With Jamie and Katie, bolted anchors for raps 1, 2 and 4. #3 is slung through a hole in a rock on the descender's left side, could be downclimbed on class 4 slab. DO NOT rap off the boulders, nasty deep grooves on these that look terrible and will probably get your rope stuck anyway, please use the anchors. They are there, even if you have to look around them.
Kessler - May 16, 2016 9:26 am Date Climbed: Nov 30, 2015
U-Turn
11-28-15
11-30-13
Shaylee - May 16, 2016 9:25 am Date Climbed: Nov 30, 2013
U-Turn
11-28-15
11-30-13
Scott - May 16, 2016 9:18 am Date Climbed: Nov 6, 2009
U-Turn
November 28 2015: U-Turn/Courthouse Wash
Shaylee, Kessler, Kimberly, Jon, Dana, and I did the U Turn (technical canyon) Route in Arches National Park. Much of the route was treacherously icy and we had to do an alternate rappel in one location. It was part climbing, part "sledding" (without the sled), part sliding on ice, and part rappelling.
After completing the U Turn, Kessler, Shaylee, Kimberly, Jon, and I completed the lower Courthouse Wash Hike, hiking from Arches National Park to near the Colorado River. Since we didn't start Courthouse Wash until 2 PM, we had to move rather quickly in order to complete the route by dark.
November 30 2013: Windows/Un-named Butte/U Turn
Our family group hiked the Windows Loops in Arches National Park. After the loops, my brother’s family and my dad headed back home, but Kimberly, Kessler, Shaylee, and I stayed in order to do the technical U-Turn Route. Along the way we climbed the un-named mesa for some fine views.
The U Turn Route was a nice little adventure.
November 6 2009: U-Turn, Dragonfly Canyon and Tier Drop
Several of us met at the mouth of Courthouse Wash near Moab at 8 am. After meeting, we split into two groups and the two groups went our separate ways. The group we (Kimberly and I) chose was a combination of old friends/acquaintances and new friends. AJ, Mark, Mark, Rebecca and Justin came. I already knew Justin and AJ from previous trips, but the other ones are new friends.
The first route of the agenda was a route known as U-Turn. It isn’t quite a climbing route and it isn’t quite a canyoneering route, though it is often referred to as either, but was more of a scramble up to the top of an interesting dome followed by a descent of a minor drainage via a few downclimbs and rappels.
We climbed up to and over the top of the domes near Park Avenue (rock formations in Arches National Park) and enjoyed the fine views from the summit. The route down to the north was enjoyable because we got to be close up to and “behind” some of the balanced rock formations and towers that I have always wondered about. We then downclimbed and rappelled the minor drainage to the north and then followed the rock benches back to the trailhead.
After finishing the U-Turn Route everyone was ready for more action. We decided to descend Dragonfly Canyon (also in Arches National Park). Our little group split soon after beginning. Some of our group wanted to do the entire canyon (which requires swimming several pools) while some of the group decided not to get wet (Rebecca was 7 months and quickly became known as the Prego-chick!). The ones who decided to get wet crossed over to the north slot and descended it. Kim and I dropped into the cold water and waded through the long belly-deep pool while the others found a way to chimney above them. After that there was an interesting downclimb and traverse and other downclimb before-----more pools! We swam through the cold pools (but not quite as cold as the pool in the slot) before reaching the top of the first real drop in the canyon. We rappelled this drop and hiked downcanyon to another drop (135 feet?) and rappelled that one too. After that it was just a hike down to Courthouse Wash and then scramble up the rocks and back to the trailhead, all while trying to keep up with the speedy Prego-chick.
Still hungry for more, we headed back down to Park Avenue to try another route known as Tier Drop. Like the U-Turn Route, it also isn’t quite a climbing route and it isn’t quite a canyoneering route, though it is often referred to as either. We climbed up the same crack/gully to the top of the domes near the head of U-Turn. After that there was a dicey downclimb and a couple of rappels down to the bottom of the drainage. We traversed the ledges that looked exposed from above, only to find them to be not so bad at all. We then hiked up the Park Avenue drainage back to the trailhead.
AJ wanted to do another route known as Not Tier Drop, but the rest of us were ready to wind down. By now it was close to sunset as well. We set off to climb up to the hidden “swimming pool” tucked up in the cliffs above. We climbed some easy cliff pitches, checked out a cave after which we saw and photographed a fair sized scorpion. After seeing the scorpion we found the route up to the “Swimming Pool” and checked it out. It was dry, but still quite interesting. We finished just in time for a nice sunset painting the La Sal Mountains.
Misa - May 16, 2016 8:46 am Date Climbed: May 15, 2016
yes, mother
Not my idea, but glad I did it. I am not a big fan of rappelling and this canyon was good for practicing this skills. Nice views...
Liba Kopeckova - May 15, 2016 11:36 pm Date Climbed: May 15, 2016
nice little adventure with my son
nice little adventure with my son - we did it much faster, but my kid did not want to go onto more canyons (Tierdrop and Not Tierdrop), so I will have to safe for another time...
chicagotransplant - Nov 4, 2019 10:07 am Date Climbed: Oct 26, 2019
U-TurnWith Jamie and Katie, bolted anchors for raps 1, 2 and 4. #3 is slung through a hole in a rock on the descender's left side, could be downclimbed on class 4 slab. DO NOT rap off the boulders, nasty deep grooves on these that look terrible and will probably get your rope stuck anyway, please use the anchors. They are there, even if you have to look around them.
Kessler - May 16, 2016 9:26 am Date Climbed: Nov 30, 2015
U-Turn11-28-15
11-30-13
Shaylee - May 16, 2016 9:25 am Date Climbed: Nov 30, 2013
U-Turn11-28-15
11-30-13
Scott - May 16, 2016 9:18 am Date Climbed: Nov 6, 2009
U-TurnNovember 28 2015: U-Turn/Courthouse Wash
Shaylee, Kessler, Kimberly, Jon, Dana, and I did the U Turn (technical canyon) Route in Arches National Park. Much of the route was treacherously icy and we had to do an alternate rappel in one location. It was part climbing, part "sledding" (without the sled), part sliding on ice, and part rappelling.
After completing the U Turn, Kessler, Shaylee, Kimberly, Jon, and I completed the lower Courthouse Wash Hike, hiking from Arches National Park to near the Colorado River. Since we didn't start Courthouse Wash until 2 PM, we had to move rather quickly in order to complete the route by dark.
November 30 2013: Windows/Un-named Butte/U Turn
Our family group hiked the Windows Loops in Arches National Park. After the loops, my brother’s family and my dad headed back home, but Kimberly, Kessler, Shaylee, and I stayed in order to do the technical U-Turn Route. Along the way we climbed the un-named mesa for some fine views.
The U Turn Route was a nice little adventure.
November 6 2009: U-Turn, Dragonfly Canyon and Tier Drop
Several of us met at the mouth of Courthouse Wash near Moab at 8 am. After meeting, we split into two groups and the two groups went our separate ways. The group we (Kimberly and I) chose was a combination of old friends/acquaintances and new friends. AJ, Mark, Mark, Rebecca and Justin came. I already knew Justin and AJ from previous trips, but the other ones are new friends.
The first route of the agenda was a route known as U-Turn. It isn’t quite a climbing route and it isn’t quite a canyoneering route, though it is often referred to as either, but was more of a scramble up to the top of an interesting dome followed by a descent of a minor drainage via a few downclimbs and rappels.
We climbed up to and over the top of the domes near Park Avenue (rock formations in Arches National Park) and enjoyed the fine views from the summit. The route down to the north was enjoyable because we got to be close up to and “behind” some of the balanced rock formations and towers that I have always wondered about. We then downclimbed and rappelled the minor drainage to the north and then followed the rock benches back to the trailhead.
After finishing the U-Turn Route everyone was ready for more action. We decided to descend Dragonfly Canyon (also in Arches National Park). Our little group split soon after beginning. Some of our group wanted to do the entire canyon (which requires swimming several pools) while some of the group decided not to get wet (Rebecca was 7 months and quickly became known as the Prego-chick!). The ones who decided to get wet crossed over to the north slot and descended it. Kim and I dropped into the cold water and waded through the long belly-deep pool while the others found a way to chimney above them. After that there was an interesting downclimb and traverse and other downclimb before-----more pools! We swam through the cold pools (but not quite as cold as the pool in the slot) before reaching the top of the first real drop in the canyon. We rappelled this drop and hiked downcanyon to another drop (135 feet?) and rappelled that one too. After that it was just a hike down to Courthouse Wash and then scramble up the rocks and back to the trailhead, all while trying to keep up with the speedy Prego-chick.
Still hungry for more, we headed back down to Park Avenue to try another route known as Tier Drop. Like the U-Turn Route, it also isn’t quite a climbing route and it isn’t quite a canyoneering route, though it is often referred to as either. We climbed up the same crack/gully to the top of the domes near the head of U-Turn. After that there was a dicey downclimb and a couple of rappels down to the bottom of the drainage. We traversed the ledges that looked exposed from above, only to find them to be not so bad at all. We then hiked up the Park Avenue drainage back to the trailhead.
AJ wanted to do another route known as Not Tier Drop, but the rest of us were ready to wind down. By now it was close to sunset as well. We set off to climb up to the hidden “swimming pool” tucked up in the cliffs above. We climbed some easy cliff pitches, checked out a cave after which we saw and photographed a fair sized scorpion. After seeing the scorpion we found the route up to the “Swimming Pool” and checked it out. It was dry, but still quite interesting. We finished just in time for a nice sunset painting the La Sal Mountains.
Misa - May 16, 2016 8:46 am Date Climbed: May 15, 2016
yes, motherNot my idea, but glad I did it. I am not a big fan of rappelling and this canyon was good for practicing this skills. Nice views...
Liba Kopeckova - May 15, 2016 11:36 pm Date Climbed: May 15, 2016
nice little adventure with my sonnice little adventure with my son - we did it much faster, but my kid did not want to go onto more canyons (Tierdrop and Not Tierdrop), so I will have to safe for another time...