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Cataract Canyon hikes?

7K views 12 replies 7 participants last post by  Rich 
#1 ·
Doing Cataract next week and looking for some hiking!

Any known hikes at Buck or Lathrop Canyons?

How long (miles/time) is Doll House from Brown Betty (just below #1)?

Any hikes from big beach river left below #19?

What do you know about Dark Canyon hike?

Any other great ones?

And thanks in advance!
 
#2 ·
Any known hikes at Buck or Lathrop Canyons? Lathrop is the 4wd road that leads to the White Rim. You can hike up the the White Rim from here but there are better hikes. River Right at Lathrop has the pit toilet and camping area that is occasionally used. Upstream from there is a nice camp river right. Arch sites on river left through the break in Tamarisk.

How long (miles/time) is Doll House from Brown Betty (just below #1)? I would say that the Doll House from Lower Spanish Bottom is around 3 or 4 hours to enjoy the area, but not spend a lot of time. Add an extra 20 to 30 minutes total if you walk to and from the Brown Betty. So 4 or 5 hours total would be a nice time to explore the area.

Any hikes from big beach river left below #19? Probably but not sure. The Canyon is at its deepest and steepest point around there, but there almost always a way to get out of the canyon from anywhere in the Canyon.

What do you know about Dark Canyon hike? I have hiked a few times from the reservoir. It takes a few minutes to get out of the sedimentation from the lake, but once you are passed that, it lives up to its reputation. Keep an out for mountain lions.

Any other great ones? The loop hike at River Mile 9 or 10 (if memory serves me) is short and classic. Camp at #5 and go to the Doll's House from the drainage that leads to Hidden Valley. Also, there's a moderate/difficult hike from the north drainage of Spanish Bottom that leads to the Doll's House as an alternative.
 
#4 ·
I have been researching a little bit for a route into cat above the confluence then use pack-rafts to float to dark canyon and hike out. I have hiked about a mile and a half up dark canyon, there is a small waterfall and pool. I have not been up further but hear it is very cool.

Above the confluence a couple canyons I hope to check out are Elephant Canyon, and Salt Creek. Both are river left a couple of miles above the confluence and appear to offer some fairly beautiful slots. When are you putting on? I am launching with a group October 11th

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#5 ·
The hike in from above the confluence has always been appealing to me, are you referring to the route from the "White Rim Campsites?" I have looked at the route a few times, saw some old cowboy graves up there too- really cool area. Salt Creek is a great suggestion. Elephant Creek was always pretty choked with vegetation if i recall correctly, a tough place to get into initially but probably worth the effort.
 
#6 ·
No, I am looking for more of a technical route in from the needles district. Thats how I came up with elephant canyon, start on the confluence overlook trail and then descend via lower elephant canyon. From what I can tell this early in my research of the route there are a couple of rapells that are about a mile or so from the river. My plan would be to get to the river in a day, camp and then spend 3 days to dark canyon and then hike out the 30 miles or something other out of Dark in 2 days

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#7 ·
Just got back from a GrandViewPoint loop with pack rafts.
11 miles on bike from GVP to Upheaval TH. Hiked down from UPHV Th to Green River (where we had stashed the rafts, beer and water). Paddled 35 mi downstream to Stove Canyon where we hiked up 2 days to White Crack and then GVP. That last bit is pretty sketch with a backpack.

Doll House from Spanish Bottom is an easy 1/2 hour hoof. Maybe another 1/2 from BrownBetty. So much country up there to explore, I would lay over and backpack.
If doing Stillwater:
Drop the raft at Water Canyon, paddle to Powell Canyon and hike the loop up Powell and down Water back to your rafts.

When we hit Dark Canyon years ago, it was a mucky camp but we hiked a few miles up limestone? canyons with clear running water in September.

Anything can happen!!!
 
#9 ·
What day are you launching? Wonder how many groups are "hoping/planning" on finding a camp at Dark Canyon. Maybe even on the same day.
Gene
Deadlizard,

I am not with Rich, however another guy from the Buzz (markinsteamboat) 1 raft, 2 people is launching sunday october 12 - saturday october 18th, I am with a group of 25, 7 rafts launching saturday october 11 - saturday october 18th. Are you planning the same time frame?

That makes 3 separate private trips that I know are launching this weekend, are you down there too?
 
#11 ·
Huge camp across from Dark Canyon that I prefer as Dark is too sketchy for my flash flood risk.

Gypsum has a huge dry fall and canyon above but its quite the hike with vertical at the end. Last rappel is 200+ feet.

Lots to see with some ingenuity and curiosity. Red Canyon on RL is rarely visited from the river. Exploring the Grabens would be interesting.

Phillip
 
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