Springbreak II: It's a Tight Fit

So many photos. That's why this is all split into multiple posts. It's because the second day of our Spring break I took too many pictures. We hiked 3 slot canyons in one day and it was a blast. First was driving 30 miles down a rough dirt road. If you like driving over rumble strips at 15 MPH, then the last half of this drive is for you.

We arrived at the trail head and started out across the desert.

It wasn't long before we arrived at the first slot: Dry Forks Narrows. It starts out just a little bitty thing.

But soon the canyon walls get higher and the path gets narrower

It even eventually go shady in there! Dry Forks never gets so narrow that you can't just walk through it comfortably, but it is pretty cool. Half way through it Laszlo said, "Mom. Thank you for bringing me here." I was beyond shocked, and very gratified that he liked it that much.

Arthur got carried most of the way, but when it came to climbing he was all in and wanted to do it himself as much as he could.

Once we'd gotten through Dry Forks Narrows, we had a good rest and a snack. It was a short walk to our next slot: Peek-A-Boo Canyon. Getting into Peek-A-Boo is quite tricky because you've got to climb up 10-15 feet to reach the canyon. I didn't take a single photo of that climb because I was bracing myself half way up and boosting and hoisting kids. 

This was the part Paul really didn't like. He said it was fun except for the 3 climbing parts. This was one of those parts. That's why he looked so wiped out in this photo:

 

Peek-A-Boo is a next level awesome slot! It's just so cool, every turn brings you to something unusual.

There were a few more spots where Lee and I were lending a hand (or leg) so the kids could do the climb. And they had just a fantastic time!

I ended up having Paul take off his socks and shoes in the canyons. His bare feet got a better grip on the sandstone and it helped him feel more secure.

Arthur never had any trouble fitting and he had big brothers who helped him with the big steps up and down.

The canyon opens up towards the end, which makes it a little faster, but also much sunnier. Two down, one to go!

The boys learned about cairns and how they are used to mark the trail. They too great delight in being the first to spot the next cairn as we walked. This was by far the most elaborate:

About half a mile of walking in the sun was more than enough. We got to our third canyon: Spooky Gulch. This is the tightest fit. In fact, the trail head has a sign post about it. If you or your gear can't fit between the posts of the sign, then you'll get stuck. Like, Pooh Bear stuck.

Laszlo didn't know if this or the last were his favorites, so I guess it's a tie. They are both incredibly beautiful, I think Spooky is a bit less twisting, but definitely had more consistently narrow sections.

The boys needed some help climbing here. Paul had a hard time with this spot, it really scared him, but Lee eased him down and I was at the bottom to help him feel secure.

Yes, we all fit down that little crack. And it was a bit of a drop so we had to either slide or jump down. You can tell Paul isn't that happy about that part.

The kids just went so much faster than Lee and I through Spooky. They didn't hardly have to even turn sideways, plus I kept pausing to take a hundred photos.

If you were wondering 'how tight was it?' This. It was this tight:

Spooky didn't fizzle out the way Peek-A-Boo did, it just got walkable and then abruptly ended. 

We rested at the mouth of the canyon for a few minutes before we carried on our way back. The trail forms a loop, so we walked back to the start of Peek-A-Boo but across the desert this time.

And then we were retracing our steps back through Dry Forks Narrows toward our car.

It was a tired group that emerged on the other side of Dry Forks Narrows. Laszlo got his only piggy back of the day and Paul was really pushing the pace because he wanted to get back to the car with it's A/C, cold soda, and picnic supplied.

Everyone was supplied with a tasty drink and snack and we started back up the bouncy dirt road, stopping at the Devil's Garden area for a picnic.

It's a bit like Goblin Valley. You could easily spend a whole day here if you wanted to, it's such a fun area, we only stayed an hour or two to eat and play. The kids were pretty tired, so they didn't do as much exploring as they would have done if this had been our whole itinerary.

Apparently climbing hoodoos is not scary at all for Paul! Though he did stick with the bare feet for better traction.

And that was our very tiring, very full day of slot canyon hiking! It was everyone's favorite activity of the trip and absolutely worth the rumbly drive (as long as you drive very, very slowly.)

If you want to do the same 4.7 mile trail we did, just drive on down the Hole in the Rock Road and park at the Upper Dry Forks Trailhead. The path is quite well marked. But do check the weather! Slot canyons are insanely dangerous if there's rain and the road isn't passable when muddy.