Bolt Me Daddy Canyon
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| | Raps:7-10, max ↨150ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle: Vehicle:High Clearance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 24 Jan 2026
"The technical section was okay for the area, with a couple of good rappels. However if you are a scrambler like us and enjoy climbing up dry falls, s |
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| Best season: | Autumn to Spring
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35.9880, -114.7540
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Introduction[edit]
An Excellent canyon with flowing warm spring water to rappel through and great views. Signs of mining material along the way.
First of all, why the name? Well, the group has been tired of hearing about how there is a problem with bolts being placed, removed, placed again, removed.... so, Bolt Me Daddy was voted on to the winners caught up in whatever game they are trying to accomplish by adding and removing bolts in the region. There were no bolts when we went to this canyon (keep it that way) and it's easy enough to build/re-build anchorage when you visit this canyon. Leave the canyon anchorage the way it is and rebuild natural anchorage when necessary.
Do not add bolts to this canyon or any canyon in the Lake Mead NRA region. It is illegal and bolts are not needed.
Do not enter this canyon if you do not have the knowledge to entirely inspect and replace anchorage. Do not assume anchorage is prepared to hold any load bearing weight upon your arrival. Bring anchorage replacement material and be prepared to replace all anchorage. This canyon floods and becomes hot. The sunbaked and worn webbing can break. Inspect and Replace all anchorage.
Approach[edit]
The approach is steep and entering the canyon will take a bit of route finding to get into.
Note: I do not know what route the original descenders and/or original beta writers used, but it is possible to approach up this side canyon from Boy Scout (35.9798, -114.7540). After doing several moderate upclimbs and exiting this little slot canyon, work up and right following the obvious scree guly to the ridgeline right. Be careful entering the canyon as there is steep terrain.
Update from January 24, 2026 trip: Approach to the saddle from where descend is slightly less than 3 miles from parking, with plus/minus .50-0.75 miles depending on whether you parked before or after the cable gate. Approach hike is mostly class 2 with short class 3 sections towards the end just before you get to the saddle. Nice scenic views of Hoover Dam.
Descent[edit]
Descend down the drainage and you will encounter a series of rappels up to 150 feet. All of the anchorage is natural. Leave it that way! Bring webbing to replace anchorage and treat the anchorage as Death Valley anchorage. Replace often. You will encounter some downclimbs and encounter a bit of walking to a narrow section where you will drop into narrow corridors and water. This is the best part of the canyon. There is a swimmer with vines and mineralized formations on the wall. You will go through some vegetation and warm springs. Continue through this and encounter a few more raps in flowing warm spring water.
Update from January 24, 2026 trip:
We had multiple ropes and it saved us a lot of time by leap-frogging.
R1: 30 feet. Easier to start by going down a few feet in the chute rather than starting at the lip. Either way is fine.
R2: 80 feet. About 0.2 miles from R1.
R3: 120 feet.
R4: 70 - 90 feet. After coming down the 70-foot section, there is a 10-12 steep section to down climb. It is better to just extend that rappel to cover this section. That small section is almost vertical and some may not find it comfortable to downclimb.
R5: 75 feet
R6: 75-80 feet - Water pool at bottom. First person will very likely get their feet wet up to the ankles or just before knees. 2nd person can be guided to avoid getting wet. 3rd person can setup a meat-anchored guided rappel by going another 15-20 feet down and brace against the canyon wall to be the meat anchor. That worked well for our group.
R7: 25 feet. Water flowing and slippery if you step on algae. About 20 feet after, step over to left (as you rappel and are facing the anchor). Then just down climb another 15 feet with or without rope assist.
Exit[edit]
If you parked at Boyscout parking, exit using the same exit as for Boyscout canyon.
Red tape[edit]
Beta sites[edit]
Trip reports and media[edit]
Background[edit]
Originally named and still known as Steven Chubbs Canyon by the first known complete descent in 2016. Steven Chubbs was a long-time tour guide and hydrographer at the Hoover Dam. He worked there for more than half a century. Check out Page 34 of this magazine to learn more about Chubbs, http://npshistory.com/publications/lake/ah-v59n5-1983.pdf.