Latest Rave: A Canyoneering Journal: Mid-March 2001

 

Davis Gulch

 
Time for a little more adventurous outing. We headed down the Hole in the Rock Road to check out Davis Gulch.

Davis is notorious as the last known location of Everett Ruess. The lower part is now awash under Floyd Elgin Dominy Reservoir, but the rest is open for adventure. The middle is often visited by backpackers, but the upper is a very interesting slot.

Driving down Hole in the Rock Road, we pass the historic Dance Hall Rock.
 

Dance Hall Rock. Not such a good dance floor by my taste, but certainly the best in the area...

 

We camped out on the slickrock, just past the head of Davis Gulch.

 

Yet another fine camp in the desert


Morning found us scouting out the top of the Davis Slot, looking for a reasonable way in.

LH, DG

Found an easy place to climb down into the slot, and the fun begins...

Larry Halford working down into Davis Gulch


An interesting slot, Davis requires a lot of strenuous downclimbs, including this one, where you crawl under a boulder.

LH climbing under a boulder in Davis Gulch

After a slight respite, allowing the overwhelmed to exit, Davis really gets going. This is one of the longest unrelenting slots I have seen, with plenty of downclimbing, a few pools to avoid, a bit of wading and generally a lot of strenuous work.

 

LH climbing in Davis Gulch

 

LH, Davis Gulch


 

Yours Truly, Davis Gulch


 

Yours Truly, Davis Gulch


 

Next - Davis Gulch, Part II

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