Tributaries of North Wash - Canyon Four, Sandthrax

Map

Map of the North Wash tributaries.

Sandthrax Canyon Route Description

Sandthrax Canyon, the southernmost of the four North Wash tributaries, takes the deepening and narrowing trend to extremes - the canyon reaches depths of 400 feet but is often just a few inches wide at the base, and because of the extreme conditions is not recommended for general exploration. It tapers so very gradually that descending is only possible by a combination of 'chimneying', 5.11 climbing on unstable sandstone and rope-assisted traversing many yards up. Some parts become temporarily wider and the only way to proceed is to scramble down, cross the open section until this narrows too much, then climb back up to a point where the canyon once again becomes wide enough to continue.

Exploring even a short distance from either end is difficult. Downstream, the canyon emerges from a narrow cleft between two vertical-sided Navajo sandstone domes, an opening which is clearly visible from highway US 95 less than half a mile away (the canyon is on the northeast side of the road, opposite mile 28.5). This crack is wide enough at ground level to enter, and beyond a cave-like passage that may contain several feet of cold muddy water extends for 20 yards or so but eventually this closes in, becoming just a few inches across. Above this channel the rock walls are almost touching, blocking any view of the sky and almost all the light, and also preventing any possibility of climbing above.

The upper part may be reached by scrambling up the sandstone domes on the right side and hiking over slickrock for another half mile. The beginning is marked by several dryfalls, each sheer and a few yards high, after which the canyon bottom is soon out of sight. There are no other ways in or out. This is quite a frightening canyon, and even walking along the rim is somewhat alarming as the smooth rocks slope away steeply to unseen depths.