Suggestions for an April backpack trip

[Eugene]

I am looking for a good late April 3-4 day backpacking trip. We are not climbers but have done numerous hikes in the SW - i.e. Coyote Gulch, under the rim Bryce, Kolob Arch Zion, GC R to R, GC Hermit-Boucher, GC Thunder River - Deer Creek, Grand Gulch. So you see we have done many of the classic hikes. I have searched thru the trip reports and with a quick look nothing has really said - YES. Also, I don't want to be a pack mule so water along the way is more or less a requirement. Any suggestions for a 20-30 mile hike would be appreciated.

 

[Nick]

Is Coyote Gulch the only thing you've done in Escalante. That is what I would consider to be the premier backpacking destination in the colorado plateau. Lots of great canyons and lots of water!

 

[Eugene]

Is Coyote Gulch the only thing you've done in Escalante. That is what I would consider to be the premier backpacking destination in the colorado plateau. Lots of great canyons and lots of water!

Nick,
Coyote is the only full hike we have done(did it 2 times - once in late Oct - beautiful colors and once in May. Tried Harris gulch but one guy gave out on us and we only got in about 4 mi. Did a little day hike on that trip to upper calf creek.

 

[Nick]

I did most of Harris once and it's one of my least favorite Escalante canyons. I probably need to go give it another chance though. Do you own Steve Allen's Canyoneering 3? It's like the bible for backpacking Escalante. You could spend the next 5 years chipping away at awesome routes that will easily fit the bill for what you're looking for. Some of the routes in there involve a little technical work but most are straight backpacks. Some of my favs:

Death Hollow
Escalante River Gorge
Boulder Creek
Little Death Hollow/Wolverine
Fortymile + Willow
Fiftymile
Llewellyn & Cottonwood

Basically everything down there. The only one I've done that I probably won't go back to is Twentyfive Mile Wash but I might be being hard on it too. We went through there after an epic flood event and it was hell to make it down the canyon through all the quicksand and flood damage. Oh, and I wasn't all that stoked on The Gulch but once again, there were other factors in play.

Some others that look great but I haven't done yet:

Choprock/Silver Falls loop
Scorpion Gulch/George's Camp Canyon
Steven's Canyon
Hackberry Canyon