Latest:	19 Apr 2024 (11 mos ago)

Reported by:	Korey (55 reports)
Quality:	Great
Waterflow:	Deep pools
Wetsuit:	Full wetsuit
Water temperature:
Difficulty:	Normal
Time:	5 hours

Team: 14 people with experience level Beginner to Advanced

Trip report URL:

Comments: Had a big group party through the Black Hole. Pools were full and cold, the darkest part of the canyon also had a very smelly log jam. A great day in this canyon. One group member slipped near the end and believed they injured their knee. Pain meds were given and after some rest they chose to walk out with some assistance/support. Later x-ray revealed a broken tibia.

All condition reports

Date	Quality	Waterflow	Wetsuit	Difficulty	Time	Team	Reported by
19 Apr 2024	Great	Deep pools	Full wetsuit	Normal	5 hours	14 people Beginner to Advanced	Korey (55 reports)
Comment: Had a big group party through the Black Hole. Pools were full and cold, the darkest part of the canyon also had a very smelly log jam. A great day in this canyon. One group member slipped near the end and believed they injured their knee. Pain meds were given and after some rest they chose to walk out with some assistance/support. Later x-ray revealed a broken tibia.
1 Jan 2024	Good	Very Low	Full wetsuit	Normal	3 hours	8 people	JGM (16 reports)
Comment: Fun with friends
24 Jun 2023	Good	Deep pools	Thin wetsuit	Normal	7 hours	19 people Brand new to Advanced	Tcarlisle (73 reports)
Comment: - CURRENT CONDITIONS Anchors: not applicable Total Time: 7.5 hours Water Level: Looks to be about average. It's apparent that the canyon can hold more water--and from trip reports a few weeks ago it looks like it was holding more, but there are still plenty of pools and swimmers. The log soup that was present in a recent trip report is gone. The long, 100 meter swim is still full of water. Flotation: Many in our group took floaties or PFD. In my full 4/3 wetsuit and a drybag in my backpack I had sufficient buoyancy so, in my opinion, floatation devices are not need needed but your mileage my vary. TRIP REPORT Group of…well it was a lot of us. Mixed skill levels from advanced to absolute beginners. Some in the group had been down the Black Hole many times (this was an annual trip), some were on their first trip through the canyon, and some were on their first canyoneering trip ever. The trip went well, slower moving with a larger group, but smooth sailing all the way through to where the pools dry up and it becomes a hike-a-canyon to the exit. We took a lunch break by one of the last big pools and then continued down canyon. The water was becoming less frequent and the canyon was also opening up and becoming more sunny. Some in the group left their wetsuits on as there was one pool near the exit that was likely to have water (which it did) while others partially or completely removed theirs. At this point one of our canyoneers began experiencing heat exhaustion. They, like all of us, had been in their wetsuit during lunch, but had stripped to the waist for this part of the hike. While heat related illness was one of the ailments first on the suspect list, it took us a while to key in on it as the symtoms, and a lack of other symtoms, initially described didn't signal heat exhaustion but more a lack of energy. We took a long shade break, hydrated and fueled, and then started moving again. Howerver, very quickly, the person started experiencing nausea and chills. We sent some people down canyon to scout out the last pool near the exit and found it was holding water. After soaking the person's clothing with some of our drinking water, to promote evaporative cooling, we made our way to the final pool and had them immerse in the cool water for a period of time to lower their body temperature. Fortunately this, along with more fluids (we had a filter fyi) and electrolytes, stabilized the person to where they were able to hike up the exit on their own power. While the person was a bit drained of energy they reported to be well and no further medical attention was required. Many lessons learned from this experience. Glad the person was ok in the end and that there were many people present to assist and even help with an evacuation if it had come to that.
27 May 2023	Amazing	Deep pools	Full wetsuit	Normal	6 hours	2 people Beginner to Advanced	Triggerfish (52 reports)
Comment: Second trip here. I’d forgotten how amazing it is. I have a hard time choosing nontechnical routes cause I love rappels, but Black Hole is just a blast, and it made a fun contrast to Cheesebox the day before. Carried fresh webbing, but ended up just using the tatty handlines already there. They get the job done. We were both right in Goldilocks zone with about 5mm full body (I wore a 3/3 farmer John). Type 2 fun all the way, including a mildly creepy trash compactor that ends on the right in a rabbit hole exit. 1 liter of water each was barely enough, with air temps peaked in just the 80s.
26 May 2023	Great	Deep pools	Thin wetsuit	Normal	4 hours	3 people	Nclegg (392 reports),Coalemus (160 reports)

24 May 2020	Good	Deep pools	Full wetsuit	Normal	9 hours	12 people Beginner to Advanced	Erek (206 reports)
Comment: Time is combined Horsetank and Black Hole from start car at Horsetank TH to Black Hole end TH. Aka "Horse Hole" route. Water cold. One pot hole difficult to exit, possible to climb out crack RDC.
14 May 2019 Trip report	Amazing						CanditionBot (2096 reports)
Comment: See the full condition report at Candition.com. Submitted by bushlaw.
4 Apr 2019 Trip report	Amazing						CanditionBot (2096 reports)
Comment: See the full condition report at Candition.com. Submitted by adolfo-isassi.
14 Oct 2017 Trip report	Amazing						CanditionBot (2096 reports)
Comment: See the full condition report at Candition.com. Submitted by Jaydubya.
24 May 2017 Trip report	Amazing						CanditionBot (2096 reports)
Comment: See the full condition report at Candition.com. Submitted by austinfarnworth.
24 May 2017 Trip report							Candition.com (287 reports)
Comment: Most recent conditions reported at Candition.com
2 May 2017 Trip report	Amazing						CanditionBot (2096 reports)
Comment: See the full condition report at Candition.com. Submitted by Nathanm4.
20 Aug 2016 Trip report	Great						CanditionBot (2096 reports)
Comment: See the full condition report at Candition.com. Submitted by Mountaineer.
28 May 2016 Trip report	Amazing						CanditionBot (2096 reports)
Comment: See the full condition report at Candition.com. Submitted by Slot_Machine.
30 Sep 2015 Trip report	Great						HikeArizona.com (271 reports)
Comment: Most recent conditions reported at HikeArizona.com, see Trip Report for full details.