North Wash

So you like 'em skinny, eh?

Spend some time in North Wash, and you'll get a plentiful dose of skinny canyons. Some people refer to any canyon who's bottom is less than your arm-span as a slot. What do you call a canyon that is not as wide as your arm?

There are a variety of adventures available in the area. North Wash canyons are cut into very soft Navajo sandstone, and vary from narrow to very narrow; and from friendly to not-friendly at all. Somewhat surprisingly, the nastier slots seem to have smaller drainages, but cut to the same depth - and thus are skinnier. You want to see skinny: take the 10 minute walk to the end of Sandthrax, where a quite substantial drainage exits through a 2" crack. Ominous. There's something for everyone with an emphasis on fun! The canyons themselves and the moves involved in climbing through the bowels of the earth are fun, when you are mentally and physically prepared for the experience. There are fun things to do in a few hours, with or without a rope, and routes that will keep your attention all day. Most routes involve quite a bit of climbing, and many will test your ability to conjure up a zen-like calm - even when you really don't want to.

Some people really like this stuff, some people don't. Being small helps. Being fit helps. Being into it helps. Being able to ignore pain helps a lot. Having the appropriate techniques and traveling with the right people helps an awful lot. So be careful, and make your own decisions. If the canyon does not match my description: GET OUT! Keep track of places you can exit the canyon. Other people in your party might be having an entirely different experience. As one might say: "Squeeze Your Own Slot."

Equipment

Skinny slots tear up both you AND your gear. Bring as little stuff as possible. What you should bring: 

• HELMET - Bring one. In addition to protecting your noggin, it can also sometimes be used as a "cheater rock" to attain a crucial couple-a inches upward in a tight slot.

• CLOTHES - you'll want some of these. I usually grab a bunch of old, cotton clothes from the back of my closet for a weekend in North Wash - and throw away half of it when I get home. It's good to wear long pants and knee pads if you have them, plus a long-sleeve t-shirt and a heavy cotton sweatshirt. This will provide protection to your knees, butt, elbows and shoulders - the parts that take the most abuse. When wearing a wetsuit, it can be wise to throw an old pair of shorts on over the rubber.

• SHOES - climbing-type approach shoes or 5.10 Canyoneers work really well here. You'll be doing a lot of pushing, edging and wedging, so your shoes and feet will get beat up. Neoprene socks are good to wear in North Wash. Full swims are unusual, but getting the feet wet is not.

• GLOVES - Like your hands? I like mine, so I wear gloves in these slots, to keep my hands from getting chewed to, uh, gerbil food. A simple $7 pair of gardening gloves from the CanyoneeringUSA store work great.

• HARNESS - most of these canyons have only a few rappels. I usually bring my lightest-weight, most-beat-up-already harness for North Wash, and sometimes just use a Swiss Seat. Taking your harness off between rappels works well if you have a belt for a bunny strap. I like wearing a harness that has a seat for sliding through slots without tearing up my pants, so I leave my harness on.

• A MAE WEST BUNNY STRAP is a sling used for hanging your pack below you when chimneying a slot. Smart canyoneers have one figured out in advance, rather than rigging one in the field. I like an over-the-shoulder sling girth-hitched to my pack, and another sling girth-hitched to that. I can clip this with my Clipster to hang it 6' down, or clip the first sling to hang it 4' down. When pushing sideways through narrow slots with a smooth floor, I can drop my pack on the ground and let it drag behind me. Use of a bunny strap requires wearing a belt or a climbing harness.

• SLINGS - bring a handful of slings, and a couple long pieces for rigging anchors. Two or three twenty foot pieces could end up being real useful.

• A PACK - A small one. Bring as little gear as possible, and pack it as compactly as possible. Your pack will also get chewed up, so bring a well-loved (read: worn) pack.

Camping & Services

North Wash has a two-lane highway running through it, and qualifies as the middle of nowhere, with good access. Hanksville is 26 miles to the north, and has a couple of gas stations, a couple of motels, and a few non-gourmet restaurants. North Wash has the best weather in Utah, being in the rain-shadow of the Henry Mountains.