Pictures and Story (and Beta) by Dave "Wyoming" Pimental
Merry Piglet
3B II - Rappels to 70 feet.
Webbing and Rapid Links for anchors. Natural anchors only, please!
Several pools can hold water after rain.
Three to four hours total, including approach.
Drive: Drive south on Hwy95 to 1/4 mile south of the Hog Springs Picnic Area and park at the mouth of the canyon (UTM NAD84 545364mE 4201550mN). The canyon is on the north side of the highway.
Approach: Boulder hop up the roadside rock pile to a short, steep dryfall. A few feet to the right (LUC) is an 10-foot, low-fifth class wall (5.6ish?). Ascend the wall, setting up a belay or handline if needed. Above the climb, cross the wash to the west side and ascend a small rock-filled gully, then up and left, to gain a slickrock slope. Follow this up steeply to a convenient white rim, which is followed right to the canyon's head. (UTM NAD 84 545603mE 4202047mN). Approach time approx 30 minutes.
Canyon: Descend the canyon.
Trip Report: The Merry Piglet Monday, March 24, 2008
While searching for petroglyphs in the Hog Springs area of North Wash I noticed a small drainage coming in from the east which looked interesting. I scrambled up the boulder pile at the mouth of the canyon and, by way of a few rock climbing moves, surmounted the small dryfall which guards the lower canyon from casual inspection.
The canyon above the dryfall proved to be moderately open, very pretty and full of sculpted huecos and fissures which catch the setting sunlight and throw it back in a thousand variations of the color red. Walking up canyon, the open section leads to a sinuous slot that plunges from above through a 50' elevator which is the grand finale drop in the small Wingate canyon. As the bats began to flit around my head in search of newly emerged insects, I made my way back to my truck with a firm resolve to revisit this intriguing little slot to find my way to the rim and view what more may be found above the lovely elevator. 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.
