Canyon Name: Imlay Canyon (From Potato Hollow to the Narrows)
Class: 5 B IV or V if you bring overnight gear you’ll use it. Start early and stay on it! You can walk the Narrows in the dark.
Gear: WCCM layers notoriously cold, dark and long exposure to water, Rope: 1 – 180′, 1 – 140′ (for insurance against a stuck or damaged rope save one 140′piece for the last rappel), 2 – 60′ rope, 80′ webbing, 10 rappel rings, dry bags, headlamp, pothole escape training and gear, self-rescue gear. Permits from the Zion N.P. Visitors Center. Please note the longest rappel in bold below and the rope lengths mentioned above serve as the WCCM rule of thumb of bringing 3 times the longest rappel of rope into any canyon route.
Expected Time Commitment: For a solid team of 6, car to tram 12-14 hours
Technical Obstacles: 50 + Rappels and swims up to 180′, class 5 pothole escapes to include hooking, pack toss, partner assist upclimbs, awkward rappel starts, bad anchors, swimming disconnects, stuck ropes, some route finding for the start. If you have not been through Imlay it is advisable to go with some one who has to help ensure good time management. Don’t think you can think your way through the lower sections. You will need to seek professional training and practice under supervision of someone who knows what there doing.
Non Technical Obstacles: Route finding for the drive in, Heat on the approach cold in the canyon with frigid water temps, Long walk out the Narrows after a long canyon run, Long car shuttle on”impassable when wet” dirt roads. Difficult route finding to the start. USE A MAP! From time to time parties drop into the wrong drainage and require a rescue. If you are not sure… go back!
Recommended Time of Year: Spring after the snow melt and if you want to freeze, Summer or Fall. Never during Flash Flood threats.
Finding the Trailhead: Ask around the town of Springdale for either a car shuttle ($.$$) or a map to Lava Point. Give yourself about 50 minutes to do the drive, and or camp in the designated camping area near Lava Point. (More info on that at the visitors center back country desk). You will park at the West Rim Trailhead parking area.
Side note: Don’t hike from the bottom up, it takes way to long and you’ll want the energy in canyon. There is nothing sneaky about “The Sneak Route”. It takes as much or longer not to mention the increased possibility getting lost> This route requires more time/energy than running the canyon from the top down. The land abuse the sneak route is causing isn’t worth the hurt reputation of sport in the Park Services eyes. Good rope/teamwork will have you through the upper section in a comparable timeframe to the other published options out there.
The Approach: You will love this. Get a pre-sunrise start and walk what may be the flattest trail in the world for about 2 (fast) hours. (5.1 miles) towards the end the trail will wander downhill into a green meadow at the bottom of which a small trail will spur off Left to a small pond. This is Potato Hollow. You will see Imlay Canyon to your East. Walk the Left rim of Imlay for about 600′ keeping and eye out for the rappel anchors. Set off a pair of pine trees 30′ down from the rim.
The Canyon Descent:
Rappel 1: 140 From a pine tree to a Pine tree
Rappel: 2 130′ From a pine tree into the creek itself
Rappel 3: 120′ From logs past several pools passing and old piton.
Hike down canyon through several lightly brushed in spots, when you reach a large (dry) pourover climb up a steep earth slope then down to a small pine tree with webbing.
Rappel 4: 120′ From small pine tree with webbing PASSING a large pine tree with more webbing to a nicely bolted stance.
Rappel 5: 175′ From bolted stance down to a large exposed ridge.
Down climb then rappel this ridge by walking east away from the headwall just rappelled and find a small tree to rap 35′ on back into the main waterway. Don’t bother following the watercourse even though there is an anchor down in the hole. Continue down canyon rappelling and down climbing several small drops. the pools will get deeper and deeper as you go. Suit up when you don’t wish to get any wetter. There will be a series of rappels into water, each pool getting deeper. After this series the canyon will open up into wide creek bed. After about 3-5 minutes of this wider section following the water course the drainage will slot up again. Instead of running the slot you can bypass it by walking the slick rock slabs on the Left then carefully down climbing and overhanging chimney into the great room of the Crossroads. From here the canyon will quickly narrow up and you will begin the first for two technical sections responsible for making Imlay famous. Work through the first section of extreme narrows using teamwork, ropework and all your pothole escape training / tricks. After a few hours the canyon opens up again before closing down on you for the last most technical section. many pothole escapes and rebelay techniques will lead you to the last 140′ rappel into the Narrows. Bag the ropes and walk the Narrows back to the Temple of Sinawava estimated egress 2 hours.
The Egress: Bag the ropes and walk the Narrows back to the Temple of Sinawava ETA 2 hours
