Zion National Park Trails and scrambles Nov 9-12, 2017

John Morrow

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Quick and dirty beta:


ZionScrambles.jpg

Nov 9: Zion east side traverse from Lost Peak, through the Triplets, to The Fin in a nice loop:
North Ridge of Lost Peak is fine Class 2 with 10 feet of Class 3. Combined with the west to east traverse of the Triplets and The Fin. I should have descended the SE Ridge after seeing it from Triplet 1. Couldn't see over slight bulges from the summit but goes Class 2 according to Courtney Purcell Guidebook and how it looked from what I can see.

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Then over the Class 4 West to East traverse of the Triplets. After Lost Peak ascended NW gully and rib of Triplet 1. Tagged the westernmost little thing. Easy to descend to saddle with 2nd Triplet. Then it got interesting. 15 feet of Class 4 on SW side of Triplet 2. Easy down east ridge to triplet 3 saddle, then more Class 4 (15 foot face) to top of Triplet 3. For anyone wanting the highest Triplet (3) the NE Ridge is Class 2 from the Fin saddle, which I descended.

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Class 4 step:
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Finally, I finished with the North Ridge of The Fin. Very solid rock with a bit of exposed Class 3 in two spots (pics).

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Nov 10: Trail hike to Observation Point then a couple pathetic Courtney Purcell bumps, one with a BM (Observation BM), and one with 350 feet of prominence (Blew By Peak). Great views. The peaks were really an excuse to repeat the East Rim Trail which have been a favorite of mine since my first visit in the late 1980s.

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Nov 11: This was a great day of slickrock peak bagging and scrambling. Little bumps that are in the Courtney Purcell Zion Summits Guidebook, but aesthetic as all get out as far as scrambling goes. From Canyon Overlook TH at the tunnel of the east side: Overlook to Shelf Point to Bighorn Peak to Mind's Eye to Progeny Peak. All Class 2, lotsa sustained, and the south ridge of Mind's Eye Class 3 if remaining directly on the crest (avoidable on SE slope).

Big slabs above Canyon Overlook to Shelf Point. Then a fine descending traverse northward below The East Temple to the SW ridge of Bighorn Peak.

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Down the North Ridge Bighorn Peak to upper NW Fork of Pine Creek, found the petroglyphs!

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Up the North Ridge of Mind's Eye and down the South Ridge back to the highway parking.

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Cross Pine Creek on the road bridge and up the fine slickrock bowl of the SW slope of Progeny Peak

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Great day, great location, great stuff.

Nov 12: A quick jaunt up NE slope of Lee Peak above the Lee Pass TH in the Kolob Region and a short walk out to the Timber Creek Overlook.


LeePeak.jpg

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Quick and dirty beta:


View attachment 69973

Nov 9: Zion east side traverse from Lost Peak, through the Triplets, to The Fin in a nice loop:
North Ridge of Lost Peak is fine Class 2 with 10 feet of Class 3. Combined with the west to east traverse of the Triplets and The Fin. I should have descended the SE Ridge after seeing it from Triplet 1. Couldn't see over slight bulges from the summit but goes Class 2 according to Courtney Purcell Guidebook and how it looked from what I can see.

View attachment 69974View attachment 69975View attachment 69976View attachment 69977

Then over the Class 4 West to East traverse of the Triplets. After Lost Peak ascended NW gully and rib of Triplet 1. Tagged the westernmost little thing. Easy to descend to saddle with 2nd Triplet. Then it got interesting. 15 feet of Class 4 on SW side of Triplet 2. Easy down east ridge to triplet 3 saddle, then more Class 4 (15 foot face) to top of Triplet 3. For anyone wanting the highest Triplet (3) the NE Ridge is Class 2 from the Fin saddle, which I descended.

View attachment 69978View attachment 69979

Class 4 step:
View attachment 69980

View attachment 69981


Finally, I finished with the North Ridge of The Fin. Very solid rock with a bit of exposed Class 3 in two spots (pics).

View attachment 69982View attachment 69983View attachment 69984View attachment 69985

Nov 10: Trail hike to Observation Point then a couple pathetic Courtney Purcell bumps, one with a BM (Observation BM), and one with 350 feet of prominence (Blew By Peak). Great views. The peaks were really an excuse to repeat the East Rim Trail which have been a favorite of mine since my first visit in the late 1980s.

View attachment 69986View attachment 69987View attachment 69988View attachment 69989View attachment 69990View attachment 69991View attachment 69992View attachment 69993


Nov 11: This was a great day of slickrock peak bagging and scrambling. Little bumps that are in the Courtney Purcell Zion Summits Guidebook, but aesthetic as all get out as far as scrambling goes. From Canyon Overlook TH at the tunnel of the east side: Overlook to Shelf Point to Bighorn Peak to Mind's Eye to Progeny Peak. All Class 2, lotsa sustained, and the south ridge of Mind's Eye Class 3 if remaining directly on the crest (avoidable on SE slope).

Big slabs above Canyon Overlook to Shelf Point. Then a fine descending traverse northward below The East Temple to the SW ridge of Bighorn Peak.

View attachment 69999View attachment 70000View attachment 70001View attachment 70002View attachment 70003View attachment 70004View attachment 70005View attachment 70006

Down the North Ridge Bighorn Peak to upper NW Fork of Pine Creek, found the petroglyphs!

View attachment 70007View attachment 70008View attachment 70009View attachment 70010


Up the North Ridge of Mind's Eye and down the South Ridge back to the highway parking.

View attachment 70011View attachment 70012


Cross Pine Creek on the road bridge and up the fine slickrock bowl of the SW slope of Progeny Peak

View attachment 70013View attachment 70014View attachment 70015View attachment 70016

Great day, great location, great stuff.

Nov 12: A quick jaunt up NE slope of Lee Peak above the Lee Pass TH in the Kolob Region and a short walk out to the Timber Creek Overlook.


View attachment 70017

View attachment 69994View attachment 69995View attachment 69996View attachment 69997View attachment 69998
great report and pics! I'm considering the shelf point-bighorn peak loop this march but coming up from pine creek. I'm wondering how difficult route finding down to the overlook might be?
 
Hi Steve! The upper east side is one of my favorite places to get away from the crowds. There are so many off "unofficial" hikes (from easy to hard) I always try to squeeze in a new one every time I'm out there .
 
Wonderful! I have wandered and wandered the east side of Zion. It comes close to supplanting Glacier NP at the top of my loves. I just get jazzed that Zion Canyon is a zoo but you step into the East side and I have it all to myself.
 
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