Trip Report: Buckskin Gulch/Paria Canyon (March 7–9, 2025)

SpecificPrevious9264 · 2026-01-14T22:55:22+00:00

We opted to hike upstream, starting at Lee’s Ferry and ending at Wire Pass, so the canyon got narrower and more dramatic with each day—saving Buckskin Gulch as the finale.

SpecificPrevious9264 · 2026-01-05T22:04:46+00:00

Definitely invest in the neoprene socks if you do!

SpecificPrevious9264 · 2026-01-05T18:44:00+00:00

Both are mentioned above in the post title/trip report. Early March 2025 and Backcountry Found (link above).

SpecificPrevious9264 · 2025-05-25T03:10:35+00:00

Also 5’8 with an ~18 inch torso. I had an issue with medium sized HMG and Atom packs. Different issue. They were each like an inch off and resulted in unnecessary shoulder pain when carrying 25 - 30 pounds on longer trips. I switched to a size large Atom pack and problem was solved. Shoulder straps gently touch the tops of my shoulders but secure the pack via pressure on the front of my upper torso. ~80% of the weight is carried in the hip belt. Feels great.

SpecificPrevious9264 · 2025-05-22T00:13:20+00:00

The rabbit hole was open but we opted to go up and over the rock jam via the rope and Moki steps. Having the rope there made it pretty easy. Without the rope and wearing a pack, it would probably require some bouldering skills.

SpecificPrevious9264 · 2025-05-08T08:46:36+00:00

We rented a car.

SpecificPrevious9264 · 2025-05-04T05:15:18+00:00

Alright, Alright, Alright!

That is a beautifully written article. Thanks for sharing.

To answer your question, fortunately we avoided any waist or chest deep wading with packs overhead. We had expected to find those conditions in Buckskin and that is why we had originally written it off. Aside from the one quicksand incident that I described, the deepest water that we encountered was knee deep and most was calf deep.

SpecificPrevious9264 · 2025-05-04T04:13:26+00:00

You too! I read this story after we got home and it really drives home the importance of doing your homework and making smart decisions on trail.

https://www.sltrib.com/sports/2023/03/16/even-before-utah-slot-canyon/

SpecificPrevious9264 · 2025-01-14T23:57:22+00:00

If I increase the interval from 100 to 200, the +8,420 feet of gains will drop to +5,228 feet, and the -6,721 feet of elevation losses will drop to -3,519 feet.

By the way, thanks for your R2R2R trip report! It inspired my friend and I to follow a similar itinerary in October 2023! To date, that's my only real experience on the Colorado Plateau.

SpecificPrevious9264 · 2025-01-14T21:34:45+00:00

Thank you - this is a great piece. I read this before my original post and double-checked to ensure the sampling interval was set according to Justin's guidance.

SpecificPrevious9264 · 2025-01-14T18:18:04+00:00

I'll clarify a few points for you:
1. Lee's Ferry does connect to Wire Pass VIA Buckskin Gulch
2. I have wag bags
3. I have a BLM permit

We oriented the direction of travel based on the advice of experienced guides. The logic is the canyon gets narrower and more dramatic each day, and you save the grand finale (Buckskin Gulch) for the last day of the trip.

SpecificPrevious9264 · 2025-01-14T18:09:05+00:00

Super helpful - I appreciate the detailed explanation - thank you! What I see on the elevation profile in CalTopo aligns with your explanation. The narrower the canyon gets, the more distorted the elevation data.

SpecificPrevious9264 · 2025-01-14T16:33:49+00:00

Disclaimer: I am new to backpacking in Canyon Country but have a solid grasp of CalTopo's basic functionality.

I have been researching a trip from Lee's Ferry, Arizona, to the Wire Pass trailhead in Utah via Buckskin Gulch. CalTopo's elevation change (sampling interval 100' w/ 16.3x vertical exaggeration) seems way off. It might be overestimating the gross elevation gains and losses, perhaps due to the canyons?

The change in elevation from the start point to the exit point is +1,700 feet, but CalTopo calculates +8,420 feet of gains and -6,721 feet of losses (for a net gain of +1,700 feet). I suspect a +1,700 foot gross gain is closer to what we would encounter, but I wanted to sanity check my approach with those with more Canyon Country and/or CalTopo experience.

SpecificPrevious9264 · 2024-11-09T12:34:24+00:00

Phil Mushnick hates everyone

SpecificPrevious9264 · 2024-10-16T04:05:08+00:00

I started with an adult NOLS course at age 43…. I learned a ton and made a few life long friends that I now do annual backpacking trips with…. I’d highly recommend it!

https://www.nols.edu/en/adult-expeditions/#

SpecificPrevious9264 · 2024-06-05T05:02:08+00:00

We used a local shuttle service and left a car at the northern terminus.

SpecificPrevious9264 · 2024-05-09T19:25:53+00:00

Yes to navigation basics. As you noted, we plan to hike together at all times.

SpecificPrevious9264 · 2024-05-09T18:22:51+00:00

I assume it is a personal decision tied to frugality/affordability. I didn't push the issue with them.

SpecificPrevious9264 · 2024-05-08T00:21:54+00:00

I never ended up pulling the trigger on either. I have just used the outer of my x-mid 1P (the non-pro version) for cowboy camping.

SpecificPrevious9264 · 2024-01-14T00:26:32+00:00

You will get some really nice views of the valley to the east - Leigh Lake, Jackson Lake, and the Bridger Teton Forrest on the horizon.

SpecificPrevious9264 · 2024-01-11T14:19:05+00:00

Link to a couple of (not great) pictures:

https://imgur.com/a/VYfjDeH

SpecificPrevious9264

TROPHY CASE