Coyote Gulch - water in October?

[Janice]

My cousin has never backpacked, so I'm taking her on a 3-night trip to Coyote Gulch the first week of October. It will be mid-week, so hopefully it won't be too crowded, but solitude isn't a necessary component of this trip. Helping her have a good time is my main goal, so we're not going to go too many miles a day (maybe 5-7) and her pack can't be too heavy (she'll train ahead of time, but still...)

Questions:

1) I'm planning to go in and out of Hurricane Wash and hope to camp the first night around the confluence with Coyote Gulch. I'm trying to figure out water sources. For that time of year, do you have a guess of whether we'll be able to fill up with water there or nearby?

2) I know Hole in the Rock Road can be impassable when wet. We'll be renting a vehicle in SLC, and I'm trying to figure out what will give us the most chance of making it to and from the TH in iffy conditions. Jeep? AWD SUV? I know we need decent clearance no matter what, but I don't have a sense of whether we should bother with a Jeep. Advice?

3) Have you been in a situation where you couldn't get back to pavement at the end of a trip because the road was too wet/bad? If so, what was that like and how long did you have to wait?

 

[canadug]

If it is raining it does not matter what vehicle you are driving when it comes to the evil mud that forms when the rains fall........The non-paved roads become impassable and extremely dangerous. Always good to have a plan B!

 

[Janice]

If it is raining it does not matter what vehicle you are driving when it comes to the evil mud that forms when the rains fall........The non-paved roads become impassable and extremely dangerous. Always good to have a plan B!

Yes, I think I knew that but was hoping otherwise!

Any suggestions for Plan B with access by paved road only?

 

[Janice]

I know there's plenty of time for me to figure this out, but it's on my mind now and I have questions re Plan B if necessary.

1) Any suggestions for Plan B that's from a paved road?

2) If necessary, we can park at the Hwy 12 bridge in Escalante and go up or down the river and explore a few side canyons. I've been upstream (west of the highway) but not downstream (east of the highway). Does anyone recommend going downstream? If so, any recommendations for spots to camp or things to explore (maybe Phipps Arch, Bowington Arch)? Either way, we'd have to do an out-and-back and I'd like to get the most bang for our time & mileage buck.