After Tatahoysa Canyon we headed north to Utah for canyoneering — a welcome change of pace and temperature. Red Sand Canyon near Kanab is a beautiful non-technical red slot canyon in the southern Utah desert. High clearance road to the pull-off. Deep sand at the bottom drainage — park before you reach it. Cool breeze through the corridors as we entered. Tight narrow squeezes almost like being in a cave — short climbs requiring partner assists. James free-climbed a 20ft dryfal

Tea Kettle Cave is a small but beautifully decorated Nevada cave. Its high elevation, difficult approach, and technical entrance have kept it in pristine condition. The cave is rigged on a natural boulder anchor inside with multiple rigging locations and backups. A climb to enter, then a 40ft stair-step drop to the bottom with a side gallery of formations halfway down. There is a high lead that may extend the cave further. A rescue here would require significant operational m

Eureka Dunes is located at the northern tip of Death Valley National Park in the Eureka Valley — the tallest sand dune in California. The road from Ubehebe Crater takes a fork onto a 45-mile graded dirt road through deep grades, washes, and sand. Subaru-friendly but rattly. Bring a lot of extra gasoline — there's nothing out there, especially coming from the east. We packed up and headed to the top of the highest dune — the last pitch was steep and slow going: two steps forwa

READ ROPEWIKI CAREFULLY before attempting this route — a fatality occurred here in 2015 related to the first two drops. Not Imlay Canyon drops 800ft in about a quarter mile inside Zion NP, passing the world-famous Imlay Canyon. 2-hour hike from the first bus out of the visitor center via Angels Landing and the West Rim trail to the Imlay sneak. Team: Heather, Tena, James, Andy, Justin. I would rate this 4AIII (not 3AIII) given the rope lengths and technical route. Rap 1-2 sys

Darwin Falls 3CII is just off a 2-mile road past Panamint Valley in Death Valley NP — a wet canyon with year-round spring water and hanging gardens. We hiked up and around the mountain for a valley view and dropped into the top of the canyon. First drop: 110ft through a fluted waterfall with hanging gardens and cool (not freezing) spring water. Second rappel: ~50ft to the canyon floor where hikers approach from the trailhead below. Spring water brings lush vegetation — grass,

After our run in Not Imlay Canyon, we headed east to check out a non-technical slot canyon in the desert near Kanab. Lyndsi joined us for perfect conditions — cool breeze and sunny. A couple miles of sand road walking to the entrance. Had the canyon to ourselves after a group with 4x4 jeeps headed out just as we arrived. Brilliant red and orange light coming through the slot tops. A 20ft dry fall required a chimney — James climbed up and we made a handline for the rest of the

Tatahoysa Canyon is one of the only day trips in the Grand Canyon — rated 3BIV for its time commitment but approached down a steep loose chute in 100-degree temperatures. We made the trailhead at 2am after 20+ miles of high clearance dirt roads in the dark, set up camp, and got an early start. Team: Heather, James, Scott. 4 rappels through Redwall limestone with small caves in the walls. First drop ~40-50ft into the Redwall limestone drainage. Following drops: 30ft, 20ft, 30f

Leviathan Cave is a massive hypogenic cave system on a west-facing slope in the Worthington Mountain Range, a few hours north of Las Vegas. The large solutional cavity collapsed on itself, creating a 120x60ft entrance at 7,600ft elevation. Approach: 30 miles of dirt road then a 2,000ft scramble up a 45-55 degree couloir. We carried 30-50lb overnight packs for a full cave bivouac. Three hours car to cave. Inside: desert micro-ecosystem at the bottom — grass fields, oversized p

Emerald Lake Cave is a Nevada hydrothermal vertical cave with fascinating geological history. In the 1960s it was reported as 190ft long and 90ft deep with a large body of water — possibly connected to a large aquifer. Previous trips brought a raft and found the water deeper than comfortable to dive. Subsequent visits noted the water table dropping substantially. A farmer confirmed the water has dropped 50-60 years. With Jamie Goodwin, Justin Bailey, and Dakota Drew. We showe

After a day out in the desert and surviving temps in the teens, we woke up to the third and final cave of the trip — Indian Shaft. Andy Zellner showed up late the night before and we were glad he made his way around the desert to find us. We rigged two ropes to the car and redirected one into the middle of the drop. The DistoX measured 96ft to the bottom of the initial drop. The cave was much bigger and deeper than the initial drop — it belled out into a massive room at the b

Heading out to Toroweap is an adventure in itself. The notorious dirt roads are a natural filter that keep most away — but once at the parking lot the views are extraordinary. I drove a Subaru with KO2 tires and found the road manageable. The last 2-3 miles on the sandstone esplanade require high clearance and good tires. Park gate opens 30 min after sunrise, closes 30 min after sunset. We mustered up the time and energy to arrive just before sunset. Spectacular to see the vi

Slate Lake Cave is in Arizona's Coconino National Forest — a lava tube approximately 900ft long with multiple entrances via a collapse entrance. Estimated formation age: 1-6 million years old. Corrosion residue is embedded in the basalt walls and one section has an interesting lava bed passage. An upper entrance in the wall was spotted but not reached due to time. Contact your local NSS caving grotto for information on visiting Coconino lava tube caves — locations are kept in

Crucifixion Cave starts as a basalt layer then breaks into a sandstone/limestone layer with corrosion residue on the walls. An initial 30ft free-hang drop — excellent for practicing SRT and changeovers. The lip drops into a big room large enough for multiple rigged lines. I'm not sure how this cave got its name but there is graffiti on the walls suggesting the origin. Andy and Heather practiced SRT and changeovers in the sink while I continued to the bottom of the multi-pitch

The Southwest desert holds some of the most historic and geologically significant artifacts on the planet. Exploration without documentation is merely being a visitor — maps, scientific study, and photography are all essential to continue the pursuit of research. Black Abyss Cave is no exception, and the location will remain protected. Continuing research and preservation is ongoing within this and other caves. The cave appears similar in makeup to others in the area — large

Garden Creek Canyon is a 3CIV technical route in the depths of the South Bright Angel Trail in the heart of the Grand Canyon. It has flowing water year-round and becomes a waterpark when the gage is lifted. We started at 5:30AM to get a parking spot and descended the South Bright Angel trail. Team: Pat Winstanley, Danielle Monroy, Zach Hopp, Tiffanie Lin, Andy, Heather. Check weather before going — rain could be dangerous. First rap ~60ft pinch point DCL. Then a 150ft swirlin

Roadside Cave is a small lava tube in the Coconino National Forest — a room with two small ending passages and historical artifacts: a barrel, wood, and broken seats left behind from the area's past. The Coconino region has numerous lava tubes ranging from single rooms to passages over a mile long. Lava tube cave locations in the Coconino are kept in secrecy for conservation. Contact your local caving grotto for information on responsible visits.

Pine Cave is named for the pine trees that surround its entrance — a forest cave on the same mountain as Ball Cave, Little Ball Cave, and Davies Cave. The cave has an active character with formations still developing and some interesting passage development beyond the entrance. The mountain has some very interesting geology and Pine Cave is part of what appears to be a cluster of caves with similar formation character. Location remains undisclosed for conservation purposes. I

Approaching the next set of rapids with a pack raft full of water, one paddle, a 30lb pack, an overly buoyant bow and diminishing stern — I'm funneled into standing 3's and 4's while boils push me back into the current. Cove Canyon is a Grand Canyon Classic 3BVI canyoneering route in the Toroweap region, with everything from hiking to pack rafting to canyoneering through almost every layer of rock in the Grand Canyon. Team: Scott Swaney, Daniel Elson, Pat Winstanley, Hollon K

The Pisgah Crater is a young lava field in the Mojave Desert with over one hundred lava tubes. The black pahoehoe and A'A mixed with basalt shows interesting signs of volcanic folding. The dormant cinder cone in the middle of the field makes a fantastic camping spot with sweeping views of the basin. We visited around 9 caves including Bad, Owl 3, TF, AF, QQ, PSJ, Mojave, Cactus, and Glove lava tube caves. Most of the lava tubes are quite short and dusty — most without corrosi

Vinegaroon Canyon is a 3AII technical canyon in Death Valley National Park named after the vinegaroon — a large whip scorpion-like arachnid found in the desert Southwest. The canyon offers technical rappels through characteristic Death Valley desert canyon walls with big views of the valley below. Death Valley canyoneering season is November through March. Refer to ropewiki.com for current beta and rope length information before attempting. The canyon makes a great winter day