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Utah Fall 2019
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Then we encounter the final narrows of Death Hollow. Like the other narrows farther upcanyon, it's a section with no way to climb around, and the watercourse spans the full 15 or so feet of canyon bottom. It's a bit like the subway in Zion, with oval shaped walls. As the narrows progress, there's a section where the center of the flow is deep enough to require swimming - we can see the tell-tale sign of slightly darker, blue-greenish water. Time to protect the gear and get out the floaties.
courtesy JInnes
Nearing the lower narrows
The Lower Narrows
Tightest stretch of lower narrows
Gino, as always, is the most adventurous when it comes to tackling the water. We manage to very very carefully scrabble and shimmy along a partially submerged sloping ledge on the left, where we manage to squeak by without having to go for a swim. I've heard that this is not always possible depending on the water level. I guess it must not be that high today.
Gino goes for a ride
Skirting a swim
Completing a section of narrows
courtesy JInnes
Stay on the edge
Confident Striding
Luminous Narrows
The narrows continue for perhaps half a mile. Much of it is easy wading, but there are a few spots where a brief deep wade or even a stroke of swimming are required. And in many cases, we can once again carefully edge around anything deep.
courtesy JInnes
Working around pools
Waiting in the Sun
Morning rest break
It takes us about an hour and a half to negotiate the lower narrows of Death Hollow. Not too bad, really, and we were pretty good at all moving in parallel most of the time. We're well-positioned to reach the confluence with the Escalante River by early afternoon.
Grand exit
Back to sunny
Flat shallow bed
The last mile or so down to the confluence are sublime. The creekbed is almost entirely smooth the whole way, just a few inches of clear water over either a sandy base or flat, textured bedrock. In places it is almost like walking down a highway that has water on it, and you surely could drive a car on it if you could get one down here. Gino stops briefly at a beautiful blue-green pool for the trip's only voluntary swim.

It is midday. The canyon has straightened out, and is now more or less running directly south. That means the sun is shining directly into the canyon, and everything is bright and beautifully lit. As we walk downcanyon, the sunlight glints off of a million little ripples in the flowing water.
Sun-dappled ramp
Sandy Stretch
Reflected Light
courtesy JInnes
Well-defined Paths
Amazing bend
Gino's Voluntary Swim
courtesy JInnes
Water Highway
The Wavy Deeps
Negotiating Riffles
courtesy BConnell
How different from the start
Final DH Break
Glum or Bored
courtesy BConnell
Final walk to the confluence
We arrive at the confluence with the Escalante River shortly before 2pm. Interestingly, Death Hollow is providing 90% of the flow of the Escalante downstream of this point. Upstream of here, the Escalante is currently a sluggish trickle (in spring and early summer this is not the case).

The confluence is a significant point for us: we've just completed the full descent of Death Hollow, from rim all the way down to its finish at the Escalante. Three and a half days of hard work!
courtesy JInnes
courtesy JInnes
Arriving at Confluence
Arriving at Confluence
Talking with other group
We're not quite done with water yet. Our planned exit route up to Big Flat requires us to hike down the Escalante River for a bit. It's not far, though (perhaps half a kilometer / a third of a mile). We exit the river on a sandy open bank and begin to strip off all of our water-wear. Time to transition to full dry desert hiking mode.
courtesy BConnell
Eroded Channels
Down the Escalante
Transitioning to dry land
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