Spry Canyon, Zion National Park

Kip Marshall, creeping down 'The Flute Rappel', near the end in Spry. Photo: Shane Burrows

LOGISTICS
Rating	3B III
Time   Commitment	4 to 7 hours
Longest Rappel	165 feet (50 m)
Access	Short car spot or short hitchhike required
Permit Required?	Yes
Emergency	Zion Wilderness Desk: 435-772-0170 Zion EMERGENCY: 435-772-3322
Special   Difficulties	A fair amount of slabby downclimbing.  Lots of rappels.
EQUIPMENT
Essentials	Helmet, sticky shoes
Cold Water   Protection	Wetsuits useful in all but the hottest weather.
Drinking Water	None available, bring plenty.
DIFFICULTIES
Flash Flood Risk	Low/moderate
Skills Required	Downclimbing, rappelling
Anchors	Some natural anchors, mostly fixed anchors and conspicuous natural anchors.

SEASONAL ADJUSTMENTS

Fall - usually delightful. Wetsuits might be nice if it is chilly out.

Winter - a good choice for winter after an extended dry spell. The upper bowl holds snow and ice, and getting to the first rappel anchor can be blocked by ice.

Spring - like winter, recent snow and ice can make a descent challenging.

Summer - when hot, getting an early start can be essential to an enjoyable day.

Driving

Spry starts where Pine Creek crosses Highway 9 one third of a mile (500 meters) east of the main tunnel. There is poor parking at this spot - park closer to the tunnel at a real parking spot and walk the side of the road to the crossing of Pine Creek. The FIRST canyon coming from the south, east of the Tunnel is NOT Pine Creek - it is Shelf Canyon, and it does not lead anywhere useful. Continue past this to the major canyon that proceeds north with 15 minutes of walking on flat sand. On the map it can be seen that this is Pine Creek, while the creek beside the highway is called Clear Creek.

Spry ends in lower Pine Creek, where the highway crosses the creek on a beautiful masonry bridge and starts climbing toward the tunnel. This is 1/2 mile (800 meters) east of Canyon Junction. Spot a car here.

Malia and Bruce at the Tree with Handy Root.

Approach

The approach to the bowl of upper Spry is shared with Lodge Canyon. From Highway 9, follow social trails north into the bed of Pine Creek. Walk this wide and sandy wash about 15 minutes (1/2 mile, 800 meters) to where the canyon starts to narrow. Exit the bed of the canyon left up a 4th class slickrock watercourse and climb up and a little right several hundred feet to a bench. Follow the bench north then west into a slickrock bowl below the impressive south buttress of Deertrap Mountain. Climb the center of the bowl (4th class), then up and right to the top of the pass. Keep your eyes peeled for faint petroglyphs on a vertical orange wall a couple hundred feet below the pass.

From the top of the pass, looking west, left to right you see: the big peak of the East Temple; then the upper bowl of Spry Canyon; the Twin Brothers; a notch pass next to Twin Brothers; then a ridge leading up to Deertrap Mountain. From the top of the pass, traverse right and slightly down toward the slot pass and to the head of a narrow slot that cuts across the slope below.  Climb into the head of the slot and, pushing through some brush, follow the slot half way to the canyon floor. When the slot gets brushy, exit to the right and descend steep broken slabs to easier terrain. You are now in the upper bowl.

Descend the watercourse between huge, colorful walls. The canyon winds its way through trees and brush, soon arriving at a lovely slickrock bowl. Downclimb to a bolt anchor, then rappel (R1) 165 feet (50m) past a swampy pothole to the ground.

The canyon again winds its way through a delightful forest. A couple of small potholes lead to a mossy area of short drops in the canyon bottom, usually downclimbed. Stay in the watercourse. The second drop is tall, but yields easily to the "elevator" technique – staying back in the corner and using outward pressure to control one's slide. Or rappel off a tree. The last drop into a dark slot requires a rappel off the most solid of the abundant debris. The dark slot may require a little wading.

 After another mellow section, the canyon gets going. Moderate downclimbing is interspersed with about 10 rappels. In one spot, a narrow slot is down-slid elevator-style, then a pool delicately stemmed over. After an interesting rappel, the canyon opens out, then a slabby slope is downclimbed by cutting right. This leads down to a bolt anchor for a 90-foot (27 m) rappel into a black slot. The edge here has been cut up badly by canyoneer's ropes – don't get your rope stuck in one.

Soon after, a block allows rappelling into a hidden pool in a slot. This is not to be missed. Swim the pool, then continue the rappel (total 30 m or 100 feet) down a second drop, off the same anchor.  The rope pull is much easier than it looks. (Var: those wishing to avoid swimming can rappel off a large tree directly to the large sandy area below.)

Toward the end, a diagonal rappel is made to gain the top of a flute, thus avoiding dropping into a skanky pool. Most of the anchors in Spry are bolted - certainly no more bolts are required.

Finally, the canyoneer downclimbs (4th class) a scary-looking, narrow slot (easier with pack off) into a pool (ankle to nose deep, depending) to a 100 foot (30m) rappel to a ledge. The final rap is made by climbing up and left onto a shelf, and rapping off a tree to the top of the talus.

Maria-Isabel Pascual raps down the first flute.

Work your way directly down the watercourse (large blocks) to a big ledge with a 90-foot (27 m) drop, the Lambs Point Tongue layer of Navajo Sandstone. Rappel (the usual) or follow the ledge right to a landslide, then back to the watercourse under the drop. Avoid the copious poison ivy in this area. Descend to Pine Creek. Turn right and walk out Pine Creek to the bridge.

Felicia Bicknell rapping the Lambs Point Tongue, Spry Canyon. Photo: Jim Malette

Author's Experience

I first did Spry in August 2001, after finding a ranger trip report in the Black Book at the backcountry desk (which was in the book by mistake). I have done Spry once or twice or three times a year since. It is a good canyon for European visitors, even in the heat of summer.

not Spry, 12/2/06 - Tom and die-hard friends start out to descend Spry, but get distracted.
Spry Canyon, 5/19/10 - From Italy, over for vacation and to see the American West, Luca, Sara, Silvia and Roberto came for a visit and a quick, easy canyon.

Exterior Links

Trip Reports

Spry Canyon Trip Report, 8/18/07 - Jaxx shares his adventure in Spry Canyon with the Bogley community.
Spry Canyon, 6/26/09 - Bogley member Deeps gives a detailed trip report of Spry Canyon with Tom Jones on Bogleyfest Friday.

Stories

Flash Flood and Rescue, 7/26/10 - Three canyoneers survive a flash flood in Zion National Park as submitted by Kurt Repanshek for the National Parks Traveler

Alternative Descriptions

Spry Canyon, Chris Brennen

• Upper Pine Creek Upper Pine Creek
• Climb out of Pine Creek Climb out of Pine Creek
• Above Pine Creek Above Pine Creek
• The "handy root tree" The "handy root tree"
• Climb towards the pass Climb towards the pass
• Approaching the pass Approaching the pass
• The top of the pass The top of the pass
• First rap in Spry First rap in Spry
• Deciding to get wet Deciding to get wet
• An awkward rap An awkward rap
• The slab part The slab part
• Negotiating a pool Negotiating a pool
• The two-flute rappel The two-flute rappel
• Maria chooses flute #1 Maria chooses flute #1
• Alfons takes flute #2 Alfons takes flute #2
• The mandatory swim The mandatory swim
• The penultimate rappel. The penultimate rappel.
• The last rap The last rap
• Lambs Point Tongue rap Lambs Point Tongue rap
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