google_ad_slot = "2575306589"; She hands me a mock child, made from white poster board and colored with crayons by my nephew, Luke. “Look, if it starts actually raining, I agree that we should turn back,” I say. Still, flash floods can happen any time of year, and we will only enter the canyon if it’s safe. Yet a day hike option via Wire Pass Trail is moderately easy, and should be a must-do tour on any hiker's list. If however you are headed to Kanab hit up Escobar’s Mexican Restaurant or Houston’s Trails End. With their steep, narrow passages, slot canyons are especially susceptible to flash flooding, so hikers should never venture into Buckskin Gulch while it is raining or when rain is in the forecast. You’ll need to drive 8.3 miles down a dirt road to get there, so you may prefer a high-clearance vehicle. Note: there are multiple trailheads that provide access to Buckskin Gulch. Wini and I, hiking ahead of the group, see a number of possible emergency exit candidates, but then we inevitably realize that some feature — their steepness, their slipperiness, or their overall precariousness — means that they can’t be the Middle Route. Sadly, there is no food anywhere near the trailheads. However, the summer months can be deadly hot and are not recommended. But, finally, we spot a steep route up the walls, across jagged, sand-covered stone, on the canyon’s left side. This isn’t to say there isn’t any water in Buckskin Gulch. Buckskin Gulch experiences several flash floods every year. August and early September are especially dangerous due to the monsoon and risk of flash flooding in the canyon. It is fraught with potential deadly threats from dehydration, venomous snakes, challenging terrain, no GPS or cell service, rockslides, and the ever-present real danger of flash floods. On the contrary, even after months of drought muddy pools of water remain in some of the tightest sections of the traverse. In case you need to go while inside the canyon the park’s service is kind enough to supply a wag bag to all backpackers when you arrive to pick up your permit. I highly recommend this provider. I was born to roam. The driver was on time and very professional with loads of recommendations for exploring more of the area. Despite the risk, this is known as one of the best canyon hikes anywhere. We begin looking obsessively for the enigmatic Middle Route. Alternatively, you could extend this amazing journey by hiking the majority of Paria Canyon downstream and ending where the Paria Canyon meets the Colorado River at Lee’s Ferry. These services will ask you to drive your car to your endpoint, then they will drive you to Wire Pass. But soon after we pass a panel of Native American petroglyphs depicting desert bighorn sheep on the canyon wall near the junction of Wire Pass and Buckskin Gulch, I hear the sound of a single thunder clap. In the case of an unpredicted rainstorm, we have read about the existence of a single, treacherous escape route, halfway through the canyon, called Middle Route. Backpacker Magazine lists Buckskin as one of the 10 most dangerous hikes in America because of the flood potential. A wall of raging water and debris can come rushing down the narrows of Buckskin Gulch when there’s heavy rain in southern Utah. Buckskin Gulch (named on some maps as Kaibab Gulch, or The Dive) is a tributary of the Paria River that drains an area around the Vermilion Cliffs in far south Utah and joins the Paria exactly at the Utah/Arizona border, 20 miles from Lees Ferry next to the Colorado River. Buckskin Gulch is a natural wonder. The Buckskin Gulch part of the hike is 13 miles long which makes for a lengthy first day. “Did you hear that? Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. If your life depends on it, then by all means, go for it but it looks shady, to say the least. Latitude/Longitude: 37.0666694, -67.9995333 Ignore the right fork to Fivemile Mountain at the saddle, then descend to a crossing of the Buckskin Gulch wash after 4.4 miles, where the road is subject to flood damage. If you can find it, you may choose to spend the night eight miles in, high above the canyon, at the Middle Route escape trail. There is a pit toilet at White House Campground as well as the Wire Pass Trailhead but the hiking trail has no facilities in it. After reaching Paria Canyon (probably on the second day), you will have an 8-mile hike to the White House Trailhead. Pinned it for later. Jen thinks naively that giving me Luke’s Flat Stanley is a good idea, because I’m about to drive with my friends Wendy, Rich, Suzanne, and Wini to the remote and rugged Paria Canyon-Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness on the Utah-Arizona border to hike the length of Buckskin Gulch, the world’s longest slot canyon. This is an escape route known as the “Middle Trail Escape.” It is meant to be used in the case of inclement weather suddenly pushing in. When we hiked out and across the desert, the temperature was at least 90F. Twelve hours later, while camped above the canyon, we still experienced a flash flood. We hike slowly, giving us time to enjoy the fantastic, alien scenery fully and take photos. Most hiking blogs we’ve read suggest that very few hikers have ever found the route, but I find one blog that provides the exit’s geographic coordinates. Regardless of which through-hike, you decide to take you will need to either drop a vehicle at one trailhead or arrange a shuttle transport to get you from one side to the other. The Lees’ Ferry Road is paved so there are no concerns getting to this trailhead if you opt for the longer multi-day backpacking journey. We’ve actually been looking to buy a place in Utah because we fell in love with it so much (and all the hiking). Bridget recently posted…My Plans for 2021 – Will I return to the Appalachian Trail? The recommended route requires a shuttle. I believe traveling slowly across landscapes is important. Late February to Late May & Late September to Early December are the best times to explore the canyon with milder temperatures. My friend Wendy and I have obsessively checked the weather report over the past week, and meteorologists predict no rain during our trip. The endpoint for the Buckskin Gulch trail is typically the White House Trailhead & Campground. 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