Zion Narrows in March

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.
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Andinistaloco

 
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by Andinistaloco » Fri Mar 05, 2010 12:49 am

cp0915 wrote:
1000Pks wrote:Fees are an incentive for the guide to show up. I wouldn't want to drive my 2,000 miles to find you slept in...


Ask Rick Kent or MoapaPk or Day Hiker or Andinistaloco or Matthew Holliman or Dow Williams or SarahThompson or ... about me "sleeping in" on mountain days.


Cp speaks the truth. I still have nightmares about that dude shaking me at 1:45 am... "dude, come on, it's time to get going." Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh! :wink:

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MoapaPk

 
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by MoapaPk » Fri Mar 05, 2010 2:05 am

1000Pks wrote:If you hear of fantastic conditions, like a solid snow pack to hike over, ...


I'm guessing that you don't really want a solid snow pack for the approach to NGA, and you are unlikely to find one in May/June. The approach is up the N side of the peak, and the walk isn't very long.

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erial

 
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by erial » Fri Mar 05, 2010 2:09 am

Although I've only met Courtney once I can forewarn others that when he is up and about he may likely parade in strange headgear. Again I'm only basing this on a one day encounter, but after summiting G2 that dude donned a helmut with horns nearly two feet long. Clashed a bit with the tie dye shirt, but rambunctious nonetheless.

Zachary, if you're flying into Vegas enroute to Zion you may want to consider a short stop at Valley of Fire or nearby Buffington Pockets or perhaps Whitney Pockets south of Mesquite on Gold Butte Rd. These places offer scrambling opportunities and also literally a warm up to the higher elevations of Zion.

And when you get to Zion, east side as other(s) have mention would be worth exploring such as a loop hike that could include selecting from a menu of the Jughandle Arch, Aires Butte, Center of the Universe, Petro Canyon and return to start via Rt 9 or Clear Creek.

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MoapaPk

 
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by MoapaPk » Fri Mar 05, 2010 5:12 am

1000Pks wrote:I'd love to bag Signal in the Pine Nuts, too, then Delano as well. If someone would meet me, that would be so nice. Lots of high peaks north of Zion, it'd make for my summer vacation.


Signal likely will have snow in the valley in late May and June. With the snow so far this year, Delano may have road closures up through June.

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cp0915

 
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by cp0915 » Fri Mar 05, 2010 2:54 pm

Andinistaloco wrote:
cp0915 wrote:
1000Pks wrote:Fees are an incentive for the guide to show up. I wouldn't want to drive my 2,000 miles to find you slept in...


Ask Rick Kent or MoapaPk or Day Hiker or Andinistaloco or Matthew Holliman or Dow Williams or SarahThompson or ... about me "sleeping in" on mountain days.


Cp speaks the truth. I still have nightmares about that dude shaking me at 1:45 am... "dude, come on, it's time to get going." Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh! :wink:


Dude, you're forgetting the best part! We were supposed to wake up at 12:30 but I fell back to sleep. I re-woke at 1:45 and told you we were late!

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cp0915

 
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by cp0915 » Fri Mar 05, 2010 3:05 pm

erial wrote:Although I've only met Courtney once I can forewarn others that when he is up and about he may likely parade in strange headgear. Again I'm only basing this on a one day encounter, but after summiting G2 that dude donned a helmut with horns nearly two feet long. Clashed a bit with the tie dye shirt, but rambunctious nonetheless.


This must be my friend Jeff! Regarding that crazy "helmet," I returned last year to find where we'd stashed it. But it was gone! Or I couldn't find it, at least.

And when you get to Zion, east side as other(s) have mention would be worth exploring such as a loop hike that could include selecting from a menu of the Jughandle Arch, Aires Butte, Center of the Universe, Petro Canyon and return to start via Rt 9 or Clear Creek.


This is a fantastic suggestion. Must do! Check out Many Pools too. All these things, except Jughandle Arch, are touched upon in my book. Jughandle Arch is immediately northeast of Aires Butte, on the rim above Keyhole Canyon. Oh, and South Ariel Peak is a reasonable scramble from The Center of the Universe. Getting to the Center of the U from the west (Petroglyph Canyon) is spicier than one would guess. Not a big deal, but look around for a good way before heading right up those steep slabs. They can be deceptively steep.

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MoapaPk

 
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by MoapaPk » Fri Mar 05, 2010 3:54 pm

MoapaPk wrote:
1000Pks wrote:I'd love to bag Signal in the Pine Nuts, too, then Delano as well. If someone would meet me, that would be so nice. Lots of high peaks north of Zion, it'd make for my summer vacation.


Signal likely will have snow in the valley in late May and June. With the snow so far this year, Delano may have road closures up through June.


There are two general approaches to Signal. Two years back, in a relatively dry year, Signal had snow in the valley after one topped out on the south side, in late May. It was just enough to wallow through. In 2005, the road up to Delano was still snow-covered for the last mile in July; however, that road goes quite high (near 10k' to start). The snow we saw was just pleasant, enough to give the mountains some character.

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cp0915

 
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by cp0915 » Fri Mar 05, 2010 4:29 pm

Indeed. The Tushars is a fantastic place when it has some snow. Beautiful, gentle rolling mountains.

As for Signal, I went up there in June a few years back and the upper mountain was still buried under several feet of snow.

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Dow Williams

 
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by Dow Williams » Fri Mar 05, 2010 4:58 pm

erial wrote:Although I've only met Courtney once I can forewarn others that when he is up and about he may likely parade in strange headgear. Again I'm only basing this on a one day encounter, but after summiting G2 that dude donned a helmut with horns nearly two feet long. Clashed a bit with the tie dye shirt, but rambunctious nonetheless..


Lets just say Courtney has never had much help getting dressed in the morning and leave it at that!

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cp0915

 
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by cp0915 » Fri Mar 05, 2010 5:16 pm

Wow, tough crowd. But a brutally honest one.

Image

I'd bet that fool on the right has a hole the size of a golf ball in the sole of at least one of his shoes, and 3 inches of cheek showing out the ass of his shorts. If it wasn't for the faded tie-dye shirt tucked into his shorts, from the front he seems almost normal.

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MoapaPk

 
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by MoapaPk » Fri Mar 05, 2010 5:26 pm

Image

Image

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erial

 
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by erial » Fri Mar 05, 2010 5:48 pm

That's the photo. I couldn't figure how to upload. Glad you did.
Definitely a crowning day.

cp0915 wrote:Wow, tough crowd. But a brutally honest one.

Image

I'd bet that fool on the right has a hole the size of a golf ball in the sole of at least one of his shoes, and 3 inches of cheek showing out the ass of his shorts. If it wasn't for the faded tie-dye shirt tucked into his shorts, from the front he seems almost normal.

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Dow Williams

 
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by Dow Williams » Fri Mar 05, 2010 6:14 pm

MoapaPk wrote:Image

Image


Is that Courtney's shoe? Does not surprise me. Bo and I were hiking out with him one day and he showed me his rap device and wanted to know if it was time to buy a new one....wore down to a knifes edge, we made him throw it in the trash barrel at the trail head! In all fairness, the amount of sand Courtney would run through his rap device would qualify him for field testing no question.

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cp0915

 
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by cp0915 » Fri Mar 05, 2010 6:28 pm

Sure is my shoe, Dow. Interested observers should enlarge both of Moapa's photos for maximum effect.

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MoapaPk

 
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by MoapaPk » Fri Mar 05, 2010 7:54 pm

MoapaPk wrote:There are two general approaches to Signal. Two years back, in a relatively dry year, Signal had snow in the valley after one topped out on the south side, in late May. It was just enough to wallow through. In 2005, the road up to Delano was still snow-covered for the last mile in July; however, that road goes quite high (near 10k' to start). The snow we saw was just pleasant, enough to give the mountains some character.


Actually, that Signal trip was June 8/2008. The snow was substantial but pretty firm:
http://www.lvmc.org/webpages/newsletter ... 6/sig7.jpg

When I went in late August 2005, there was just one place with a pile of snow.

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