Don't Do It Canyon
Hours of high stemming in an X rated canyon on King Mesa, where it also goes by DDI and by King Mesa Slots Middle Fork.
RopeWiki calls this one of the best X canyons out there, which is a compliment aimed at a narrow audience: an X rating means a fall from stemming height is not survivable in any useful sense, and there are hours of it here. Three plus rappels, one to two hours of approach, high clearance to the trailhead and no shuttle. The listed season is fall, winter and spring, not summer, which matches wanting the slot dry and cool for sustained stemming rather than sweating grip away. RopeWiki carries no approach, descent or exit description at all, so Ram's write up on Canyon Tales and the Candition page for King Mesa Middle Fork are the route beta, not a supplement to it.
Logistics
| Manager | BLM Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument |
|---|---|
| Permit | Monument wide rule, not a canyon specific finding. BLM requires a free permit for all overnight stays anywhere in Grand Staircase-Escalante, self issued at developed trailheads or at the Escalante, Cannonville, Kanab and Big Water visitor centers. Day use by a private party requires no permit: BLM issues Special Recreation Permits for commercial use, competitive events, organized groups and recreation events, none of which covers a private party descending a canyon. The lottery permits BLM lists alongside the monument, Coyote Buttes North and Paria Canyon, are Vermilion Cliffs units administered from Kanab and do not apply here. |
| Technical | 3 rappels |
| Season | Fall, Winter, Spring |
| Vehicle access | High Clearance |
| Coordinates | 37.4385, -111.0642 |
Sources
- permit: https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/utah/grand-staircase-escalante-national-monument/plan
- manager: https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/utah/grand-staircase-escalante-national-monument/plan
- desc: https://ropewiki.com/Don%27t_Do_It_Canyon
- notes: https://ropewiki.com/Don%27t_Do_It_Canyon