Obstacles to Moonshine

Moonshine Wash is south of Green River, UT. A casual walk down a gulley quickly becomes progressively more difficult. At first, it's just boulders in the bottom of the wash.

Moonshine Slot

As one continues down Moonshine Wash, it becomes a slot canyon. Multiple down climbs (or up, depending on the direction of travel) appear as the canyon deepens.

Sinuous Moonshine

The steepest obstacles proved to be very challenging for my Australian Shepherd. For the first several, I could put her in my lap as I used chimney technique to get us up to the next level (I had my back pressed against one wall and feet on the opposite with a dog that weighed a little over half of what I did lying on my legs. I would inch my feet up carefully so as to not frighten her, then bring my back up to a similar level. Usually there would be a ledge or alcove close to the top that I could stuff her into so that I could quickly climb around her to the top & then haul her up by her harness the rest of the way. Usually. The last one did not have one and was too wide for my legs to reach across. After about an hour of trying various ways to surmount this obstacle, we finally emerged from the canyon and happily walked back to camp.

Lower Maidenwater Canyon

Maidenwater Canyon has a technical part (Upper) and a hikeable part (Lower). After subjecting my dog to being hauled up & lowered down in Moonshine, I thought a hike would be called for. The first part of Lower Maidenwater is dry. Closer to Tracheae Creek, first there are pools of water, then it becomes a riparian environment. It seemed that later in the year, when the vegetation had all leafed out, the bottom part would become quite a bash.

Entering Happiness

Happy Canyon is south of Hanksville, UT. Access is via a high clearance 4x4 road, then wading across the Dirty Devil River. The drive in is magnificent and worthwhile in itself. This is at the beginning of the slot.

Happy Tunnel

Happy Canyon has great contours as it winds away from the river.

Happy to Sit

The walls in Happy Canyon glow with reflected light

Monochromatic Happiness

Each section of narrows in Happy Canyon has great textures and contours.

3 Faces of Happiness

A simple view of some of Happy Canyon's contours, textures and colors.

Golden Cathedral Peek-a-Boo

Almost to the Golden Cathedral is this "peek-a-boo" view. Canyoneers rappel 83' through the lower pothole as their final obstacle in Neon Canyon.

Golden Cathedral

The Golden Cathedral in Grand Staircase/Escalante National Monument is 8/10 mile up Neon Canyon. The hike is about 9 miles round trip. Going via Fence Canyon involves about 5 crossings of the Escalante River.