Utah Fall 2019 - Willow Gulch and Death Hollow - The Short Report - Fall 2019

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More unwelcome attachees

Low Slot

First campsite

The second day is a different challenge: narrows and slots and many little downclimbs and many pools, some short, some long. It's fun, but it is also very slow, as we are a large group and are not co-ordinating all that well. By mid-day, we've made very little progress.

courtesy BConnell

courtesy JInnes

Creekbed Clambering

Assistive Descent

Ferrying Packs

The downscrambling and long pools continue, but we do start to get better at processing through them - even so, it's slow and cold, and the initial fun factor has worn off a bit as we start to get a bit anxious about getting to a campsite before dark. Eventually we get to some sections where full swimming is required, which means getting out our inflatable tubes and floating our packs across. After a long ten and a half hours, we manage to find a not very great campsite on a sloping slickrock bench - not ideal, but we don't have much choice. Thus marks the end of our second day in Death Hollow.

courtesy BConnell

Another long watery slot

Fine Slot Canyon

Deepest and longest of upper pools

Alana's swim

Second Campsite

We're prepared for more toughness on day 3, but things start to improve: the canyon gets wider, the creek shallower, a nice clear flow of water forms, and there is very little deep water to negotiate. We make much better time. Death Hollow develops into a nice big canyon with beautiful high walls. Eventually we reach the point where the Boulder Mail Trail crosses the canyon, and we begin to encounter well-defined use paths and many nice camping locations. We push on all the way to the confluence of Death Hollow and Mamie Creek, where we snag a very nice campsite with a beautiful down-canyon view.

Getting shallower, wider

Bushy Detours

Reduced depth, increased scenery

Open Corner

Iron-rich seeps

Paths start to form

Perfect Paths

Beautiful Architecture

Third campsite

Sophie enjoys the light

Morning glow

Breakfast, Day 4

We've made good enough progress on our third day that our fourth day starts of quite relaxed. We don't have too far to go and the nicest and relatively-speaking the easiest parts of Death Hollow are all that is left before we reach the confluence with the Escalante River. The only somewhat difficult part are Death Hollow's lower narrows, which have a couple of swim sections that can be avoided with a bit of tricky edging along sloping walls. Below that, the canyon is marvelous (and the beautiful sunny day only amplifies this): easy shallow creek-walking, clear, sparkling blue-green pools, and soaring yellow walls.

courtesy JInnes

Beautiful Horseshoe Cascade

Nearing the lower narrows

The Lower Narrows

Tightest stretch of lower narrows

Skirting a swim

Grand exit

courtesy JInnes

The Wavy Deeps

Negotiating Riffles

Arriving at Confluence

After having successfully gotten to the bottom of Death Hollow, the next (and final task) is the climb up to the jeep, which is stashed at a spot called Big Flat. To get there we hike briefly down the Escalante and then hike up towards the steep slickrock wall of the south side of the Escalante Canyon. We locate a climbable way out and, with a little help of a belay line, get everyone up and out of the canyon. Once on top, we head south over some open slickrock and up to the rim of Big Flat itself. A few minutes later, we're at the jeep, and the end of a challenging but successful 4-day adventure.

courtesy JInnes

Transitioning to dry land

Starting our climb

Leading the crux

courtesy JInnes

Belaying Gino

Topping out

Descending into shallow tributary

courtesy JInnes

On Big Flat

Mission Accomplished

We have one final day before our trip back west, and to wind down we choose a scenic drive back to Salt Lake City that allows us to sample a bit of the fall mountain scenery we had originall thought to hike. Topping everything off was getting taken out to a great Italian meal in Salt Lake City.

A quick hike

Relaxed after-hikers

Premium Italian

If you want to read about the trip in much greater detail, please go the full trip report.

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