PineCreek Canyoneering |
(Return)
PineCreek is a fun, easily accessable slot canyon in Zion just through the tunnel. After a short drop from the parking lot you are in the canyon. The Canyon changed this year and the first rap replaced a downclimb and drop into water. Since the water level was low and the hole seemed deeper this year we opted to rappel the first drop of about 8 feet. The angle was tricky and we had the hardest time with this deceptively simple and short rap. After getting scrapped and scratched on this "easy" rap we moved on the the more challenging and fun Raps.
The Cathedral is one of the spectacular raps in the canyon. It drops you into water and brings you down into the bowels of the canyon where you can sense the true wonder of this beautiful canyon. The technical challenges of this canyon are a good warm up and great introduction to canyoneering. The narrow canyon walls that seem to close in make this canyon almost cave-like.
The final rap is a free rappel A straight drop of about 100 feet. It feels like dropping through a hole in the rock. The view during the rappel is as awesome as the rappel Unfortunately this is the last rappel Alas, that means it is time to trek through the rest of the canyon to the exit. Traveling the non-technical part of PineCreek is a series of creek walks, down climbs with a few swimming holes. The path back to the switch back road is marked and traveled and if you are not distracted by the fun swimming hole right at the exit on the left you cant miss it. That said I missed it the first time we traveled the canyon. Still you will find the exit on the left of the canyon which after a short walk up the trail you will come right back to the road. If you left your car at the parking lot on the top side of the tunnel you will have to hitch a ride back. Need I say the wetter and dirtier you are the harder it will be to catch a ride. I elected to park the car at the switchback before the tunnel at the exit of the canyon and hitch back to the start of the canyon in the beginning when I was dry and clean. It worked, 2nd car that came by gave us a ride. The group behind us caught a ride shortly after us to.
Rap#1 |
Rap#1 |
Checking Rap#1 |
Eaten by the canyon monster |
Justin in PineCreek |
Checking the Rap before The Cathedral |
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Cathedral Rap |
Cathedral Rap is beautiful and typically into a pool of water |
Cathedral Rap |
Cathedral Rap |
Cathedral Rap |
PineCreek is narrow and sometimes dark |
PineCreek is narrow, sometimes dark and spectacular |
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Last Rap 100' drop |
Looking up at the last rap |
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Other PineCreek Accounts