Conditions:Echo Canyon (Middle)-Candition20180622 adolfo-isassi
Latest: |
22 Jun 2018 (6 yrs, 11 mos ago) |
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| Reported by: | CanditionBot (2103 reports) | |
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| Quality: | Amazing |
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| Waterflow: | ||
| Wetsuit: | ||
| Water temperature: | ||
| Difficulty: | ||
| Time: |
Trip report URL: http://www.candition.com/canyons/echo
Comments: See the full condition report at Candition.com. Submitted by adolfo-isassi.
All condition reports
| Date | Quality | Waterflow | Wetsuit | Difficulty | Time | Team | Reported by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Very Low 
| Full wetsuit 
| Easy |  7 hours
| 5 people Advanced | Tcarlisle (73 reports) | |
Comment: We did a leisurely run through of Middle Echo. After finishing Middle we hike down canyon to the trail closure and relaxed in the shade and coolness of the canyon before making the trek uo The East Rim trail back to the Stave Springs trailhead. Some in our group were nursing injuries going into this so taking and we had all day to just enjoy be out so we felt no rush to move fast on this one.
Water levels are low. No swimmers but water is up to chest-deep in the pothole section. You will want a wetsuit. All water present in the canyon is dark, discolored and nasty looking though it doesn’t smell bad. It will be crawling with bugs on the surface that will scatter as you go through it. Not the grossest water, but still not very pleasant. Anchors are in good shape, including the brand new bolt that Tom Jones recently put in at the spot where a group had issues and couldn’t find an anchor and had to backtrack.
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| Amazing | Deep pools
| Full wetsuit
| Normal  | 8 hours
| 3 people Advanced | Sqshemet (75 reports),Kirbside (96 reports),Epeairs (70 reports) | |
Comment: Overall a great day in Fiddle Me This + Middle Echo. Time includes car to car of both canyons but excludes the hour+ we spent hanging out at the exit enjoying the shade and the view.
Fiddle is great fun with some good problem solving (including using a found bone as a Fiddlestick). My suggestion is that the first person at a built anchor (cairn, dead man, etc) should destroy it so the rest of the group can enjoy the problems. It seems like a long approach + exit for just Middle Echo so a huge kudos to Tom and crew for finding an interesting upper section to add. I'm not sure why you would run Fiddle without Middle Echo as Echo is a great time and the pay to play at that point is quite low. Multiple pools in the lower sections of Fiddle Me This but the party was fine without wetsuits. We suited up somewhere in the transition between Fiddle and Upper Echo. The group was in 4/3 fullsuits and temperatures were good. We found slung boulders with awkward starts in Upper Echo before hitting the bolts of Lower.
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| Amazing | | None 
| | 8 hours
| 4 people Intermediate to Advanced | RFontaine (270 reports) | |
Comment: This canyon is a true gem. Absolutely gorgeous in sections especially near the end!
We started from Stav Spring TH at 1pm hoping to beat the heat on the exit and combined this route with Fiddle Me This (something I wont be doing again, FMT isnt really a great canyon, see my other trip report) Middle Echo had some water in it but was very low and refreshing! THE KEEPER POTHOLE IS IN PLAY. It is about 9ft deep and normally able to be swam across. I rappelled into it with meat anchor and partner captured the others. I was able to stem up the walls of the pot hole and get just high enough to grab the next anchor with my adjustable tether. However, I am 6’6” and although the rest of my team tried this no one else was able to escape under their own steam, so take caution. (Keeper pothole pictured). The canyon after the keeper continues to get more and more impressive. SAVOR IT! The technical section took us about 3hrs. We hung out for 30 mins as the sun dipped just behind the mountains. Hike out took 2hrs. | |||||||
| Great | Very Low
| Thin wetsuit
| Normal | 7 hours
| 2 people Beginner to Advanced | Triggerfish (60 reports) | |
Comment: Last stretch of trailhead road is gnarly - high-clearance 4x4 recommended. All anchors in good shape, and no pull issues. Some pools stagnant, but not foul.
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| Amazing | Deep pools
| Thin wetsuit
| | 7 hours
| 5 people Advanced | RFontaine (270 reports) | |
Comment: Time is for Fiddle Me This & Middle Echo
Approached via Stav Spring. Fiddle was just okay, we flew through the descent in about 2 hours from TH down-climbed alot of it. No swims, a few spots calf deep at most. No wetsuit needed. We brought sandtraps but didnt need them, we were fairly under-whelmed. The drainage continues down into Middle Echo, shortly after Fiddle ends. Middle Echo was incredible! What a contrast! The beauty in this canyon, especially near the end, in my opinion, is close to Heaps and Imlay caliber. It just gets prettier and prettier the further you go! Makes you forget that there are no big exciting rappels, just a few tiny ones! Quite a few swims, I wore a 4/3 and was plenty warm. I believe we spent around 3-4hrs enjoying this little gem! Hike out back to Stave Springs took 2hrs | |||||||
| Good | Deep pools
| None
| Normal |  11 hours
| 4 people Beginner to Advanced | Coalemus (160 reports) | |
Comment: Time includes a) bailing after the first part because it started raining then going back in because it cleared up soon after and b) napping for 1.5 hours at the bottom to wait for it to cool down. Numerous chest-deep wades, no swimmers and water wasn't ever that cold. We brought thin wetsuits but didn't use them. The water in the semi-keeper was low enough that one of the party was able to jump up and beach whale out. Amazing narrows! Didn't see anyone else the whole day. Anchors were all in good condition.
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| Great | Deep pools
| Thin wetsuit
| Normal | 5 hours
| 2 people Beginner to Advanced | Erek (206 reports) | |
Comment: Two potholes, both accomplished with easy partner assist. Water cold, wetsuit was really necessary. Access only available from top of East Mesa.
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| Great | | | | | CanditionBot (2103 reports) | ||
| Amazing | Deep pools
| Full wetsuit
| Normal |  4 hours
| 2 people Intermediate to Advanced | Zionguy (1 reports) | |
Comment: It had rained the day before so most of the main pools weren’t stagnant. The “keeper” pothole on the third rappel was filled in so that we could walk across. Only one of the swims was full of “log soup.” Definitely needed a full wetsuit and jacket even though it was a warm day
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| Amazing | | | | | CanditionBot (2103 reports) | ||
| Amazing | | | | | CanditionBot (2103 reports) | ||
| Amazing | | | | | CanditionBot (2103 reports) | ||
| Amazing | | | | | CanditionBot (2103 reports) | ||
| Great | | | | | CanditionBot (2103 reports) | ||
| Great | Deep pools
| Full wetsuit
| Special challenges | 9 hours
| 5 people Intermediate to Expert | Danielson (93 reports) | |
Comment: Time reported includes lower echo. Very cold in a 3/4wetsuit with 7mm neo socks. Springdale reported a high of low 70s F that day. The only member of our party who was not cold worn a 7mm wetsuit. We dropped in at the Tom Jones approach which gave us 4 rappels so there must be some technical canyon above that?
Keeper pothole was in effect. Escaped with an underwater boost (special challenge rating). Some stinky potholes. Beautiful fall colors. Anchors appeared in good shape.
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