Return to the Black Hole (Pictograph Canyon)

Rating: 4 miles, easy to strenuous, about 1000 feet of climbing and descending. Some bushwacking and rock climbing. About 5-6 hours with a nice slow pace.

----

This hike is in conjunction with Mindful Scramblers.

----

Two weeks ago, we went up to what is known locally as "the black hole" in Snow Canyon, and six weeks ago, we negotiated a different route onto the same mountain. Now the plan is to connect these two routes together into a nice short hike.

But don't let that fool you. This route is packed solid with amazing terrain, incredible views, and it has some excellent pictographs! So if you have thick skin, legs of steel, and feel comfortable while hanging off boulders and so forth, this is the hike for you!

----

The hike starts at the Butterfly trailhead in central Snow Canyon and travels southwest across typical Snow Canyon redrocks, until we're close to the "Three Pools" area near the west canyon wall.

From there, we begin climbing very steeply for about 500 vertical feet, following a route the canyoneers use when getting to the upper end of Pictograph Canyon.

This route is mostly just very strenuous, but some basic climbing skill is needed, and in one section the smooth sandstone gets quite steep, so experience on terrain like that is helpful, along with reasonable 'pucker resistance'.

Once the heights are achieved, we will traverse lots of fun and semi-difficult sandstone ridges along the way to Pictograph Canyon. Depending on stamina, we may take time for a couple of side trips, but we'll see.

The descent into the canyon is quite straightforward. If you have made it that far, you won't have a problem.

Traveling down the canyon is pretty magical on an easy gravel bottom past lots of moss and other greenery, and yes, there are pictograms hidden in a cave. These are highly unusual and are preserved well by the cave overhang. It's great.

Near the end of the canyon, some gigantic boulders have filled the canyon, requiring us to negotiate over these boulders. It's pretty difficult, but assistance is possible and a hand line should make it more secure.

At the end, we'll be faced with a vertical 300 foot waterfall that the canyoneers like to go down with ropes. Quite dramatic, but luckily there is a steep climbing route nearby that we can use to reach the bottom safely.

Once down, it's an easy 1 mile stroll down West Canyon Rd. to the Sand Dunes Picnic Area.

----

In short, a good solid full body workout with scenery galore!

----

This hike will require a car shuttle along Snow Canyon Drive to the Butterfly Trail parking lot to reduce the total distance and climbing. The shuttle driving time is 10 minutes. Note that Snow Canyon is a fee area.

• $15 per vehicle (up to 8 people)
• $10 per vehicle (up to 8 people) for seniors 65+ (with UT driver’s license)

----

Notice! This hike has quite a lot of difficult climbing and descending with a few spots that get somewhat steep. Experienced hikers with good skills should have no problem, but beginners could be challenged. Strong teenagers should be OK if they can go the distance.

Additionally, there are one or two bouldery spots that require significant arm/leg strength to negotiate. We will have a hand line available for these spots if necessary.

----

Prep: The usual, gloves, 1 big bottle of water, and food. It could be crisp at first so layers are called for, and a hat too. A hiking pole is nice but could get in the way during the rock climb segments.

Meetup: We meet in the Sand Dunes Picnic Area, 1.2 miles up Snow Canyon Drive from the southern entrance gate.
----

See you there! M+J :)

---

Notice:
Meetup organizers are not tour guides and are not park rangers. Expect the same risks and take the same precautions you would if you were hiking alone. You are solely responsible for your own safety and well-being.

By signing up for and/or attending this Meetup event, you acknowledge, understand, accept, and agree that hiking and other outdoor activities can be dangerous and can cause serious bodily injury and possibly death. The organizers of this group and current and former members cannot be held responsible or liable in any way for the actions of any participant - including you - at any event.

All attendees participate at an event at their own risk and are solely responsible for any damage to their property, and/or injury to themselves or their guests.

By signing up for and/or attending this Meetup event, you affirm that you understand this disclaimer and that you knowingly and voluntarily agree not to bring any type of claim arising out of or related to this Meetup event against the organizers of this Meetup group.