Buckskin Gulch & Paria Canyon

Trip Log

Monsoon weather prevented the original plan of slot canyon backpacking. Had to improvise.
Mon - Drive down, check out Paria River, impassable conditions, that amount of flow in a slot would be insanity.
Tue - Clear weather, bikepack to hike Buckskin Gulch
Wed - Hike Willis Creek
Thu - Mountain bike Thunder Mountain Trail
Fri - Drive home

Drive down. Forgot book, stop at thrift store in Kanab to get a paperback.
At Paria Contact Station, guy says flow is highest he's ever seen from last night's rain. Recommends not going. I'm still on the fence.
Drive to Lees Ferry CG. Ride bike from there up road past ranch and into lower Paria. Wander around for a while to check it out - river is knee deep chocolate milk, and FAST. Riverbanks were extremely gooey deep mud.
Decide I'm not doing the original plan.

Drive back through Page to jct US-89/House Rock Rd, park there since BLM guy told me road was impassable due to flooding. Load up backpack and bike with 2 days water and supplies, strap to bike rack, ride to upper Buckskin Gulch TH.
Hike via Buckskin to Wire Pass, continue past for quite a while, barefoot the whole way down - was excellent for mud but painful on rocks.
Put shoes on and hike back up to Wire and out that way. Stomach and feet not feeling good. Unavoidable belly-deep "cesspool" crossing in Wire.
Walk back to road, walk like 8 miles along road hoping to catch a ride but no dice.
Collect bike and gear at Buckskin TH. Rodents have eaten much of the food. Ride just up the road to a big dirt camping area around a corner.
Read book for a few hours. Didn't bring tent but it looks stormy, so set up tarp in an upside-down "7" shape, sleep.

Pack up and ride back to the car.
Drive to Paria Contact Station, fill up on (gross-tasting) well-water.
Drive a couple hours up through Cannonville UT, down a long dirt/sand road to Willis Creek TH, didn't dare drive any further with this car.
Ride bike a few more miles to Bull Valley Gorge TH, stash bike. Hike a mile or so along the top of deep slot canyon until it's shallow enough to jump in. However, turns out the canyon requires technical gear and plus there's a NASTY pool of water to jump into right at the beginning. Decide not to.
Ride bike back to Willis Creek TH, hike that instead. Walking through the wash is cool, on-and-off slots. Walk to the T with Sheep Creek, then turn back.
Drive back along road, find a cool camping spot on a hill with an excellent view. Some wind and rain that night.

Drive to Red Canyon CG, snag a FCFS spot.
Head down to Thunder Mtn TH, bike along entire trail - this was an awesome ride. The red dirt and hoodoos made me surprised this isn't part of the national park.
Ride back along the paved bike trail - wasn't as great as I had hoped, asphalt had tons of deep cracks that were uncomfortable to ride over.
Relax at campground for a while, it got a little stormy in the afternoon.

Bike Stumpjumper and necessary gear 54 miles along US-89A, then House Rock Road to Wire Pass Trailhead, ascend 910m. Hide bike in desert.
Camp @ Stateline Campground (FCFS) or in wilderness if necessary

Hike in via Wire Pass / Buckskin Gulch at least 14 miles to first "safe" campsite @ Paria River Confluence. First 7 miles may be dry

Leave most gear at confluence, explore upper Paria Canyon (out and back) - 7 miles max one way
Or, if experience sucks so far, delete this day and shift entire schedule up

Hike about 10-12 miles to around The Hole spring, explore side canyons with any extra time and energy

Hike about 10-12 miles to around Bush Head Canyon, explore side canyons with any extra time and energy

Hike to car at Lee's Ferry, about 10 miles
Drive 2h to Wire Pass TH (via US-89 if wet, US-89A/House Rock Rd if dry), pick up stumpjumper
Drive 7h home

Geology comments here