John Morrow
Member
- Joined
- May 22, 2015
- Messages
- 1,065
"To Do in 2021" for me had included backpacking in the Saddle Horse/Virgin Spring canyon system. Well, it'll have to wait as we got a bit of summit fever with light daypacks as an alternative.
Maps help out (full size for printing in Flickr):
Overview by John Morrow, on Flickr
Bottleneck-Cane by John Morrow, on Flickr
Sids Mtn by John Morrow, on Flickr
Pinnacle WldHP by John Morrow, on Flickr
Pics help too: Full set on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/23557848@N03/albums/72157719071771778
April 10:
Bottleneck Mesa followed by a hike to Cane Wash along the river.
Bottleneck Mesa has two short scramble pitches. Mostly it is chinle slope. However, the Mossback member forms a short vertical wall that has to be surmounted. A scree slope leads intuitively to the shortest bit of Mossback. A Class 4 move is required to get up it. There was a fixed rope dangling. A couple vertical imbedded rock flakes aid as foot perches. Then the second is a lesser issue, getting through the Wingate at the summit where it is thinnest (Class 2-3).
With the Bottleneck by John Morrow, on Flickr
final scramble by John Morrow, on Flickr
Window Blind Peak by John Morrow, on Flickr
With time left in the day and no shade in camp we opted to hike the river trail to Cane Wash.
Along the River by John Morrow, on Flickr
Little Grand Canyon by John Morrow, on Flickr
river bottom by John Morrow, on Flickr
April 11:
This turned out to be a big day of 14 miles. We could not quite make it to the official TH in my Subaru (or could walk it as fast) when the access road went through endless chinle rivulets. A really nice old cattle trail makes it up onto Sids Mtn from Cane Wash. It begins as an old mining road. Kelsey calls it "No Man's Mountain Trail". Udink has good info on it I believe. Then it was a loop on top connecting any number of Class 2 breaks in the west slope of Sids Mountain proper, then onto Swazy BM, exploring the head of Long Hollow, returning across the flats. Lots of rock art to be found.
Trail to Sids Mountain by John Morrow, on Flickr
Switchbacks up by John Morrow, on Flickr
Saddle Horse Canyon below by John Morrow, on Flickr
rim by John Morrow, on Flickr
Kofford Cabin area by John Morrow, on Flickr
vastness of Sids by John Morrow, on Flickr
April 12:
Having such a good view of Pinnacle and of a potential route up the north slope of the Highpoint of Sids Mountain Wilderness, we decided to give these a go. Same issue presents itself: get through the Mossback Member (accomplished by finding scree slopes covering the underlying band; and get through the Wingate of the summits: see Canyoneering the N Swell, S Allen for Pinnacle). Both were very fun and on the HP there were several Class 2 weaknesses in the Wingate.
Pinnacle:
tomorrow's objective: 7010 by John Morrow, on Flickr
Pinnacle 7010 by John Morrow, on Flickr
Sids Wilderness HP distant by John Morrow, on Flickr
traverse to west and climb by John Morrow, on Flickr
looking northeast by John Morrow, on Flickr
Sid's Mountain Wilderness Highpoint:
Up the chinle to wingate base by John Morrow, on Flickr
Sids Wilderness HP ahead by John Morrow, on Flickr
a broad walk by John Morrow, on Flickr
David finishes final scramble by John Morrow, on Flickr
looking south by John Morrow, on Flickr
Full rock art set:
Alcove 2 by John Morrow, on Flickr
Alcove 1 hmm BCS? by John Morrow, on Flickr
L Hollow 9 by John Morrow, on Flickr
Sids 5 by John Morrow, on Flickr
Cane 2 by John Morrow, on Flickr
Maps help out (full size for printing in Flickr):
Overview by John Morrow, on Flickr
Bottleneck-Cane by John Morrow, on Flickr
Sids Mtn by John Morrow, on Flickr
Pinnacle WldHP by John Morrow, on Flickr
Pics help too: Full set on Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/23557848@N03/albums/72157719071771778
April 10:
Bottleneck Mesa followed by a hike to Cane Wash along the river.
Bottleneck Mesa has two short scramble pitches. Mostly it is chinle slope. However, the Mossback member forms a short vertical wall that has to be surmounted. A scree slope leads intuitively to the shortest bit of Mossback. A Class 4 move is required to get up it. There was a fixed rope dangling. A couple vertical imbedded rock flakes aid as foot perches. Then the second is a lesser issue, getting through the Wingate at the summit where it is thinnest (Class 2-3).
With the Bottleneck by John Morrow, on Flickr
final scramble by John Morrow, on Flickr
Window Blind Peak by John Morrow, on Flickr
With time left in the day and no shade in camp we opted to hike the river trail to Cane Wash.
Along the River by John Morrow, on Flickr
Little Grand Canyon by John Morrow, on Flickr
river bottom by John Morrow, on Flickr
April 11:
This turned out to be a big day of 14 miles. We could not quite make it to the official TH in my Subaru (or could walk it as fast) when the access road went through endless chinle rivulets. A really nice old cattle trail makes it up onto Sids Mtn from Cane Wash. It begins as an old mining road. Kelsey calls it "No Man's Mountain Trail". Udink has good info on it I believe. Then it was a loop on top connecting any number of Class 2 breaks in the west slope of Sids Mountain proper, then onto Swazy BM, exploring the head of Long Hollow, returning across the flats. Lots of rock art to be found.
Trail to Sids Mountain by John Morrow, on Flickr
Switchbacks up by John Morrow, on Flickr
Saddle Horse Canyon below by John Morrow, on Flickr
rim by John Morrow, on Flickr
Kofford Cabin area by John Morrow, on Flickr
vastness of Sids by John Morrow, on Flickr
April 12:
Having such a good view of Pinnacle and of a potential route up the north slope of the Highpoint of Sids Mountain Wilderness, we decided to give these a go. Same issue presents itself: get through the Mossback Member (accomplished by finding scree slopes covering the underlying band; and get through the Wingate of the summits: see Canyoneering the N Swell, S Allen for Pinnacle). Both were very fun and on the HP there were several Class 2 weaknesses in the Wingate.
Pinnacle:
tomorrow's objective: 7010 by John Morrow, on Flickr
Pinnacle 7010 by John Morrow, on Flickr
Sids Wilderness HP distant by John Morrow, on Flickr
traverse to west and climb by John Morrow, on Flickr
looking northeast by John Morrow, on Flickr
Sid's Mountain Wilderness Highpoint:
Up the chinle to wingate base by John Morrow, on Flickr
Sids Wilderness HP ahead by John Morrow, on Flickr
a broad walk by John Morrow, on Flickr
David finishes final scramble by John Morrow, on Flickr
looking south by John Morrow, on Flickr
Full rock art set:
Alcove 2 by John Morrow, on Flickr
Alcove 1 hmm BCS? by John Morrow, on Flickr
L Hollow 9 by John Morrow, on Flickr
Sids 5 by John Morrow, on Flickr
Cane 2 by John Morrow, on Flickr
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