AtlasPoison Springs

Slideanide Canyon

verified ACA 3B Unknown flood risk Hanksville, UT

Two rappels on paper and only the first is truly required: bypass the 80 foot entrance drop and a competent party can downclimb the rest. Just under four miles, in the Poison Springs country south of Hanksville.

R1 is the 80 footer, anchored off a large rock, and skipping it drops you into the canyon a little lower without missing much. R2 is 50 feet off a boulder and goes as a downclimb, though the start puts people off. Anything else in the canyon wearing webbing is supplemental. Parties that bypass R1 sometimes leave ropes, harnesses and devices in the car and treat the whole thing as a class 2 slot; carrying a short rope for a handline is still the sensible call. The two to six hour spread is mostly a question of how much you downclimb rather than how fast you walk. The road wants high clearance. If you are driving out from Hanksville for this, link it with Constrychnine as the figure eight loop; on its own it is a short day.

Logistics

ManagerBLM Henry Mountains Field Station
PermitNone required
Distance3.8 mi
Time2 hr-6 hr
Technical2 rappels, longest 80 ft
SeasonSpring; Summer; Fall
Vehicle accessHigh Clearance
Coordinates38.1014, -110.5196

Sources