| San Rafael Swell | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Canyon Name | Named by | Kelsey Alternative | Notes: |
| Grotto Canyon | Steve Allen | Named for ‘the grotto,’ a large pothole nestled below a dryfall. †¹ | |
| Pinnacle Canyon | Steve Allen | Named for a large pinnacle in the canyon. †¹ | |
| Archtower Canyon | Steve Allen | Named for the The Archtower, a 200–foot tower, containing an arch, that resides in the canyon †¹ | |
| Sheep Cave Canyon | Steve Allen | Named for a sheep cave within the canyon. Steve Allen wrote: “The Sheep Cave is high on the hillside to the right. As evidenced by the amount of scat in the cave, it is apparent that this is a favorite bighorn getaway.” †¹ | |
| Box Spring Canyon | Steve Allen | Named for its springs and lush riparian habitat. †¹ | |
| Petroglyph Canyon | Steve Allen | Named for two petroglyph panels found in the canyon. †¹ | |
| Double Arch Canyon | Steve Allen | Named for two sets of double arches that reside in the canyon. †¹ | |
| Forgotten Canyon | Steve Allen | Secret Mesa Canyon S | Steve Allen wrote: “For some inexplicable reason this fantastic canyon has been left out of the literature. With its long, tight narrows and a great arch, it deserves notice.” †¹ |
| Uneva Mine Canyon | Steve Allen | 2nd Canyon & Uneva Mine Canyon S | Named for the Uneva mine located within the canyon. †¹ |
| Steep Canyon | Steve Allen | Named as it is a steep canyon which climbs to the top of the San Rafael Reef. †¹ | |
| Zero Gravity | Shane Burrows, Sam Gregory, & Devon Gregory | Little Iron Wash ² | After Burrows’ chest got stuck in the bombay slot of the exit falls which had him suspended in the air. ω |
| Little Gem Canyon | Steve Allen | The canyon is mentioned in several places in Steve Allen’s Canyoneering: The San Rafael Swell. †¹ Steve Allen wrote: “The lower part is in the Wingate, which can weather into fantastic shapes. It is a Little Gem compared to the nearby longer, bigger, and equally fantastic Chimney Canyon.” (also known as GEM CANYON) þ | |
| Gem Canyon | Kent Beverly, Penny Martens, & Scott Patterson | Scott Patterson wrote: “The forks of Gem Canyon (2003) were named simply because the bottom of the canyon complex was tagged Little Gem, but the upper forks aren’t little; so we dropped the name ‘Little’ for the upper forks.” (also known as LITTLE GEM CANYON) þ | |
| Enigma Canyon | Scott Patterson | Scott Patterson wrote: “I named Enigma Canyon in the Swell (sort of). Anyway, we did the canyon in 2003. Someone on the trip suggested the name Cubic Zirconium, but for the life of me I couldn’t remember the suggestion so I later referred to it as Enigma. The name has stuck. The alternate name was a clever one though. The next two canyons down were Little Gem and Poor Canyon and the gem of the poor is a cubic zirconium.” þ | |
| Music Canyon | Lloyd Bush, Henry Haurand, Kent Johnson & Laurie Ness. | Lloyd Bush wrote: “Henry Haurand and I discovered the canyon purely by accident about 11 or 12 years ago(1990-91). We were hiking down Muddy Creek and stopped for lunch directly opposite the opening (exit). We didn’t even see it until we were leaving after lunch. It is only visible from very close. We dropped our packs to see what it looked like and started up the canyon. After a few minutes it was obvious to us that this was a canyon worth doing. We continued up canyon until we got to a point we thought might be a bit tricky coming back down and reluctantly turned around. Two weeks later we came back with two other friends (Kent Johnson and Laurie Ness) to do the whole canyon. I had located what I thought was the canyon on the topo and we started from the top. It turned out to be every bit as good as we had hoped. When we got to the bottom, we turned around and went back up. At one point, there is a dark cavern with remarkable acoustics, and Laurie, who has a beautiful voice, began to sing. This led to a discussion as to what to name the canyon. We narrowed it down to ‘Music’ or ‘Melody,’ and ‘Music’ finally won out. It proved to be such a gem, that I began to bring my canyoneering classes from the University of Utah. Over the years, I have taken dozens of people down the canyon, but I never thought to ask any of them to keep the location secret. I don’t know if ours was the first descent, but I haven’t heard of any earlier ones. We definitely named the canyon.” ω þ | |
| Mud Canyon | Steve Allen | Named for the soaring mud walls, pinnacles, towers, and narrows that are cut through the Moenkopi formation. †¹ | |
| Ding & Dang Canyons | Steve Allen | 1st & 2nd Canyons & Ding & Dang Cyns S | Steve Allen wrote: “I named them in the late 70’s. At their head is quite a dome\tower. I tried to climb it several times by myself without success, leading to the name in my own head of ‘G— Damn Dome!’ I finally made it to the top (5.9R). I do remember that the downclimb of the route was spookier than the upclimb. So in the interest of having a usable and not profane name, I renamed it Ding Dang Dome. I then started calling the two canyons that lead up the southern reef to the domes Ding and Dang. Apparently the names stuck.” þ |
| Ramp Canyon | Steve Allen | 4th Canyon & Ramp Canyon S,1 | For the sandstone ramp that is ascended. †¹ |
| Knotted Rope Canyon | Steve Allen | Miners Hollow S,1 | Named for a knotted rope which used to hang through Wayne’s Wiggle, the crux of the route. †¹ Steve Allen wrote: “After watching bits and pieces of the Knotted Rope disappear, and thinking of how much we’d like to have had someone save a piece of the original Dangling Rope in Glen Canyon, I took the remaining few feet of rope and it is now safely stored until it makes its way to a historical archive.”þ M.R. Kelsey’s name is in reference to remnants of uranium mining at the head of the canyon. ¹ |
| Quandary Canyon | Steve Allen | quandary — a state of uncertainty of what to do in a difficult situation. Named accordingly for the technical challenges the canyon presents. †¹ Steve Allen wrote: “Several have asked what I know of the mining history in Knotted Rope and Quandary. Jack Erwin of Green River didn’t work the Delta (Hidden Splendor) Mine, but he did work Temple Mountain and knew some of the history. Apparently the road into Quandary was used to drill test holes to see how extensive the Hidden Splendor Mine uranium seams were. The road, after cutting through the upper narrows, which were once filled with rip-rap, made its way around to Knotted Rope Canyon. At one time there was a plan to pump water up from the Muddy, hence the plethora of pipe lying around. Another interesting aside was that after Vernon Pick sold the Delta Mine to Floyd Odlum (who renamed it the Hidden Splendor) Odum’s wife had him build the airstrip we now camp on or near; she was the famed aviatrix Jackie Cochran who is credited with being the first woman to break the sound barrier and was instrumental in starting the WACS during WW 2.” þ | |
| The Squeeze | Steve Allen | Segers Hole Canyon ¹ AKA North Fork of Segers Hole Canyon S | Named as it is one of the narrowest canyons found in the San Rafael Swell †¹ |
| Segers Window Canyon | Tom Jones | Little Segers Hole Canyon ¹ AKA South Fork of Segers Hole Canyon S | Tom Jones wrote: “Mike and I did the Segers Window Canyon for his Technical Canyon book. He had originally done it from the top and escaped the canyon before the best section to hike back to the top — the Window. While he thought ‘Segers Window’ was a silly name, he agreed that a north fork and a south fork really should intersect at some point, so he went with ‘Segers Hole Canyon’ and ‘Little Segers Hole Canyon,’ which is somewhat better.” þ |
| Cable Canyon | Steve Allen | Steve Allen wrote: “An old miner’s cable wrapped around a chockstone was used as an anchor in the upper canyon on an early descent.” þ †¹ | |
| Corral Canyon | It was once used to hold cattle. †¹ | ||
| Horse Heaven Canyon | Steve Allen | Steve Allen wrote: “The canyon name is taken from the upland area of Horse Heaven, which is shown on the Caine Springs and The Frying Pan maps. Emery rancher Wayne Gremel noted that, ‘Wild horses used to like to stay out there. Used to be lots of grass. They’d water in Corral Canyon.’” þ | |
| Southern Green River | |||
| The Sneak AKA Sneak Canyon | Northwest Fork Three Canyon ² | Scott Patterson wrote: “In Three Canyon, there are two lower forks. I was told by a BLM ranger we met in there that the west one was named ‘Sneak Canyon’ or ‘The Sneak’ because the ranchers would use the hidden bolt route to sneak into the canyon.” þ | |
| Tidwell Canyon | Michael R. Kelsey | Michael R. Kelsey wrote: “so named because it runs north from near the old Phillips Oil Well, later used by the Tidwell Family of Green River as a line cabin when grazing cows in the area.” Named in M.R. Kelsey’s Technical Canyon Guide 2nd Ed. (2008) ² | |
| Low Spur Canyon | Michael R. Kelsey | The canyon was named for the adjacent highlands of the The Spur labeled Low Spur on the topo map. Named in M.R. Kelsey’s Technical Canyon Guide 2nd Ed. (2008) ² | |
| High Spur | Shane Burrows | Northeast Spur Fork ° | A side canyon of Spur Fork, which descends from the High Spur area of The Spur. Also a variation on the name Northeast Spur Fork, which appeared first in Kelsey’s 5th Edition Nontechnical Canyon Hiking Guide. (also known as NORTHEAST SPUR FORK) ω ‡³ |
| Blue John Canyon | Shane Burrows wrote: “Blue John Canyon appears to have been named after a minor Robbers Roost outlaw by the name of John Griffith. Griffith had one blue eye and one brown eye and thus was saddled with the nickname ‘Blue John.’ It is recognized that he kept stolen horses in the area, perhaps watering them at nearby springs. In the fall of 1899 Griffith is reported to have put in at Hite with a small boat with the intention of reaching Lee’s Ferry. He was never heard from again” ω | ||
| Little Blue John Cyn | Tom Talboys | Little West Fork Blue John Canyon ² | Little Blue John Canyon first appeared on Climb–Utah in 2003. ωþ |
| “Squeeze Variation” East Fork Blue John Canyon | Shane Burrows | Squeeze Fork East Fork Blue John Canyon ² | An alternate route into the East Fork of Blue John Canyon through a tight side canyon. Squeeze Variation first appeared on Climb–Utah in 2003. ωþ |
| Lost Park Canyons | Michael R. Kelsey | Named as they all run north of an area labeled ‘Lost Park’ on the topo map. Named in M.R. Kelsey’s Technical Canyon Guide 2nd Ed. (2008) ² | |
| Dirty Devil River | |||
| Mindbender | Steve Allen & Ginger Harmon | Little Middle Fk of Robbers Roost ¹ | Link to story †² |
| Not Mindbender | Tom Jones | North Middle Fk of Robbers Roost ¹ | After a confusion about which canyon is Mindbender, which is obscured in Steve Allen’s Canyoneering 2. (also known as ALCOVE FORK ) ωþ |
| Maybe Mindbender | Tom Jones | þ | |
| Almost Mindbender | Tom Jones | þ | |
| Ho–Hum Fork | Tom Jones | East Fk of North Fk of Robbers Roost ² | Tom Jones wrote: Though somewhat pretty, it is not too terribly exciting. Just when it starts to get going, the technical part ends. ‘Not much meat on this bone,’ was the consensus of our party. ω |
| The Crack AKA Upper North Fk Robbers Roost Cyn | Michael R. Kelsey | This refers to the short section of very narrow (and dark) slot in the upper North Fk proper just below the last rappel when descending and above the confluence with East Fk of North Fk/Ho–Hum. þ | |
| Little White Roost Canyon | Michael R. Kelsey | Named as it is a fork of Robbers Roost Canyon adjacent and parallel to White Roost Canyon though they do not share a confluence. ¹ | |
| Chambers | Dave Pimental | South Fk Bull Canyon ² | For the wonderful section of chambers in a section of the slot canyon. þ |
| Big Bad Ben | Ram | Middle–East Fk Bull Canyon ² | Ram wrote: “There is a song by Stompin Tom Conners, a Canadian silly song singer, called ‘Ben in the Pen.’ I just happen to have a friend named Ben, who has come on several canyon trips and is now in the big house. Tom Jones made a working map of the area upon my request. He labeled the canyons AAA (Chambers), BBB, all the way to FFF. We descended BBB the day before Chambers. I named the canyon honoring my buddy, in keeping with the BBB on the map and the silly song.” þ |
| Bull Canyon | Michael R. Kelsey wrote: “Alvin Robison of Hanksville said they called it Bull Canyon because there was a fence across the mouth of the canyon and they would leave bulls there for most of the year until breeding season in the fall sometime.” Appears in M.R. Kelsey’s Technical Canyon Guide 2nd Ed. (2008) ²þ | ||
| Little Bull Canyon | Michael R. Kelsey | Named as it is close to and descends from Bull Point, which is Kelsey’s name for the bench lying between Bull Canyon and Robbers Roost Canyon. Named in M.R. Kelsey’s Technical Canyon Guide 2nd Ed. (2008) ²þ | |
| Lost Spring Canyon | Michael R. Kelsey | Namd as two branches of the canyon contain separate springs each of which is labeled ‘Lost Spring’ on the topo map. Named in M.R. Kelsey’s Technical Canyon Guide 2nd Ed. (2008) ² | |
| Moonshine Wash | The canyon was named after the illegal whiskey still that was located in the canyon during prohibition. The cement vats that the whiskey was brewed in are still in the canyon. ω | ||
| Flashlight Canyon | Mike Bogart & Anne Winter | North Fk Twin Corral Box Canyon ¹ | Link to account. (also known as ALCATRAZ CANYON ) þ |
| Alcatraz Canyon | Scott Patterson | North Fk Twin Corral Box Canyon ¹ | Named after Scott Patterson and Michael R. Kelsey decided to escape out a steep wall of the slot canyon, when the canyon got too narrow, by chipping climbing holds into a near vertical wall with a G–pick. (also known as FLASHLIGHT CANYON ) ω |
| No Ma’am | Ram | A play on No Mans. A unnamed slot described in Steve Allen’s Canyoneering 2 in the North Fork of No Mans Canyon. ω þ | |
| Arscenic | Tom Jones Shane Burrows Barb & Jeff Meierhofer Alicia Scotter, Sharon & Tom Talboys | West Fk of South Fk Poison Spring Cyn ² | POISON THEME BLEND: arsenic + scenic. Tom Jones wrote: “Named for the scenic little arch on the rim.” The poison theme of the blends is in reference to these canyons’ being tributaries of Poison Spring Canyon. (also known as LYMRIC) ω |
| Slideanide | Shane Burrows Tom Jones Barb & Jeff Meierhofer Alicia Scotter, Sharon & Tom Talboys | Middle Fk of South Fk Poison Spring Cyn ² | POISON THEME BLEND: slide + cyanide. Appropriate for the many downclimbing slides in the canyon. The poison theme of the blends is in reference to these canyons’ being tributaries of Poison Spring Canyon. ω |
| Constrychnine | Stefan Folias | East Fk of South Fk Poison Spring Cyn ² | POISON THEME BLEND: constrict + strychnine. Stefan Folias wrote: “The name reflects the stunningly tight depths of the sheer narrows one stares into while descending the upper part of the canyon.” First published on Climb–Utah under Constrychnine. (also known as PITON CANYON, PROJECT X, EAST FK SLIDEANIDE ) ω þ |
| West Monoxide & East Monoxide | Shane Burrows Tom Jones Barb & Jeff Meierhofer, Alicia Scotter, Sharon & Tom Talboys, & Gilles Wallace | Little North Fk & Northeast Fk of Little North Fork Poison Spring Cyn ² | POISON THEME: Tom Jones wrote: “As I remember, we called it Monoxide because it had exactly ONE good feature” (also known as DRAGON & FAIR MAIDEN) ω |
| Burr Canyon | Michael R. Kelsey | Named as it descends off Burr Point. ² | |
| North Lake Powell | |||
| Sandthrax Canyon | Hank Moon | Mile 28.5 Canyon ¹ | BLEND: sand + anthrax Link to story by Hank Moon. Link to story by Shane Burrows |
| Leprechaun Canyon | Mile 28.1 Canyon ¹ | Shane Burrows wrote: “The canyon was named after a radio DJ in Silverton Colorado who had a program called the ‘Psychedelic Leprechaun.’ The story goes ... The DJ told the hiker who posted the original beta about the canyon. So when the hiker posted the beta he called it Leprechaun in honor of his friend who supplied the beta.” ω | |
| Upper Leprechaun AKA Right Fork Leprechaun Canyon | Shane Burrows | East Fk of Mile 28.1 Canyon ¹ | (also known as EAST FORK LEPRECHAUN CANYON) ω |
| Shimrock AKA Middle Fork Leprechaun Canyon | Hank Moon & Shane Burrows | West Fk of Mile 28.1 Canyon ¹ | IRISH THEME BLEND: shimmy + shamrock Named as this is the tightest canyon of the three. (also known as MAIN FORK LEPRECHAUN CANYON) ω |
| Shamrock AKA Left Fork Leprechaun Canyon | Hank Moon & Shane Burrows | IRISH THEME: (also known as WEST FORK LEPRECHAUN CANYON) ω | |
| East Fork Leprechaun Canyon | Tom Jones | East Fk of Mile 28.1 Canyon ¹ | (also known as RIGHT FORK LEPRECHAUN CANYON, UPPER LEPRECHAUN) ω |
| Main Fork Leprechaun Canyon | Tom Jones | West Fk of Mile 28.1 Canyon ¹ | Tom Jones wrote: “In Tom’s world, the name of the system is applied to the main fork of the canyon, and side canyons can get separate names. East & West are less ambiguous than Right & Left.” (also known as MIDDLE FORK LEPRECHAUN CANYON, SHIMROCK) ω þ |
| West Fork Leprechaun Canyon | Tom Jones | (also known as LEFT FORK LEPRECHAUN CANYON, SHAMROCK) ω | |
| Blarney | Tom Jones & Alicia Scotter | Mile 27.6 Canyon ¹ | IRISH THEME: blarney — talk that aims to charm Named after Shane Burrows spoke highly about the system to Tom Jones. ω |
| Shillelagh | Shane Burrows & Barb Pollyea | Mile 27.4 Canyon ¹ | IRISH THEME: shillelagh — thick stick of blackhorn or oak used typically as a weapon. ω |
| Lucky Charms | Hank Moon | Mile 27.1 Canyon ¹ | IRISH THEME: short canyon one can eat for breakfast. ω |
| Boss Hawg AKA Boss Hogg AKA Hog 1 | Dave Black & Jim Wright | West Fk Hog Canyon ² | HOG THEME: based on Hog Canyon/Hog Springs. (also known as HOG 1, BOSS HOG, WEST FK HOG CANYON) ω |
| Hog 2 | Middle Fk Hog Canyon ² | HOG THEME: ω | |
| Razorback AKA Hog 3 | Ram | East Fk Hog Canyon ² | Named for the iron concretion–studded walls which are frequently chimneyed. (also known as HOG 3, EAST FK HOG CANYON) ω |
| Miss Piggy | Ram | HOG THEME: Link to story (also known as HOG 4) | |
| Merry Piglet | Penny Martens & Dave Pimental | HOG THEME: Piglet — a baby pig who is the best friend of Winnie-the-Pooh in A. A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh books. Dave Pimental wrote: “Since the pretty little canyon was right near Hog Springs I began to call it Piglet, after the cute little character from Winnie the Pooh.” þ | |
| Shenanigans | Tom Jones | Middle Fk of West Fk Butler Cyn ¹ | IRISH\BUTLER THEME: shenanigans — tricky or questionable practices or conducts. Link to story by T. Jones. Link to story by Ram. |
| Monkey Business | Tom Jones | West Fk of West Fk Butler Cyn ¹ | BUTLER THEME: monkey business — mischievous or deceitful behavior. Butler theme continued from Shenanigans. Link to story. |
| Foolin’ Around | Tom Jones | East Fk of West Fk Butler Cyn ¹ | BUTLER THEME: fooling around — 1. To engage in idle or casual activity; putter. 2. To engage in frivolous activity; make fun. 3. To engage in casual, often promiscuous sexual acts. Link to story. |
| No Kidding | Jason Pease | BUTLER THEME: no kidding — phrase used to emphasize the truth of a statement. Link to story. ω | |
| Horse Play | Ryan Cornia | BUTLER THEME: horseplay — rowdy or boisterous fun. Ryan Cornia wrote: “Because it fit with the theme of the other Butler’s. (Shenanigans, No Kidding, etc...) I felt horse play fit because it was casual and fun, without being too serious.” ω | |
| Art’s Loop | Shane Burrows wrote: “Art, a part-time Hanksville resident, was a climber who explored slot canyons in the mid–80s. A widow told me that Art’s friends call the loop, up Middle Maidenwater and down South Maidenwater, Art’s Loop in his honor. The pitons in the area may have come from him.” ω | ||
| Inferno | Tom Jones, Penny Martens, Hank Moon, Dave Pimental, Ram, & Aaron Ramras | Link to story 1 & Link to story 2. | |
| Land of Oz | Ryan Cornia, Kent Beverly, & Penny Martens | OZ THEME: Land of Oz — One of the many ‘fairy countries’ in the Oz books by L. Frank Baum, first appearing in 1900 in the book, ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.’ Ryan Cornia wrote: “Kent Beverly was part of most all of those explorations and had suggested an Oz theme. The group liked it, so we used the theme to name all the canyons we did out there.” þ | |
| Yellow Brick Road | Ryan Cornia, Kent Beverly, & Penny Martens | Bridge Canyon ² | OZ THEME: Yellow Brick Road — the road in the Land of Oz that leads to the Emerald City. Ryan Cornia wrote: “YBR was so named partially because of the spring section we thought was the ‘Emerald City.’” þ |
| Munchkin | Ryan Cornia, Kent Beverly, & Penny Martens | OZ THEME: Munchkin — the natives of Munchkin Country in the Land of Oz who are somewhat short of stature. Ryan Cornia wrote: “Munchkin because of the short squeezy spot near the top.” þ | |
| Witch’s Cauldron | Ryan Cornia, Kent Beverly, Penny Martens & Mark McCray | Trachyte Slot ² | OZ THEME: a reference to the Wicked Witch of the West who threatens to ‘get’ Dorthy after her house landed on and killed the witch’s sister, the Wicked Witch of the East. Ryan Cornia wrote: “Witch’s Cauldron was named because of the big keeper we had gotten turned back at twice.” (also known as TRACHYOTOMY, TRACHYTE SLOT) þ |
| Trachyotomy | Eric Godfrey | Trachyte Slot ² | BLEND: Trachyte + trachiotomy A play on Trachyte Creek, of which it is a tributary. (also known as WITCH’S CAULDRON, TRACHYTE SLOT) ω |
| Blushing Bride | Dave Pimental | North Fk Maidenwater Canyon ² | Based on the maiden theme of Maidenwater. ω |
| The Jilted Fork | Ram | Little North Fk Maidenwater Canyon ² | Jilted — suddenly rejected or abandoned (said of a lover) Based on the maiden theme of Maidenwater. þ |
| Conundrum | Ryan Cornia | Ryan Cornia wrote: “I had seen pictures of a mythical canyon near North Wash, and had poked around for years looking for it. Conundrum fit because it was a puzzle. I did not find out for sometime after I published it that Matt [Moore] had already named it. Because of the amount of traffic it had received on my site, I left the name as it had become common.” (also known as LAVAR) ω | |
| Lavar | Matt Moore | Matt Moore wrote: “Lavar is named for Lavar Wells. He’s a very talented, well–known, and respected backcountry pilot from Hanksville. He’s racked up about 20,000 hours flying into the demanding dirt strips around southern Utah. He’s a really great guy. He pointed that canyon out to me while flying around the Henrys.” (also known as CONUNDRUM) þ | |
| Purgatory | Dave Black & Jim Wright | Dave Black wrote: “There were two rumors I had died—one that I’d been shot, and one that I’d been hit by a semi truck. People called home to offer sympathies to my family. Even my Army son in Hawaii got a message that I had died. So we originally called it ‘Dave’s Not Dead,’ but that’s an awkward name for a canyon, and it was eventually changed to Purgatory.” þ | |
| Woody Canyon | Dave Pimental | Pothole Fk Woodruff Canyon ² | So named since it is a small side drainage of Woodruff Canyon. Woody is a diminution of Woodruff. Link to story þ |
| Woodsy Canyon | Dave Pimental | Middle Fk Woodruff Canyon ² | So named since it is a small side drainage of Woodruff Canyon just upcanyon from Woody Canyon. Link to story þ |
| Woodchuck Canyon | Ram & Tom Jones | North Fork Woodruff Canyon ² | So named since it is a small side drainage of Woodruff Canyon. Woodchuck is a type of rodent. þ |
| Hard Day Harvey | Steve Allen | East Branch Sevenmile East ² | Named after Harvey Halpern during a difficult, very muddy first descent. þ |
| Good Day Jim | Steve Allen | West Branch Sevenmile East ² | Named after Jim Finch. þ |
| Caliente | Dave Pimental | Fun Slot Warm Springs Cyn ² | caliente — warm or hot (Spanish). Caliente refers to Warm Springs Canyon. Link to story. (also known as POTTYMOUTH) |
| Pottymouth | Tom Jones & Ram | Fun Slot + Lower Warm Springs Cyn ² | AFFLICTION THEME: Pottymouth — One who is given to the use of vulgar language and profanities. The name Pottymouth refers to the concatenation of a side canyon of Warm Springs Canyon and lower Warm Springs Canyon (labeled ‘Warm Springs Creek’ on the topo map) through to the big drop that resulted in expletive remarks and, hence, the name. Link to story. (also known as CALIENTE) |
| Sinusitis AKA Snotnose | Ram | Keeper Pothole Fork Warm Springs Cyn ² | AFFLICTION THEME: Sinusitis — an inflammation of the mucous membranes that line the sinus cavities. Link to story. |
| Glaucoma | Ram | Best Slot Warm Springs Cyn ² | AFFLICTION THEME: Glaucoma — a condition which results in damage to the optical nerve that can lead to blindness. ‘Pinkeye’ was one of the working names during the scouting process and discarded upon descent of the canyon. Link to story. |
| Tinnitus | Ram | Potholes Fork Warm Springs Cyn ² | AFFLICTION THEME: Tinnitus — a symptom producing the intermittent or continuous sound of ringing, roaring, buzzing, or clicking in either or both ears. |
| Bun Fodder AKA Bunfodor | Dave Black | Smith Fork Slot ² | Dave Black wrote: “Bunfodor is almost totally airborne and very tight with a couple of exposed bombays, and it’s almost consistently the equivalent of easy to moderate 5th class climbing. After you walk into the entrance there are only three very short sections where your feet even touch the ground and you can walk a few yards. At the end you’re hands and backside are hamburger and your pants need serious patching.” Link to story. (also known as PSYCHOLOGICAL DAMAGE, SMITH FORK SLOT) |
| Psychological (Psycho) Damage | Steve Brezovec | Smith Fork Slot ² | Named upon the (successful) third attempt at the canyon. The name is in reference to the experience of the party during the first attempt, in which Tom Jones, Ram, Doug Noel and Roylnn Serati spent the night in the canyon, with one member of the party injured, a flash flood, and a retreat the following day. During and after their bivy, they had referred to the canyon as ‘Silo Canyon.’ Link to story. (also known as BUN FODDER, SMITH FORK SLOT) þ |
| Endless Eden | Steve Allen & Jim Finch | Steve Allen wrote: “The canyon was named for its endless beauty and difficult challenges. This canyon is a twin to nearby Lost Eden Canyon, a name both Katie Lee and Otis ‘Dock’ Marston attribute to the fact that famed river runner Harry Aleson and Dorothy Keyes were married there. They knew the rising waters of Lake Powell would inundate this wonderful place.“ þ | |
| East of Eden | Ram | Named as it is east of a heavenly canyon. þ | |
| Escalante & Capitol Reef | |||
| Rose Canyon | Steve Allen | Named for the profusion of cliff roses found in the canyon. †³ | |
| Bishop Canyon | The name appears on boater maps. Steve Allen wrote: “I would assume that it is named for Powell crew member Francis Marion Bishop.” þ | ||
| Short Fork Fortymile Gulch | Michael R. Kelsey | ² | |
| Don’t Do It (DDI) | Steve Allen | Middle Fk King Mesa Slot ² | Was written on the map as a warning-to-self about poison ivy. Descent in 1997. Link to story. |
| The Mud, the Blood, & the Fear | Ram | Middle Fk King Mesa Slot ² | Link to story. (also known as DDI) |
| PINTAC | Steve Allen | East Fk King Mesa Slot ² | Acronym for ‘Pain in the Ass Crack’ Partial descent in 1996. Complete descent in 1997. Link to story part 1 • part 2 |
| Sleepy Hollow | Tom Gillette | Bill Wolverton wrote: “Sleepy Hollow was named by Tom and Jennifer Gillette when Tom was the Escalante seasonal ranger, which was from about 1978–86. They made camp in there one night when they were both particularly sleepy for some reason, if I recall the story correctly.” Tom Gillette wrote: “The place name ‘Sleepy Hollow’ was born on an April day in l982. Ranger Glenn Sherrill, wife and volunteer Jennifer and myself spent the day constructing flood gates on the Coyote cattle fence. The wind howled down canyon all day, but we continued to work through the sandblaster till late afternoon. Seeking a break from the wind, we set up camp in an alcove a short ways up a side canyon on the left side. The wind took its toll as we laid out our ground sheet and sleeping bags, crawled in and fell asleep, too tired to even make dinner. What a relief! That’s my story.” þ | |
| Long Branch of Sleepy Hollow | Steve Allen | From Canyoneering 3 by Steve Allen: “I thought of the struggle my friend Rob and I had in the Long Branch of Sleepy Hollow—sixteen hours of danger and delight: the green room, the natural bridges, the swims, the rappels, our bloody hands and knees, and how we had hugged each other when it was over.” Descent by Steve Allen and Rob Roseen in 1992. †²†³ | |
| Big Tony Fork of Sleepy Hollow | Steve Allen | Sleepy Hollow ² | From Canyoneering 3, by Steve Allen: “Tony Merten died on his farm in New Mexico in February 1996. His gargantuan size, unlimited physical strength, and unbridled persona perfectly match this slot canyon’s character. With his wild red–blond hair and beard, Tony was instantly recognizable to all who encountered him in the canyons or along the windswept desert slickrock he loved so much and worked so hard to preserve. Perhaps all who pass will pay silent homage to Big Tony and to others who have cared about canyon country but can no longer be here to enjoy and be enthralled by it.” †³ Allen’s descent in 1996.Tom Jones obscured this canyon with the name ‘Frosted Flakes’, a reference to the cereal’s mascot. |
| Frosted Flakes Canyon | Ram, Tom Jones, Steve Brezovec, Eric Godfrey, Landon Michaels, & Mark Burnham | Ram wrote: “So to the descenders goes the spoils of naming the place. What to do? It seemed that many still called Big Tonyx Frosted Flakes. The
latter’s name having outlived its usefulness and intent. So it was decided: give Tony the Tiger his own place and his due. Shift the name Frosted Flakes over to this newly descended fork of Big Tony.” For the purposes of confuscation (cf. Big Tony Fork), the name Frosted Flakes was previously applied to the adjacent fork which was originally known as the Big Tony Fork of Sleepy Hollow. However the name unintentionally became somewhat more commonly used to reference the slot and also appeared in various photo-trip reports and forum posts on the web. To give substance to this viable yet illegitimate name, ‘Frosted Flakes’, it has now been applied post hoc to the fork of Sleepy Hollow which shares a confluence with the Big Tony Fork at the final rappels of each canyon. þ
| |
| Headless Hen | Steve Allen | Named for a large brown tower that looks like a headless hen on the rim of the canyon. Descent in 1996. | |
| Raven | Steve Allen | Named because three dead ravens were found in the canyon. Descent in 1996. | |
| Foxhole AKA Fox Hole | Ryan Cornia, Larry Halford Ram Roy Serati | Raven ² | Named as the party found a fox trapped in a pothole, and Ryan Cornia’s attempt to rescue. Link to story. (also known as RAVEN) |
| Little Scorpion Twin Forks | Michael R. Kelsey | SCORPION THEME: Named as it lies to the southeast of Scorpion. Named in M.R. Kelsey’s Technical Canyon Guide 2nd Ed. (2008) ² | |
| Ponderosa Canyon | Bill Wolverton | Scorpion East ² | Named circa early 1990s for an enormous Ponderosa tree in the canyon. (also known as SCORPION EAST) þ |
| Scorpion East | Michael R. Kelsey | SCORPION THEME: Named as it lies to the south of Scorpion. Named in M.R. Kelsey’s Technical Canyon Guide 2nd Ed. (2008) (also known as PONDEROSA CANYON) ² | |
| Box Elder Canyon | Bill Wolverton | Scorpion West ² | Named circa early 1990s for a profusion of Box Elder trees in the canyon. (also known as SCORPION WEST) þ |
| Scorpion West | Michael R. Kelsey | SCORPION THEME: Named as it lies to the southwest of Scorpion. Named in M.R. Kelsey’s Technical Canyon Guide 2nd Ed. (2008) (also known as BOX ELDER CANYON) ² | |
| Tightest Slot Dry Fork Coyote | Michael R. Kelsey | Named for its extremely tight narrows, constricting to 2cm. Named in M.R. Kelsey’s Technical Canyon Guide 2nd Ed. (2008) ² | |
| Sandslide Canyon Dry Fork Coyote | Michael R. Kelsey | Named for a sandslide in the canyon allowing egress to the rim. Named in M.R. Kelsey’s Technical Canyon Guide 2nd Ed. (2008) ² | |
| Little Canyon Dry Fork Coyote | Michael R. Kelsey | Named in M.R. Kelsey’s Technical Canyon Guide 2nd Ed. (2008) ² | |
| The Beast | Ram | Refers to the extremely tight sections of Brimstone Canyon. Named circa early 90’s. Link to story. | |
| Spooky Gulch Peek-a-boo Gulch & Brimstone Gulch | Edson Alvey | Steve Allen wrote: “Shortly before his death in 1993, Escalante historian and schoolteacher Edson Alvey told me that they were suggested while he was exploring the [three] slot canyons with a group of schoolchildren on Halloween day in 1935.” þ †³ | |
| Hydra Canyon | Harvey Halpern | Hydra is a many–headed snake from Greek Mythology whose heads grew back after they were cut off. It was named so because of difficulties heading the canyon due to its many side drainages. þ †³ | |
| Shofar Canyon | Steve Allen, Harvey Halpern, & Ginger Harmon | Hebrew for horn, accurately describing many of the canyon’s pinnacles, especially one in particular that looks like a horn. þ †³ | |
| Ichabod Canyon | Steve Allen | Named for Washington Irvine’s Ichabod Crane who was chased by the Headless Horseman in the ‘Legend of Sleepy Hollow.’ Similar to Hydra, it was a difficult canyon to head due to its side drainages. þ †³ | |
| Beryl Canyon | Harvey Halpern | Beryl has 3–fold meaning. First, Beryl is a mineral, one of whose varieties is aquamarine. Second, the lady Beryl of myth was a laughing, loving beauty full of innocence and sunshine. Both accurately describe this lavishly watered canyon lined with large colorful pools. Additionally, Beryl honors Harvey Halpern’s Father’s Hebrew name. þ †³ | |
| Little Baker Slots | Michael R. Kelsey | Named as they are 3 slots (west, middle, and east) draining towards the east from the East Baker Bench into the Escalante River. Named in M.R. Kelsey’s Technical Canyon Guide 2nd Ed. (2008) ² | |
| Nasty Ass | Mike Bogart, Ken Gronseth, & Dennis Turville | West Baker Canyon ² | Dennis Turville wrote: “Acronym for ‘Not Another Squeeze Thank You, Another Squeeze Sucker.’ ” Descent in April 1979. Link to account. (also know as WEST BAKER CANYON) |
| Tight Ass | Mike Bogart & Jenny Hall | East Baker Canyon ² | Baker theme, as it is an tight slot canyon through much of its extent, requiring much “worming” (chimneying). Descent in June 1982. Link to account. (also know as EAST BAKER CANYON) |
| Baker Canyon | Steve Allen | The canyon sits between Baker Bench and East Baker Bench. Unnamed on the maps, it was published as Baker Canyon in Steve Allen’s Canyoneering 3. Steve Allen wrote: “The bench was named for Boulder stockman George Baker. He started pushing cows into the area in 1889. I’ve always called them the Bakers: Baker Canyon and the Alternate Fork. Don’t know if others were using the names or not.” þ | |
| Ringtail Canyon | Steve Allen | Steve Allen wrote: “Ringtail cats are rarely seen in the Escalante, but they have been observed in the pitch–black depths of this canyon.” †³ | |
| Edge of the Earth Canyon | Mike Bogart, Janice Hansen, & Dennis Turville | Neon Canyon ‡² | Dennis Turville wrote: “When we were on an early reconnaissance of the canyon, I looked back at my friends walking along the rim and thought they looked like they were walking on the edge of the earth. It stuck.” Descent in October 1977. Link to account. (also known as NEON CANYON, CAVERNS HOLLOW ) þ |
| Neon Canyon | Steve Allen wrote: “Named for it’s shimmering iridescently varnished walls. Photographer Jack Dykinga thinks that John Telford named it.” The name Neon Canyon appears in 1989 in the book Coyote’s Canyon, photographs by John Telford and text by Terry Tempest Williams. The name Neon first appears in a guidebook in 1997 in Steve Allen’s Canyoneering 3. (also known as EDGE OF THE EARTH CANYON, CAVERNS HOLLOW) þ | ||
| Choprock Canyon | Steve Allen wrote: “Burns Ormand from Boulder ran cattle extensively in the area starting in the early 1920s (his name is etched in a wall in Choprock Canyon from 1927). He helped build the trail from Choprock to Neon, but again had no name [for Neon Canyon]. He was familiar with the Golden Cathedral, but as a stock watering place and a darn good place to corral his cows! (And Choprock, called Widemouth by the cowboys, was named because Burns and others had to ‘Chop the Rock’ to make the stock trail out of the canyon.)” þ | ||
| Kaleidoscope Canyon | Jenny Hall & Mike Bogart | South Fk Choprock Canyon ¹ | Dennis Turville wrote: “Jenny Hall and Mike Bogart named it Kaleidoscope, since the canyon seemed different at every turn.” Descent in 1982. Link to account. (also known as SOUTH FORK CHOPROCK CANYON) þ |
| Choprock Slot AKA South Fk of Choprock | South Fk Choprock Canyon ¹ | (also known as KALEIDOSCOPE CANYON, MOE SLOT, CHOPSLOT, EAST FORK CHOPROCK CANYON) þ | |
| Beaver Dam | Scott Patterson | Named as it was near a beaver dam which is apparently gone. (also known as EGYPT 5) þ | |
| Zebra Slot | Scott Patterson | Scott Patterson wrote: “We found Zebra in the early 90’s while looking for slot canyons. The first time we went there the stripes made it look zebra–like. On a sunny day it looks more like a Candy Cane and that name is more appropriate. I wish we would have named it Peppermint, but the name Zebra is the one that stuck.” Though the canyon appeared in Steve Allen’s Canyoneering 3, it was left unnamed in the book. The canyon was subsequently published in 1998 under the name Zebra in Kelsey’s 4th Edition Canyon Hiking Guide. þ ‡² | |
| Tunnel Slot | Michael R. Kelsey | Named in Kelsey’s 4th Edition Canyon Hiking Guide. þ ‡² | |
| Center & Main | Rick Green | Spencer Canyon ° | Rick Green wrote: “I named it because of its obvious intersection, which comes in at right angles to each other as well as running N and S. All Mormon towns use a grid system for its street names and I thought it was appropriate to carry on the tradition.” Named circa 1993. þ |
| Secret Passage | Bill Wolverton | Big West Fork Red Breaks Canyon ° | A play on Hidden Passage Canyon, since it’s a relatively hidden slot. Named circa 1990. þ |
| Mollies Volcano | The Volcano ² | Likely because it looks like a volcano cinder cone. þ | |
| Cosmic Ashtray | The Volcano ² | Named likely because the depression in the sandstone with a dome at its center resembles an ashtray. þ | |
| Islomania Dome | Ryan Cornia & Christina Amat | The Volcano ² | islomania — term coined in 1953 by writer Lawrence Durrell in ‘Reflections on a Marine Venus.’ Durrell once wrote in a letter, “Islomania is a rare affliction of spirit. There are people who find islands somehow irresistible. The mere knowledge that they are in a little world surrounded by sea fills them with an indescribable intoxication.” Ryan Cornia wrote: “In the winter of 2008, Cristina and I hiked around looking for the infamous dome. Islomania is the name Cristina and I came up with. The definition seemed to fit the day Cristina and I were having. Being a little out of the ordinary helped, something so unique should have an equally unique name.” þ |
| Drill Hole Canyon | Michael R. Kelsey | Michael R. Kelsey wrote: “[It was]named because it starts right at an old drill hole site (plus there are 2 more drill holes on either side).” ² | |
| Moonshadow Canyon | Steve Allen | Steve Allen’s friend Joe Breddan frequently enjoyed midnight walks in moonlight. On one trip in Death Hollow he had walked up this particular canyon during the moonlight, and the canyon was so named to recognize his propensity for such walks. þ | |
| Little Death Hollow | Rudi Lambrechtse | On the USGS maps this canyon is named Death Hollow, sharing the identical name to the long, entrenched canyon descending from Boulder Mountain. The alteration in Rudi Lambrechtse’s Hiking the Escalante likely is the origin of the name. Rudi Lambrechtse wrote: “Although this canyon is named Death Hollow, it’s name has been altered to differentiate it from the longer more, strenuous canyon ...” £ | |
| Micro Death Hollow | Tom Jones | A play on ‘Little Death Hollow’ þ | |
| S Canyon | Mike Bogart Mary Dern Janice Hansen & Dennis Turville | Dennis Turville wrote: “Named for its obvious S-shape on the map.” Descent in May 1978. Link to account. (also known as HAPPY DOG) þ | |
| O Canyon | Mike Bogart & Dennis Turville | Dennis Turville Wrote: “‘O’ Canyon which was named for the ‘O’ in ‘Waterpocket Fold’ on the [topo map].” Descent in October 1978. Link to account. (also known as BABOON LAUGHS) þ | |
| L Canyon AKA Poe Canyon | Mike Bogart & Jenny Hall | The Pit and the Pendulum — A short story written by Edgar Allen Poe, in which a prisoner, during the Spanish Inquisition, finds himself in a dark room, with blade–like pendulum slowly descending towards his chest. Though he escapes the pendulum, the walls of the room close in on him, pushing him closer to falling into a deep pit in the middle of the room. Dennis Turville wrote: “Originally called ‘L’ Canyon for the ‘L’ in ‘Fold’ on the map, it was later called ‘Poe’ Canyon because of its pits and pendulums ...” Descent in August 1981. Link to account. (also known as SMILING CRICKET) þ | |
| Happy Dog Baboon Laughs & Smiling Cricket | Jason Pease | Jason Pease wrote: “I love the blank spots, the places I have heard nothing or next to nothing about. Last year I was getting tired of canyons and wanted to just wander somewhere. [The Waterpocket Fold] caught my eye somehow, as well as, 3 canyons along it. I walked the rim of all 3, getting into [the first canyon] in 2 different places (seeing bolts) and seeing both from the bottom of their final drops. [The third canyon] I walked the south rim, but I got no good view down in, only a chasm with no bottom. Once back at camp the final night, I was laying on the sand in my bag, wondering what to call them for my own personal record keeping: ‘That First Canyon South That Actually Starts Midway Up’ didn’t have much panache. Nor did ‘That Second Canyon South’ or ‘Third Canyon South’ have a nice ring to it. So I’m laying there watching clouds shape–shift by and light upon one that looks just like a dog’s head, big floppy ears, tongue wagging—a ‘Happy Dog.’ So it was written so shall it be done. Then I decided to keep that theme for the trio—creatures and joyful emotion (at least in word). I thought ‘Baboon Laughs’ because, as anyone who ever has visited a zoo knows, those damn things sit up in their trees and laugh or howl or whatever it is they are doing, making a ruckus of it all, but you can’t always see them. You know they’re there, but only in furtive glimpses. And that was how that canyon seemed—furtive glimpses laughing at me and an element of danger in the broken, jointed landscape of its rim and head. And ‘Smiling Cricket’ cause you NEVER see those things, but you hear them, soft and steady and infuriatingly undiscoverable. Try as you might you can’t find it, until you get down and dirty and on its level and finally come eye to antennae. But, if you’re like me, even though it is only a little insect, it creeps me out and my hand jerks away even as it darts out to silence the bugger so i can sleep. But that’s only if I am in a room with a lone cricket; sleeping outside I love their cacophony.” (also known as S CANYON, O CANYON, L/POE CANYON, respectively) þ | |
| Cassidy Canyon | Malia McIlvenna | Named as it descends below Cassidy Arch. ω | |
| The Wives | Malia McIlvenna | Malia McIlvenna wrote: “The Wives are located on the south side of Cohab canyon in Capitol Reef NP. Cohab was said to be a hide–out for ‘cohabitators’ (polygamists) in the early 1900s, thus my nick–names for the canyons, ‘The Wives.’” ω | |
| Pandora’s Box | Steve Brezovec & Ryan Cornia | Meeks Mesa Slot ² | Pandora’s Box—the large jar that was carried by Pandora, the first woman in Greek Mythology. A gift from Zeus, the jar was not to be opened under any circumstance; alas, Pandora’s curiosity led to her opening of the jar, unleashing all the evils on the earth. However, hastily closing the lid, she was able to contain the one thing which lay at the bottom—hope. ‘Pandora’s Box’, a working title during project mode originating from Steve Brezovec’s Father’s Mother’s Name, was a reference to the potential difficulties of the canyon. The canyon was first published on Climb–Utah under the name Pandora’s Box. (also known as WIGGUM GULCH) þ |
| Wiggum Gulch AKA Bigg Spyre | Steve Brezovec, Scott Holley, & Hank Moon | Meeks Mesa Slot ² | Wiggum is a Simpsons reference. Bigg Spyre, based on a Strongbad cartoon, refers to the magnificent spire above the exit rappel. (also known as PANDORA’S BOX) þ |
| Zion & Grand Staircase | |||
| Das Boot | Dave Pitney | Link to story | |
| Battle Creek | Jonathan Zambella & Kirk Brodie | Oak Creek ¹ | Jonathan Zambella wrote: “Main fork of Oak was named Battle Creek in 1997 after I fell and broke my ankle while carrying a 70lb pack on what was known as the first recorded descent, which we completed despite the ankle issue.” (also known as MAIN\NORTH FORK OAK CREEK) þ |
| The Chute | Jonathan Zambella & Kirk Brodie | Named during the 1997 exploration. (also known as MIDDLE FORK OAK CREEK) þ | |
| Chimney Rock AKA Cave Creek | Jonathan Zambella & Kirk Brodie | South Fk Oak Creek ² | Name during the 1997 exploration. Jonathan Zambella wrote: “Later that week we went down the South Fork but called it Chimney Rock. It was renamed Cave Creek the following season under the guise of myself and Hauk Reed.” (also known as EYE OF THE NEEDLE, SOUTH FORK OAK CREEK) þ |
| Eye of the Needle | Shane Burrows | South Fk Oak Creek ² | Published under the under the name Eye of the Needle in June 2003. (also known as CHIMNEY ROCK, SOUTH FORK OAK CREEK) ω |
| Four Fire Canyon AKA Main Fk Kolob Creek | Mike Bogart, Mary Dern, Janice Hansen, & Dennis Turville | Kolob Creek Canyon ¹ | Dennis Turville wrote: “Named for the four fires we made, while bolting, to stay warm.” Descent in September 1978. Link to account. (also known as KOLOB CREEK CANYON, MAIN FORK KOLOB CREEK) ω |
| Dry Fork of Kolob Creek | Mark Freed, Scott Bowen, & Dennis Turville | Boundary Canyon ² | Descent in May 1977. Link to account. (also known as BOUNDARY CANYON ) þ |
| Boundary Canyon | Named since its technical section starts at the edge of the Zion Nat’l Park boundary. (also known as DRY FORK KOLOB CREEK) þ | ||
| Troll’s Treat AKA Imlay Canyon | Mike Bogart, Mary Dern, & Dennis Turville | Imlay Canyon ¹ | Dennis Turville wrote: “We called it Troll’s Treat since we felt like trolls ferrying our packs through all of the obstacles, especially with that damned 300–foot rope ...” Descent in June 1978. Link to account. (also known as IMLAY CANYON) ω |
| Secret Falls Canyon | Scott Patterson | The next canyon complex east of Icebox. Descended and named in 1992. þ | |
| Icebox Canyon AKA Waterfalls Cyn | From Scott Patterson: “Icebox was known as Waterfalls, and I don’t know which name came first. Here’s the story: I led the WMC trip through the canyon several years ago. In researching the area, we had the NPS search by phone all the previous ‘Black Book’ entries. One very old one, said that there was a route to the rim from Lee Pass and it said you could look down into the ‘Eye Slots,’ or at least that’s what I heard. When we did the canyon, it was partially filled with snow and the water was very cold (41 degrees to be exact). After the swim, Janet Curry asked, “Scott are you sure that the ranger said ‘Eye Slots’; it should be Icebox,” or something to that effect. Later, Stu Addler wrote or trip up in the Black Book as Icebox Canyon. Still later, we learned that the name Waterfalls Canyon has already been tagged to the canyon. We tried to find the old entry that was read over the phone to find out if it was Icebox or Eye Slots, but after that it was lost. None of the rangers could find it after that. Strange, I know. So, the question still remains, is the canyon Eye Slots, Icebox, or Waterfalls Canyon?” ω | ||
| Fat Mans Misery | A fork of Misery canyon. From Tom Jones: “Legend has it, one of the rappels could be avoided by worming down a narrow passage between boulders—thus the name ‘Fat Man’s Misery.’ §¹ | ||
| French Canyon | Joe Braun, Tanya Milligan, & Shane Burrows | From Joe Braun: “The gist of the origins of ‘French Canyon?’ It’s really quite silly. When hiking through Parunuweap back in 2003, I was really fascinated by all of the little side canyons coming into the East Fork and I [posted a photo on the web] with the silly little caption, ‘I claim this unnamed side slot in the name of France!’ The year after, a fellow by the name of Cliff (who frequents the Zion group) took Tanya and a few other people through Misery, but instead of coming back up the standard Checkerboard Mesa exit, Cliff took them up and out south of Pweap towards the sand dunes. After comparing notes with my photos, we realized this was the same canyon that I had looked at the year earlier, so Tanya started calling this ‘Joe’s French Canyon’ in honor of my silly caption. And the name just sort of stuck. When Shane beta’ed Rock Canyon in 2005 or 2006, he publicized French Canyon as a good exit route with the further explanation of French military losses = the perfect retreat canyon.’ þ | |
| Checkerboard Canyon | Kip Marshall | Named for a wall in the canyon which bears a resemblance to a checkerboard. þ | |
| The Hammerhead | Steve Brezovec | Steve Brezovec wrote: “Kip and I had both had our eye on it independently, and Scott Holley and I just called it hammerhead because that’s what it looked like on the map, like a hammerhead shark head.” þ | |
| Hook Canyon | Brian Cabe | Because the canyon hooks around. þ | |
| Spearhead Canyon | Tom Jones | Tom Jones wrote: “There is a prominent formation labeled The Spearhead, which the canyon passes behind. We discussed other names (Majestic-Cathedral Canyon, etc.) but Spearhead made more sense.” þ §¹ | |
| Issac Canyon | Ram & Tom Jones | Tom Jones wrote: “People were calling the canyon between Moroni and Jacob, ‘Jacob.’ So the next one would be Issac.” þ §¹ | |
| Employee Canyon | Named because it ends up in the employee housing area behind the Lodge. (also known as LODGE CANYON) ω §¹ | ||
| Lodge Canyon | Tom Jones et al. | Tom Jones wrote: “Lodge had developed several names — ‘Lodge’ because it ends up at the Lodge, ‘Employee’ because it ends up in the employee housing area behind the Lodge. Three years ago, the backcountry desk wanted to add it to their standard canyon database, so were looking to standardize the name. Together, we decided Lodge was more elegant than Employee, so went with that.” (also known as EMPLOYEE CANYON) þ §¹ | |
| Starfish Canyon | Keyhole Canyon | Dennis Turville wrote: “Named by locals who thought it looked like a starfish on the Zion map.” (also known as KEYHOLE CANYON, THE JUGHANDLE) þ | |
| Keyhole Canyon AKA The Jughandle | Rick Praetzel | Jonathan Zambella wrote: “The Jughandle—first descended by Royce Trapier some time in the late 70’s—was renamed the Keyhole, by Rick Praetzel in 1996 due to its entry wall formation at the first rappel which looks like a skeleton key hole. The park service adopted that name into the books because we created a ‘trip product’ called the Keyhole and, when they started authorizing permits, our students would go to the counter and ask for a keyhole permit.” (also known as STARFISH CANYON) þ | |
| Root Canals AKA Route Canals | Ram | Because of the adjacent canyons whose shape on the topo map bears a striking resemblance to the roots of a tooth. These are also known locally and by Zion park service as ‘The Twins.’ (also known as THE TWINS) ω | |
| Shelf Canyon | Ram | Named for the many shelf–like rock layers. ω | |
| Separation Canyon | Bo Beck | Separation Canyon is the second canyon to the west of Checkerboard Mesa. At the head of this canyon is a saddle with a rock outcropping known as Separation Peak, separating the Clear Creek drainage from Parunuweap Drainage. ω | |
| Wild Wind Hollow | Kip Marshall, Brandon Chambers, & Matt Smith | Kip Marshall wrote: “In the early days of descending the many unexplored forks of Orderville, we preferred the one vehicle, no shuttle approach. This was the reason that we even looked at Wild Wind as an exit up Orderville—descending Orderville is certainly the more scenic route. In the case of Birch, we were looking for the first easily available exit upcanyon. While there is an exit before Wild Wind Hollow, it was unknown to us and still remains a poor option. I was also familiar with Wild Wind from the various times I had passed its mouth. There were three of us who descended Birch Hollow from the head. We used natural anchors and having a sasquatch–sized man like Brandon always paid off. After completing Birch, we headed up canyon and quickly found the unnamed Wild Wind Hollow. Group logic tells us that the smelliest should always go last, but Wild Wind Hollow is a special place. That day, the strong wind from Orderville was perfectly funnelled up Wild Wind Hollow; it was a painful hour. The steep loose uphill, wild roses, and bushwacking went perfectly with Brandon’s sasquatch–smelling exhaust. I believe that I named the canyon about halfway up after realizing the horrible mistake I had made in taking the lead.” First published on Climb–Utah in 2003. þ | |
| Red Cave AKA Upper and Lower Red Caves of Sand Wash | Upper and Lower Red Caves are locally known names. ω | ||
| Yankee Doodle | Eric Kermeier | Likely named as it is a tributary of Yankee Doodle Hollow Creek. þ | |
| Boltergeist | Steve Brezovec & Dick Shear | Dick Shear wrote: “I discovered ‘Boltergeist’ but only did the top portion solo. I invited Brezovec and others to do the first decent. He led the team and IMHO should get top billing. Remember the movie Poltergeist? I named it Boltergeist because if anyone bolted this canyon the ghosts would certainly get them.” þ | |
| Shear Canyon | Dick Shear | Dick Shear wrote: “The last drop is very steep and ‘Shear,’ thus the name.” þ | |
| Stone Donkey Canyon | Steve Allen wrote:
“Ralph Chynoweth, who ran stock in the Paria for more than 50 years: ‘There’s a rock down there that somebody thought looked like a head of a donkey.’ Ralph also noted that it was called Big Canyon.” þ | ||
| Booker Canyon | Michael R. Kelsey wrote: “The locals never had a name for this canyon, but people at the BLM once referred to it as Booker Canyon, after one of their staff, Bill Booker.” þ | ||
| Little Fork Deer Creek | Michael R. Kelsey | Named in M.R. Kelsey’s Technical Canyon Guide 2nd Ed. (2008) ² | |
| Left Hand Fork Deer Creek | Michael R. Kelsey | Named in M.R. Kelsey’s Technical Canyon Guide 2nd Ed. (2008) ² | |
| Moab Area | |||
| Medieval Chamber | Fred Wilkinson & Matt Moore | Matt Moore wrote: “In 1994, I moved to Moab and became friends with another freshly transplanted dreamer, mountain bike legend–to–be Fred Wilkinson from Ontario Canada. One of our first hikes together found us following a sandy wash on a hot summer day. Abruptly, the wash dropped out of sight into a most bizarre sandstone abyss. As Fred squinted his sweat-stung eyes trying to see down into the dark depths, he casually remarked that, “It looks like some sort of medieval torture chamber down there.” How irresistible! So we returned early the next day with ropes to have a closer look. The setting at the bottom of the chamber was more amazing than we could have ever imagined! In the years that followed we led visiting friends, locals—anyone, really—into this wild place, somehow luring them with tales of the ‘Medieval Torture Chamber.’ Despite our name, it proved to be a most enjoyable hike. Well, we eventually became responsible citizens; Fred became a founder of the Chile Pepper Bike Shop and I founded Desert Highlights. Of course, now that I had turned pro I realized that some may not be as charmed by our canyon’s name as our friends, so I reluctantly abbreviated the name. Fred understood, but still it was sad for us both.” ω | |
| Lomatium Canyon | Matt Moore | Named for the Slickrock Desert Parsley (Lomatium latilobum) which is primarily found in and around Lomatium canyon. (also known as SKULL HALL CANYON) ω | |
| Skull Hall Canyon | Ram | Named for the skull shaped arch in its lower end. Named in 1979. (also known as LOMATIUM CANYON) þ | |
| Krill Canyon | Matt Moore | Matt Moore wrote: “This [first] rappel descends through a very tight gap between the canyon walls as it enters a cavernous setting. Most people squirm a little bit at the start of any rappel, but this one requires us to do so as we contort our bodies through the narrow crevice. You’ll feel especially like krill as you filter your way through into a cavern called ‘The Belly of the Whale’, hence the name.” (also known as HANGER HALL CANYON) ω þ | |
| Hanger Hall Canyon | Ram | Named after the blimp shaped alcove in one of its spurs. Named in 1982. (also known as KRILL CANYON) þ | |
| Tierdrop Canyon | Matt Moore | Named for the 4 tiers that one drops while descending the canyon. ω | |
| Not Tierdrop Canyon | Ryan Cornia | A play on Tierdrop, which is a neighboring canyon. Ryan Cornia wrote: “Ram, Tom Jones, and I were looking for Tierdrop, but didn’t find it.” þ | |
| Pleiades Canyon | Matt Moore | From Greek mythology, the Pleiades were the seven daughters of the titan Atlas and sea–nymph Pleione. This appellation compares the seven waterfalls in the canyon to these seven heavenly sisters of mythology. ω | |
| Entrajo Canyon | Matt Moore | Matt Moore wrote: “Entrajo is named for the rock layers. The upper canyon section is Entrada and the lower section is Navajo. You pass through a very distinct boundary line between these layers while hiking down the canyon.” þ | |
| Dipper Creek Canyon | Matt Moore | Matt Moore wrote: “Soon enough, the canyon walls close in shrouding us from the rising sun and creating splendid acoustics which echo every little riffle of the flowing water. The sharp ‘chirps’ of the American Dipper (Cinclus mexicanus), for which the canyon is named, also begin to resound off the walls complementing the tranquility of the water. The bird’s constant ‘dipping’ and diving antics never fail to entertain and amaze. Several of their nests are found along the waterway, clinging within pockets in the convoluted walls—reminiscent of the Anasazi’s cliff dwellings. ” ω | |
| Dragonfly Canyon | Matt Moore | The canyon’s name comes from the squadrons of playful, red ‘Flame Skimmer’ dragonflies (Libellula saturata) populating the canyon from spring through fall. ω | |
| Granary Canyon | Matt Moore | Named for a granary found in the canyon. ω | |
| Odonata Canyon | Matt Moore | Odonata — the order of insects comprising dragonflies and damselflies. Matt Moore wrote: “We first went into that canyon in 2000 and guided it infrequently for a couple years. It has no official name with the USGS. Many locals call it Culvert Canyon. It’s also called Dragonfly Canyon by many locals. We spun off the Dragonfly theme and called it Odonata Canyon. Of course we didn’t call it Dragonfly because we had already used that name for the canyon in Arches many years earlier.” (also known as DRAGONFLY CANYON, CULVERT CANYON, CAMELTOE CANYON) ω | |
| Cameltoe | Shane Burrows & Justin Eatchel | Named for a feature that looks like the toe of a camel. (also known as ODONATA CANYON, DRAGONFLY CANYON, CULVERT CANYON) ω | |
| Big Horn | Jason Price, March Schnupp, Justin Eatchel, Alex Korkishko, Shane Burrows | Shane Burrows wrote: “Big Horn has this really cool little hanging garden in the middle of a huge sandstone wall. A skilled climber or big horn sheep can actual climb to an overhanging ledge just above the hanging garden. The problem is if you jump into the hanging garden from the ledge you are not getting out unless you use ropes. This became obvious to us when we discover the horns of a Big Horn Sheep who had become trapped in the hanging garden/prison and perished.” ω | |
| Cedar Mesa | |||
| The Black Hole of White Canyon | Michael R. Kelsey | First appeared in Kelsey’s 1st Edition Canyon Hiking Guide to the Colorado Plateau in April 1986. He named it the Black Hole because it was one of the darkest canyons he had been in at the time. However, he has since been through much darker and finds the name quite silly now. (also known as CASS CANYON) þ ‡¹ | |
| Horse Tanks Canyon | Michael R. Kelsey | Named so because it is near a place on the map labeled ‘horse tanks.’ ° | |
| Little Horse Tanks Cyn | Michael R. Kelsey | Smaller canyon adjacent to Horse Tanks Canyon. ² | |
| The Bluffettes | Dave Black | Dave Black wrote: “I was doing them back in 1999 and 2000 and didn’t have names for them. They were so short and all led to Bluff, so I called them the Bluffettes and gave them numbers. Jared Hillhouse started doing them a couple of years later and gave them individual names.” þ | |
| Dinosaur Nat’l Monument & Vicinity | |||
| Outlaw Canyon & Outlaw Arch Canyon | Scott Patterson | Outlaw Canyon & Scoggins Draw ² | Scott Patterson wrote: “In 2006, I named the Outlaw Canyons in Dinosaur National Monument. Since the canyons were near Outlaw Park I just used those names. The northern one was tagged Outlaw Arch Canyon because of the arch in there. I tagged the name plain old ‘Outlaw Canyon’ on the southern system.” cf. Scoggin Draw for an earlier name of Outlaw Arch Canyon. þ |
| Scoggin Draw | Scott Patterson wrote: “I found out from a local rafter that some of the river rafters refered to what I called ‘Outlaw Arch Canyon’ as ‘Scoggin Draw’ after the 1941 Scoggin inscription near the mouth of the canyon. It was made by Charles Scoggin, a researcher from the University of Colorado who contributed substantially to the Dinosaur National Monument archeology in the years just prior to World War II. Since the Scoggin Draw name preceeds ours, I changed the name on the webpages I made for the canyon.” (also known as OUTLAW ARCH CANYON) þ | ||
| Carcass Canyon | A.J. & Scott Patterson | Scott Patterson wrote: “Carcass Canyon was named in 2006 because we found a few carcasses of a porcupine and deer in the canyon. The canyon is west of Mantle Cave in Dinosaur National Monument. I think it was AJ who suggested the name.” þ | |
| ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: Information has been contributed by Steve Allen, Bo Beck, Kent Beverly, Dave Black, Joe Braun, Steve Brezovec, Shane Burrows, Lloyd Bush, Ryan Cornia, Tom & Jennifer Gillette, Rick Green, Harvey Halpern, Tom Jones, Michael R. Kelsey, Kip Marshall, Penny Martens, Tanya Milligan, Hank Moon, Matt Moore, Scott Patterson, Jason Pease, Dave Pimental, Steve (Ram) Ramras, Dick Shear, Nat Smale, Dennis Turville, Bill Wolverton, Jonathan Zambella, and others. | |||
| REFERENCES: †¹ Allen, Steve. Canyoneering 1: The San Rafael Swell. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1992. †² Allen, Steve. Canyoneering 2: Technical Loop Hikes in Southern Utah. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1995. †³ Allen, Steve. Canyoneering 3: Loop Hikes in Utah’s Escalante. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1997. §¹ Jones, Tom Zion Canyoneering. Mt Carmel, UT: CanyoneeringUSA, 2006. ‡¹ Kelsey, Michael R. Canyon Hiking Guide to the Colorado Plateau. 1st Ed. Provo, UT: Kelsey Publishing, 1986. ‡² Kelsey, Michael R. Canyon Hiking Guide to the Colorado Plateau. 4th Ed. Provo, UT: Kelsey Publishing, 1998. S Kelsey, Michael R. Hiking and Exploring Utah’s San Rafael Swell. 3rd Ed. Provo, UT: Kelsey Publishing, 1999. ° Kelsey, Michael R. Non–Technical Canyon Hiking Guide to the Colorado Plateau. 5th Ed. Provo, UT: Kelsey Publishing, 2006. ¹ Kelsey, Michael R. Technical Slot Canyon Guide to the Colorado Plateau. 1st Ed. Provo, UT: Kelsey Publishing, 2003. ² Kelsey, Michael R. Technical Slot Canyon Guide to the Colorado Plateau. 2nd Ed. Provo, UT: Kelsey Publishing, 2008. £ Lambrechtse, Rudi. Hiking the Escalante. Salt Lake City: Wasatch Publishers, 1985. ω Collected from website or webforum. þ Personal communication. | |||
| CANYON NAME DATABASE: compiled by Stefan Folias | |||
| DATABASE ARCHIVES: | |||
| September 2008 June 2008 | |||