Canyoneering Route Description

Strike 2 Canyon - 3 A (B) III
Capitol Reef National Park, Utah.

Quick Facts

05-21-10, 3 people, 1 Day (Travel time in route 8 hours)
06-26-10, 1 person, 1 Day (Travel time in route 5 hours)
09-04-10, 8 people, 1 Day (Travel time in route 5.1 hours)
05-30-11, 9 people, 1 Day (Travel time in route 4.7 hours)
05-27-12, 9 people, 1 Day (Travel time in route 4 hours)
05-27-12, 1 person, 1 Day (Travel time in route 1.4 hours) - a partner ascended out with ropes for first two raps reducing my time.
05-28-12, 6 people, 1 Day (Travel time in route 3.75 hours)
05-07-17, 5 people, 1 Day (Travel time in route 4.5 hours)

Time Required - 3 to 6 hours
Distance - 1.4 miles Total, 0.3 miles Technical
Rappels - 3 Rappels, Longest Rappel 200 feet - if set according to route description.
The longest rap will be longer than 200 feet IF the anchor for rap 1 is not set very long. See route description for details.
7 other chimney drops of 30 to 50 feet may be considered rappels to some and down climbs to others.
Elevation Range - 5946 - 5130 Feet
Shuttle Required -Yes 7.2 Miles Vehicle High Clearance Permit Required - Yes
Optionally a passenger car can be used, but you will need to walk the last 1.8 miles into the trailhead for the canyon.

Gear Used for Canyon

Rappelling and anchor gear, Ropes and or pull cords for rappels up to 200 feet. You will need to set the anchor webbing for rap 1 very long to make rap 1 only 200 feet. If you set the anchor webbing too short, longer rope will be needed. See the description below for details. A 70 foot section of webbing to set the anchor for rap 1 and an additional 70 feet of 1" webbing for sling placement while in canyon. It is also recommended that at least one ascender is brought along to assist with rope pulls. Raps 1 and 2 may be difficult to pull due to rope drag.

Head lamps, while not absolutely needed, will be desired by most during drop 3 where things get pretty dim even in full sun light mid day.

Wetsuits generally not needed as the canyon generally does not hold a lot of water. However after recent heavy rain activity the canyon can hold water and you may get wet. In colder weather wetsuits may be a good idea in the event someone does end up in the water. See warning in the general comments section.

General Comments

No known previous descents of this canyon have been found. This is the second drainage south of the Strike Valley Overlook so I named the canyon Strike 2.

When you get to the trailhead, take time to go look over a few arches nearby on the opposite side of the road before starting up to the head of the canyon. The arch almost directly across the road from the parking spot is Trinity Arch and worth walking to the bottom of to look up to two large arches and one tiny one. A few hundred feet north, up the Upper Muley Twist road is the Cheerios Arch, a double arch high up at the top of a cliff.

The skinny section of the canyon has drops I have called drops rather than rappels. This is because they can all be down climbed. The easiest way to do this canyon is by down climbing all of these drops an leaving the rope in your pack until you exit the skinny section then need to rappel one last time to finish the route. Each of these drops can be rappelled as well but will be a hassle with anchor building and getting people down the rappels in this skinny area.

If some in the group need to rappel the drops, a compromise would be to have the better down climber provide a meat anchor for people to rappel from. After the others have rappelled down, the last person can down climb. Doing this can be a hassle with more than 3 people, so larger groups may want to split into smaller groups.

Be sure to always check your anchors. When we first descended the canyon we left webbing at the anchor for rap 2. I went back a month later and found a portion of the webbing had been chewed on. Not sure if it was bird or rodent, but it was chewed on none the less. The chewed section was under the rock used for the anchor and was only found after pulling the webbing around to look it over. This is just a friendly reminder to ALWAYS check your anchors.

The skinny section of this canyon should be treated like other skinnies. Smaller packs, clothes that can take the abuse from chimney style down climbs and maybe even elbow and knee pads. I was able to get a Heaps pack through but it was a Huge Hassle.

If you decided to leave a 300 foot rope at the top and go back to get it you can reduce pack sizes a bit more. The longest rap after that is only 140 so a 150 foot rope and pull cord could be used rather than a 200. This will help keep packs smaller.

Depending on the time you visit Strike 2 you may encounter hatch time for the Desert Harvestman spiders. On our first visit through there were a few here and there. On my second trip through there were literally hundreds crawling along the RDC wall of drop 3. There was no possible way to get down the drop without killing a bunch of them. There simply was nowhere to set a hand. In small divots in the wall there would be 40 or 50 all piled on top of one another.

Warning:
Rap 1 requires a 250 foot rope if you drop directly from the rock anchor. To use a 200 foot rope you will need to extend the webbing down from the anchor as described in the route description.

Warning:
After recent heavy rains, Strike 2 may hold more water than expected. If your stemming skills are good you will likely be able to stem over most if not all of the water. But if you slip in or are not a strong stemmer, be prepared to get wet if recent rain activity has filled things up. Most of the time there should be little water except for the pool to stem over after drop 3.

Driving Directions

To get to the Trailhead

Option 1:
Driving in from the Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Center on Highway 24.
From the Capitol Reef National Park Visitor Center on highway 24, drive east on highway 24 about 9 miles to the turn off for the Nottom Bullfrog Basin Road.

Turn right (south) on the Nottom Bullfrog Basin Road and drive about 21.3 miles and pass a turn off for the Cedar Mesa Camp area.

Continue on the Nottom Bullfrog Basin Road another 11.3 miles to the turn off for the Burr Trail Road heading up toward Boulder, Utah.

Turn right (west) onto the Burr Trial Road and drive up a series of switch backs in the road. Drive about 3.1 miles to the turn off for Upper Muley Twist Canyon.

Turn right (north east) onto the road for Upper Muley Twist and drive about 0.4 miles to a register box for Upper Muley Twist Canyon (iUprMuleyReg). If you are driving a high clearance vehicle you can continue to drive from here. If you are in a passenger car this is where you will need to park then walk the remainder of the drive in to the trail head.

Drive an additional 1.8 miles along the Upper Muley Twist Canyon road to the trailhead for Strike 2 Canyon (tStrike2Cyn). This is not a marked trailhead and there is little in the way of landmarks. Use GPS to find it or know where the Trinity Arch is located. The hike up to the head of the canyon leaves this road shortly after passing the Trinity Arch.

Pull over and park out of the way of other vehicles that may pass while you are gone.

Option 2:
Driving in from Boulder, Utah.
From the junction of highway 12 in Boulder, Utah and the Burr Tail Road, drive south on the Burr Trail Road. Drive the Burr Trail Road about 32.7 miles to the turn off for Upper Muley Twist Canyon in Capitol Reef National Park (extUprMuleyRd).

Turn left (north east) onto the road for Upper Muley Twist and drive about 0.4 miles to a register box for Upper Muley Twist Canyon (iUprMuleyReg). If you are driving a high clearance vehicle you can continue to drive from here. If you are in a passenger car this is where you will need to park then walk the remainder of the drive in to the trail head.

Pull over and park out of the way of other vehicles that may pass while you are gone.

To leave the Exit Vehicle / Escape Pod

Turn right (south) on the Nottom Bullfrog Basin Road and drive about 21.3 miles and pass a turn off for the Cedar Mesa Camp area.

Continue on the Nottom Bullfrog Basin Road another 9.4 miles and pull off alongside the road to leave the exit vehicle (pkStrike2Bt).

There is no specific marker to pull over at. From the parking spot you should be able to see the bottom of Strike 2 west of you at a bearing of 252 about 0.5 miles away. It is an unmistakable canyon from this vantage point.

Continue past the turn off and stay on the Burr Trail Road another 3.2 miles to the junction with the Nottom Bullfrog Basin Road. Turn left (north) and drive an additional 1.9 miles along the Nottom Bullfrog Basin Road and pull off alongside the road to leave the exit vehicle (pkStrike2Bt).

Maps

GPS coordinate information listed at the bottom. For information about waypoint naming and map symbols, refer to the Glossary page.

Click the links for maps of the route. Map of the entire route and shuttle.
Map of the entire route.

Details

The Approach:
From the Upper Muley Twist Road where you parked at the trail head (tStrike2Cyn), hike up the wash to the west. The wash winds a bit. Please resist the urge to cut the corners to minimize wear and tear on the area since there is crypto biotic soil around. It is a pretty straight forward easy to follow wash for about 0.3 miles (a little more than 100 feet of elevation gain) to a saddle which will be the top entry for Strike 2 (yStrike2Tp).

The Canyon / Technical Section:
From the saddle at the top of the canyon (yStrike2Tp), look for a rock embedded in the dirt right in the middle of the saddle. The rock is about 15 feet from where the drop starts to roll off and get steep. This will be the anchor for rap 1.

Note / Warning:
The anchor for rap 1 should be set extremely long if only a 200 foot rope is needed. If the anchor is set too short a rope longer than 200 feet will be needed.

Rap 1 starts down a slope that is easily walked down as the slope slowly gets steeper and quickly starts to go vertical. Other than smaller bushes in shallow soil and fragile sandstone there is little in the way of anchor possibilities as it begins to get steep. The best option is the large rock embedded at the top of the saddle. However, anchoring from this rock will require a rope longer than 200 feet be used for Rap 1.

To use a 200 foot rope for Rap 1, the webbing will have to be extended a minimum of 30 feet down from the boulder. A longer extension will make things even nicer at the bottom. Extending the webbing 30 feet from the boulder will set the rapid on the webbing near a shrub on the slope where it is very safe and easy to scramble down to.

Extending the webbing another 20 feet down toward the next set of shrubs is recommended making the total extension about 50 feet down from the boulder used as the anchor. This additional 20 feet is on a slightly steeper portion of the slope but is safe if you are very careful. If extending the webbing the additional 20 feet you can use the webbing as a hand line for balance while getting down to rig into the rope for rappel.

If only a 30 foot extension is used, Rap 1 drops about 115 feet down to a large ledge where 5 or 6 people could comfortably sit. The ledge quickly rolls off vertical again so even though it is large enough for several people you should keep an eye on what you are doing so no one rolls off. Better yet, just rap on through to the bottom. It may be useful for the first person down to get off rappel here if it is windy. That person can be a communication link between top and bottom. There are little to no anchor possibilities on the ledge. Some very creative people may find something but the shrubs are small and in shallow dirt, there are no rocks of any valuable size and the rock in areas where a knot chalk may be used is fragile.

Continuing down Rap 1 from the ledge the drop quickly goes vertical again. At 200 feet from the anchor rapid (if webbing was extended only 30 feet), the rappel changes from vertical to a slope of about 35 degrees. The top of this slope is where you will end your rappel if you are using a 200 foot rope and have only extended the anchor the bare minimum of 30 feet. The slope has some sections of loose sand but is mostly a pretty simple scramble down an additional 50 feet to the bottom of the slope. The top of this slope may be a bit awkward to pull from as well. If the anchor was extended the additional 20 feet you can get almost half way down the slope before getting off rappel and get a better angle for pulling the rope.

There are a few bushes and rock near the top of rap 1. Pay attention to where your rope is laying as you descend. Try to keep it positioned for a good rope pull. Dues to the layout of things this may be a difficult task.

Note:
A safer and easier option is to use a 300 foot rope for rap 1 which can be left behind. Then you can hike back up and retrieve it later. This avoids an awkward pull, allows a trouble free rap all the way to the base of the slope at the bottom and will give you the opportunity to also retrieve your anchor webbing left at the top so you don't have to waste it. Doing this also keeps the drop-in clear of trash webbing for those that happen to wonder up there hiking around. Not everyone has a 300 foot rope so there is always the 200 foot option as outlined above. If using a 300 foot rope to be left behind, be sure to bring in a 150 foot rope and a pull cord for the rest of the canyon. This will also reduce pack size while navigating the skinny part.

Note:
There is a ledge about 70 feet down from the top of rap 1 RDC which may make another option to do this drop with only 200 foot of rope. The ledge has a large pine tree which would make a good anchor. I have not fully explored this option but wanted to note it is there for those that want to look for another way. If you are very careful you can scramble down the first part of rap 1 and traverse RDC over to this ledge but the slope gets pretty steep before getting to the ledge with the pine and could be a disaster if you slipped down the slope.

From the bottom of rap 1 walk about 200 feet down canyon RDC along a wash like section with a short down climb of about 6 feet at the end. At the bottom of the down climb is a huge ledge spanning the width of the canyon, about 150 feet wide. This ledge is where rap 2 starts.

Rap 2 (dStrike2-R2) is about 200 feet down canyon of rap 1. Along the ledge are many sections of fallen rock debris and some bushes and trees. The anchor we chose was a large boulder Slightly RDC of center canyon. The angle of the drop looked like it would be much better from here than from many other available options. Rap 2 drops over a sloped edge then gives way to a long section of free hang and drops a total of about 140 feet.

If you have enough webbing on hand it is best to set the webbing as long as safely possible for rap 2. About 15 feet seems to be a good length. The long gentle slope leading to the drop makes for a difficult rope pull if the rope has to drag along the rock all the way back to the anchor. Extending the anchor another 15 feet made a huge difference in the force needed for the pull.

From the top of and while on rap 2 the view down canyon is incredible. The canyon looks very thin. Since the top of the canyon is bowl shaped then continually and gently squeezes as it goes down canyon it feels like you are looking down a giant funnel and you are going right on in.

At the bottom of rap 2 the canyon continues somewhat horizontal but requires light scrambling to scurry between the walls. After a little more than a hundred feet it is obvious you are going to be in a tight canyon for a long way. Along the way area a few easy down climbs over some choke stones. Depending on recent rains there can be couple small pools you may need to stem over. About 80 feet down canyon from rap 2 is also a seep coming out of the wall RDC.

Shortly after the seep the canyon tightens up to about 2 feet wide and will stay between 1.5 and 3 feet for a little more than a quarter mile through the skinny section. Shortly before reaching drop 1 in the skinny section will be a down climb of about 6 feet over some choke stones to a sandy floor leading to drop 1.

Note:
In the skinny section of the canyon after rap 2 all drops are down climbable by those comfortable with chimney style down climbs. If everyone in the group is comfortable with these down climbs the trip will go a lot easier and faster. If people in the party are not comfortable down climbing these drops, the drops can be rappelled. We found it fastest and easiest to have the better chimney style down climber meat anchor everyone down, then down climb the drops. There are anchor possibilities at these drops but the options for some may make for awkward starts to the rappels. Setting up anchors for raps would be more aggravating than worthwhile with the canyon being as tight as it is.

With this in mind the drops in the skinny part of the canyon will be referred to as drop 1, drop 2 etc. The drops in the skinny part of the canyon may be considered raps by some but will be referred to as drops since each can be down climbed and no anchor is technically needed.

Drop 1 (wStrike2Drop1) is about 250 feet down canyon of rap 2. Drop 1 is about 35 feet and the walls along the drop about 2 feet wide allowing stemming style down climb. An anchor can be set from a choke stone about 25 feet back from the top of the drop if needed.

A few feet down canyon of drop 1 may be a pool (if there were recent rains) that is not very deep (even if full) but the bottom is very gooey sand and mud. It is best to stem across it about 15 feet. While stemming stay a bit high since the walls down by the pool bell out.

Drop 2 is about 60 feet down canyon of drop 1 and drops about 35 feet. Drop 2 is also down climbable and is a fun elevator if you like sliding in that fashion.

From the top of drop 2 are a couple of views to take in. The first is a view out to Nottom Road where your car is parked. It is only a partial view through the long skinny canyon. The second thing to look at is drop 3. Looking down to drop 3 from the top of drop 2 you can see just how dark it is going to get.

Anchor options are slim for drop 2. Possible anchors are a dead man in the sand at the top of the drop using one of a few small rocks in the area. The best option is likely the choke stone you stand on to start the rappel. Using this as the anchor will make it easily inspected by others that come after you but will make the start of the rappel awkward since you will need to down climb to weight the rope before rappelling down.

Drop 3 is about 30 feet down canyon of drop 2. Even in full sun light at noon, you may need headlights starting around drop 3. Drop 3 is about 30 feet, but you may not be able to see the bottom without a head lamp. Anchor possibilities on this drop are also limited and the best option is once again the choke stone you stand on to start the drop. Down climbing or using a meat anchor for all but the last person is again the recommended choice.

At the bottom of drop 3 is a rock to stand on just before getting down to a pool about 12 feet long that is about waist deep if you go in. It is possible to stem across the pool while hanging your pack from your harness or wearing it depending on your preference. A section of the walls about mid way across widen out a bit and may make it difficult for some to stem across. Someone in your party will likely fall in the pool. On the other side of the pool is drop 4.

Drop 4 is a combination of 2 drops. The first part drops about 25 feet. An anchor possibility for first part of drop 4 is a rock embedded in the floor of the canyon about 3 feet back from the drop. The rock is featured enough to allow it to be used as an anchor but you would need to keep your weight low as you start over the rap. Down climbing is again the best option. Right after the 25 foot drop of drop 4, is another short drop of about 8 feet which should not need a rope assist by anyone since it is short and easy.

After drop 4 the canyon starts to let in a little more light again and the need for head lamps is reduced.

Drop 5 is about 40 feet down canyon of drop 4. Drop 5 can be anchored from a choke stone about 10 feet back if need be and drops about 20 feet with a few small ledges on the way down. The top of drop 5 starts out very narrow and will be difficult to move around with a pack on (about 1.5 feet wide). Taking your pack off and hanging it is a very good idea down drop 5.

Drop 6 is about 30 feet down canyon of drop 5 and starts from a log jammed between the walls. Drop 6 drops about 25 feet down from the log over a series of short easy drops of about 10 and 15 feet each. If anyone decides they need to set an anchor here the anchor can be set from the log and extended out to just beyond a choke stone about 3 feet down canyon to avoid rope pull issues. This section is still very skinny and wearing your pack will be very awkward. Hanging your pack from your harness is a better idea.

The canyon starts to get even narrower and gives the impression you may not be able to fit. The narrowest spots are probably just over a foot wide.

After drop 6 is a series of short drops along the canyon for a ways. Each one ranges from 4 to 8 feet each. These are trivial and will not be counted in the listed drop count. After the short drops down canyon of drop 6 there is a vertical narrow section for a short distance with a choke stone about 4 feet up from the bottom at the far end. The choke stone marks the top of drop 7.

Drop 7 (wStrike2Drop7) is about 400 feet down canyon of drop 1. To get down drop 7, climb / stem up and over the choke stone then start down a mostly vertical chimney. Drop 7 is tight and an easy chimney down about 50 feet. There is a section about half way down that feels almost grotto like but still tight. Since drop 7 is tight things can be made easier by stemming out about 10 feet then chimney down where it is a little wider. Drop 7 does not go down completely vertical, it works its way down canyon a bit as it drops with a couple spots to stop and stand on the way down.

Drop 7 can be anchored from one of a few choke stones near the top of the drop. There will almost be a guaranteed rope pull issue for drop 7 if you decide to rap it. It is highly recommended that at least the last person down gets down by down climbing so there is no rope pull issue. The layout of this drop will likely lead to a rope pull nightmare.

At the bottom of drop 7 is a soft sandy area where the canyon widens out again and spits you out. On the wall RDC are some names inscribed in the wall from 1947. People obviously climbed up to here to peer into the tight void. Looking back up drop 7 from here makes you wonder if you were sane to be in there in the first place.

About 200 feet down canyon of the skinny section is some rock debris with a drop of about 25 feet which is rap 3.

Rap 3 (dStrike2-R3) is anchored from a boulder LDC and drops about 25 feet over a huge boulder.

About 200 feet down canyon of rap 3 you should notice two small and steep side drainages joining in form each side. Where these two steep drainages join in is marked as the bottom exit of the canyon (yStrike2Bt).

The Exit:
From where the two side drainages join in marking the end of the technical section (yStrike2Bt), follow the wash about 0.6 miles to where it joins another wash (wStrike2-RP-01). Turn left (north) and go about 30 feet up the wash then up out of the wash on a use trail. The use trail will lead through bushes and out into the open near the base of a hill. Use whatever route looks comfortable to climb up the hill to get to the Nottom Road. Your car (pkStrike2Bt) will be very close to where you decide to climb up.

GPS Waypoint Information

Downloadable GPX files available at BG-Gear Store (easier than manual entry and a great way to support Bluugnome).
Waypoint naming convention and map symbol information can be found on the Glossary page. Elevations are approximate.
BEFORE manually entering coordinates set your system to WGS84 datum and Lat/Lon hddd.ddddd° coordinate format.
Inconsistent datum's and coordinate formats will result in location errors.

Click to show / expand the list of waypoints below........

Strike 2 - a Drive to Trailhead
extUprMuleyRd Lat/Lon (WGS84): N 37.85352 W -111.04306 Elev: 5,752 Feet Exit on to the road that goes up part way into Upper Muley Twist Canyon and to the Strike Valley scenic overlook. The road requires good clearance. iUprMuleyReg Lat/Lon (WGS84): N 37.85833 W -111.03896 Elev: 5,746 Feet Register for permits etc for the Upper Muley Twist Canyon area. tStrike2Cyn Lat/Lon (WGS84): N 37.87477 W -111.04432 Elev: 5,830 Feet Place to start up the wash toward Strike 2 Canyon. Be sure to check out the incredible arches on the hills to the west. Walk up under them to see double arches and incredible views.
Strike 2 - b Approach and Canyon
tStrike2Cyn Lat/Lon (WGS84): N 37.87477 W -111.04432 Elev: 5,830 Feet Place to start up the wash toward Strike 2 Canyon. Be sure to check out the incredible arches on the hills to the west. Walk up under them to see double arches and incredible views. yStrike2Tp Lat/Lon (WGS84): N 37.87657 W -111.04138 Elev: 5,946 Feet Top entry for Strike 2 Canyon on a saddle. Rap 1 starts from here and is anchored from a rock about 15 feet back embedded in dirt at the base of the saddle. Rap 1 drops about 200 feet to the top of a down climbable slope IF the webbing is extended a minimum of 30 feet down from the anchor. A longer extension is recommended, see route description. dStrike2-R2 Lat/Lon (WGS84): N 37.87714 W -111.04068 Elev: NaN Feet Rap 2 - Strike 2 Canyon. Anchored from a boulder RDC and drops about 140 feet with a lot of free hang. wStrike2Drop1 Lat/Lon (WGS84): N 37.87723 W -111.03982 Elev: NaN Feet Drop 1 Strike 2. Drops about 40 feet and 2-3 feet wide. Drop 2 is about 60 feet down canyon of drop 1. wStrike2Drop7 Lat/Lon (WGS84): N 37.87717 W -111.03851 Elev: NaN Feet Drop 7 in Strike 2. Drops about 50 feet to a sandy area where the canyon widens out again. dStrike2-R3 Lat/Lon (WGS84): N 37.87740 W -111.03757 Elev: NaN Feet Rap 3 - Strike 2 Canyon. Anchored from a boulder LDC and drops about 25 feet over some boulders in a rock fall debris section. yStrike2Bt Lat/Lon (WGS84): N 37.87763 W -111.03710 Elev: 5,280 Feet Bottom exit of Strike 2. This is about 150 feet down canyon of the rap in the rock debris and is where to steep side drainages join from each side. wStrike2-RP-01 Lat/Lon (WGS84): N 37.87877 W -111.02865 Elev: 5,100 Feet Wash exiting Strike 2 joins another wash here. Turn right and follow the next wash. pkStrike2Bt Lat/Lon (WGS84): N 37.88005 W -111.02765 Elev: 5,130 Feet Parking spot to set shuttle for Strike 2 Canyon. A pull out off the side of the dirt road.
Strike 2 - c Misc Waypoints in the area
extBurrTrl Lat/Lon (WGS84): N 37.85564 W -111.01272 Elev: 4,983 Feet Turn off for the Burr Trail road off the water pocket fold road. Both are dirt roads but in dry conditions good for 2 wheel drive. rBurrTrlPicnic Lat/Lon (WGS84): N 37.84629 W -111.02436 Elev: 5,709 Feet Burr Trail Picnic Area. A short spurr off the road to a single picnic table. tStrikeOLMuley Lat/Lon (WGS84): N 37.88153 W -111.04662 Elev: 5,847 Feet Road ends here at teh trailhead for the Strike Valley Overlook Trail and the trail into Upper Muley Twist Canyon. sStrikeValeyOL Lat/Lon (WGS84): N 37.88192 W -111.04171 Elev: 5,989 Feet Strike Valley Overlook.

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