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I had walked past the end of Refrigerator canyon innumerable times in the last 10 years, but had not considered it for adventure, much. Looked like a dropper, not so much like a canyon. But, the spring of 2010 was particularly wet and nasty, and not a lot of canyons were in shape to do, so adventures like this one floated to the top of the list.
Jonathan had done the canyon quite a few years back, and remembered a pool and some long rappels. We found Royce Trappier's bolts from 25 years ago, an avoidable pool, and some nice raps. I placed 4 new bolts to "modernize" the route. While not the most fabulous adventure imaginable, it is a nice, short, dry canyon with excellent views, in the heart of Zion.
While Low-F's main feature is two nice rappels, there is also a bit of sporty downclimbing at the start. Less-confident chimney-downers might want a belay for this part. Some discretion (inobviousness) might be a good idea when leaving the trail, to avoid being followed by ambitious, equipment-less hikers.
The place faces east and south. If you are looking for warmth, head there in the morning. If seeking not-warmth, try the late afternoon. The raps are in the center of the watercourse, so if you can see water flowing from the road or trail, it is probably not a good day to do this canyon. Webbing will need to be replaced regularly, so be sure to bring some.
Approach: From the Grotto shuttle stop, head up the West Rim / Angels Landing Trail to the bridge crossing Refrigerator Canyon. Backtrack a few feet and drop into the watercourse where it can be done with zero impact. Move downcanyon a bit, then gear up. Allow 30 minutes for the approach.
Canyon: the canyon starts with several short, downclimbable drops. Short people and the less confident chimney-downclimbers will want a belay. Packs can be handed down on long leashes or short ropes. After several interesting steps, a two-bolt anchor is found on the left, above a short drop to a pool.
R1: rappel 30 feet (10m) to a pool, which can be avoided with some dexterous climbing to reach the large, flat top of a pillar. It is possible to downclimb this drop, though it is a bit harder and less secure than the chimney sections above. Packs can be zipped across the pool.
R2: from a two-bolt anchor, rappel 140 feet to a small ledge.
R3: from a two-bolt anchor, rappel 190 feet to the ground. The last 100 feet are free.
There is poison ivy in the landing zone, and further downcanyon. The slime at the bottom of the rap is particulary slippery - beware!
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Exeunt: minimize your impact on the exit hike. There are usually plenty of empty water bottles to pick up.
Follow the watercourse down about 10 minutes until it is possible to escape right to flat, somewhat grassy ground. This will involve weaving back and forth to avoid short drops and the worst of the brush. Start to the left.
When a flat, sparsely grassy area appears on canyon right, make your way to it, then follow deer trails south toward the West Rim trail, crossing a gully or two, then pushing through the Fremont Mahonia (ouch!) to reach the pavement. Follow the paved trail back to the Grotto.
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