Water reliability of Horse Canyon (Little Death Hollow/Wolverine Loop) during dry year

[RyanP]

Does anyone know how reliable the water is in Horse Canyon during a dry year like this one? I'm considering doing the Little Death Hollow/Wolverine Loop next week and people seem to say that water source is reliable, but I know it's been an extremely dry year so I'm wondering if we can plan on it (otherwise I figure a dry year is ideal for this loop, to avoid water obstacles in the slot).

Thanks in advance for any feedback!
Ryan

 

[priz1234]

I know this doesn't really answer your question and while it's not ideal, worst case scenario is you could make the roughly 5 mile roundtrip hike to the escalante river and back if you don't run into any water. It is all easy walking so it shouldn't take a ton of extra time and still has some good scenery along the way. When I was in the area a couple of years ago in April there was water flowing from the escalante river all up the way up to about halfway between little death hollow and wolverine. But it was in a better water year. Only been there once so can't comment too much on if that is normal or not.

 

[Jorey]

Will be in the Gulch, Horse, LDH, Wolverine, and Silver Falls if all goes well starting tomorrow. Will report back around the 18th.

 

[amyrel]

Will be in the Gulch, Horse, LDH, Wolverine, and Silver Falls if all goes well starting tomorrow. Will report back around the 18th.

Yes please do!!

 

[RyanP]

I know this doesn't really answer your question and while it's not ideal, worst case scenario is you could make the roughly 5 mile roundtrip hike to the escalante river and back if you don't run into any water. It is all easy walking so it shouldn't take a ton of extra time and still has some good scenery along the way. When I was in the area a couple of years ago in April there was water flowing from the escalante river all up the way up to about halfway between little death hollow and wolverine. But it was in a better water year. Only been there once so can't comment too much on if that is normal or not.

Thanks; we'll plan on doing that if needed

 

[RyanP]

Will be in the Gulch, Horse, LDH, Wolverine, and Silver Falls if all goes well starting tomorrow. Will report back around the 18th.

Thanks! I think this is a Plan B for us at this point, but Plan B's seem to happen almost as often as Plan A's for me so I'd appreciate the report!

 

[charliebois]

I also would appreciate the report, heading out with this as plan A in a couple weeks.

 

[LarryBoy]

Whether or not Horse is flowing, i would plan to go down to the Escalante, just because it's cool to experience standing in the heart of the Escalante river system.

 

[Jorey]

Thanks! I think this is a Plan B for us at this point, but Plan B's seem to happen almost as often as Plan A's for me so I'd appreciate the report!

The Gulch stream is flowing. Horse stream is flowing at least from the confluence with LDH to the line shack. The "large pothole" in LDH that is up the small side slot was low, but can be counted on. There is water in potholes and the slot below that in places.

Silver Falls has little to no water in the lower part near the river, but upcanyon there is a small flow in places until it peters out maybe two miles from the river. The unlabeled but marked spring further upcanyon had no water(not Emigrant, the other). Cliff Spring is flowing.

There was water in the potholes above Deer Creek mentioned in Canyoneering 2, but it was lower.

Feel free to DM if you need more help or have questions.

 

[Jorey]

Thanks! I think this is a Plan B for us at this point, but Plan B's seem to happen almost as often as Plan A's for me so I'd appreciate the report!

What's Plan A?

 

[amyrel]

Will be in the Gulch, Horse, LDH, Wolverine, and Silver Falls if all goes well starting tomorrow. Will report back around the 18th.

thanks