SAN RAFAEL SWELL & CAPITOL REEF: UPPER STRAIGHT WASH

JULY 2011

UPPER STRAIGHT WASH

Upper Straight Wash is a pleasant hike located down an unmarked dirt road coming south off of the I-70 freeway. The road is a bit rough, but I was able to make it to the trailhead (also unmarked) in a Corolla. From your parking spot you will make your way down a steep slope and meander toward the giant gash in the Swell that is Upper Straight Wash. I followed the first dry creek bed I found, which was marked somewhat with cairns. The main entrance into the wash was a little too dicey for me to try without a rope. It appears that rappelling into the wash at this point is fairly common as there was an anchor set up with some webbing on it.

Since I didn't have a rope, I worked my way up and around to an alternate entrance located down the canyon a bit to the right. While the alternate entrance doesn't require any rappelling, it does require a bit of down-climbing, so be careful. Just after entering the canyon, I encountered some thigh-high pools of water. After the pools, the going was easy and it became a nice, pleasant stroll. The narrows in this canyon never get too tight and there are no major obstacles. After about two miles, the canyon began to widen up and fill with willows and large cottonwood trees. It also started to get very muddy. This is where you will want to turn around. I remember the hardest part for me on this trip was getting out of the canyon. It was much more difficult getting out than it was getting in. It took several attempts before I was able to finally climb my way out where I had entered. It would probably be no problem at all getting out if you had two people as one could boost the other up. I think I ended up stacking some rocks to stand on to help me reach a hold. Once you exit, it is a long, uphill walk back to the car.

All in all, this was a nice canyon. While not as nice as some of the other canyons in the San Rafael Swell, it's also a lot less crowded. Because I visited in July, when the temperature was around 100 degrees, I had the entire place to myself. While the solitude was nice, this hike would be more enjoyable during a cooler part of the year. I doubt this canyon ever gets very much use. Be sure to bring good directions when you go, as nothing is marked, and either have some decent rock climbing skills or bring a rope to help you get in and out of the canyon.