also has many good canyons that are excellent for this time of year:

http://climb-utah.com/technical.htm

Over half of the stuff on that site is good for this time of year. Check the Moab, Roost and North Wash areas especially:

http://climb-utah.com/Moab/index.htm

http://climb-utah.com/Roost/index.htm

http://climb-utah.com/Powell/index.htm

North Fork Iron and Quandary are usually OK at this time of year, but might have wading:

http://climb-utah.com/SRS/index.htm

Thank you, this is a lot of good information!

I would also recommend the canyons in North Wash, Poisen Springs, Robbers Roost.