Baptist Draw to Upper Chute Canyon
Southern San Rafael Swell

Rating: III Class 5 EZ
Season: Fall, Winter or Spring. The approach and exit are in full sun; the end of Baptist Draw and all of Chute Canyon are fully shaded.
Length: 6-8 hours.
Equipment: Map and compass. Extra slings, 50m rope, wading shoes, dry bag for your camera. GPS helpful.
Drinking Water: None, bring plenty.
USGS 7.5' Map: Horse Valley. Navigation skills required.
Difficulties: This is a long hike in a seldom visited wilderness canyon. Several short rappels from natural anchors are required. Bring some extra slings, as the anchors are easily damaged by flash floods. Some wading may be required.
Logistics: Route starts and ends at the Cowboy Camp indicated.
Flash Flood Danger: High. This canyon has a large collection area, and the narrows are unrelenting. Do not start this canyon with thunderstorms in the area.

Baptist Draw / Upper Chute is a delightful visit to the fabulous Upper Chute Canyon, with some interesting, intimate narrows in Baptist Draw to get started. A little cross country navigation is required to find the start, but should not give anyone who can read a map any problem (though a map is required). A few short rappels and possibly a wade or two are the only difficulties, and the reward is narrows both big and wide, and small and narrow.

Approach: cut through the reef on the Temple Mountain Road, and drive to the Red Canyon road junction near Family Butte. Take the McKay flat road south 5.3 miles to a small, rough 2WD road on the left. Turn Point: (UTM 12S 0511186E 4283377N). Follow the dirt road 2.7 miles to an even smaller road on the left, just before a short, rocky hill. Take the spur road about .1 miles to a "Cowboy Camp". (UTM 12S 0515049E 4281877N) This area is heavily cowed up and camping here is not recommended. The rough 2WD road could be very difficult when wet.

Getting Started: notice the small catch-dam and stock pond to the north. Walk to the right end of the dam. Continue north into a shallow draw and follow this down. After 5 minutes this joins with a larger draw. Continue downcanyon a few minutes, then cut left up a draw to the left of a prominent red hill with narrow rockbands at the top. Walk about halfway up this draw, then climb the hill on the right to the crest (road) and over the otherside into the Baptist Draw drainage. Follow this canyon down to the main fork of Baptist Draw, marked by a fence down the center.

Baptist Draw starts wide, open and cowed into oblivion, but soon narrows up and becomes rougher. Follow the draw as it becomes more interesting and narrows even more, requiring the canyoneer to turn sideways and crawl under numerous chockstones. Eventually it drops about 30 feet, demanding a rappel off slings around a pinch or a rock bollard. After more delightful narrows, we come to an 80 foot rappel off a pinch into a narrow slot that leads shortly to Chute Canyon.

Upper Chute Canyon is twisty, wide and deep, with a rough, gravelly bottom. Turn right. Very shortly, we hit a pile of giant boulders that require a short rappel (20') off a chockstone on the right. Further down, a section of puddles may require a little wading. Through this section, the canyon walls tower upward in their orange glory.

About two hours after dropping in to the main canyon, the slot opens out where canyons come in on both sides. This is Chute Junction. Turn right and climb a small dune, taking the right-hand cross canyon due west. Follow the bottom of the cross canyon drainage all the way back to the stock pond, with the cowboy camp on the left.

Times: 1hr, 15 mins to first narrows in Baptist Draw. 2hr to first rappel. 2:30 to second rappel and Chute Canyon. 2:40 to 3rd rappel. 4:30 to Chute junction, and 6:00 back to cowboy camp.