Conditions:Horsetank Wash-20240802040842
Latest: |
27 Jul 2024 (10 mos ago) |
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| Reported by: | RFontaine (280 reports) | |
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| Quality: | Great |
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| Waterflow: | ||
| Wetsuit: | Thin wetsuit |
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| Water temperature: | ||
| Difficulty: | ||
| Time: |  7 hours
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Team: 7 people with experience level Beginner to Advanced
Trip report URL:
Comments: Super fun route with lots of beautiful deep swimming holes! The pools are all full with clean rainwater and trickling over. Lots of water exposure and Im glad I brought my 3/2 wetsuit to enjoy the pools more! The last rappel has anchor options high and low DCL. The DCR anchor that blew out on the last group must have been new and should never have been used… exit is fun and engaging, none of the climbs are particularly difficult in my opinion. Easy to top rope belay with a micro traxion as we did for our beginner. Definitely a fun and worthwhile route to cool off in the summer after it rains!
All condition reports
| Date | Quality | Waterflow | Wetsuit | Difficulty | Time | Team | Reported by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great | | Thin wetsuit
| | 7 hours
| 7 people Beginner to Advanced | RFontaine (280 reports) | |
Comment: Super fun route with lots of beautiful deep swimming holes! The pools are all full with clean rainwater and trickling over. Lots of water exposure and Im glad I brought my 3/2 wetsuit to enjoy the pools more! The last rappel has anchor options high and low DCL. The DCR anchor that blew out on the last group must have been new and should never have been used… exit is fun and engaging, none of the climbs are particularly difficult in my opinion. Easy to top rope belay with a micro traxion as we did for our beginner. Definitely a fun and worthwhile route to cool off in the summer after it rains!
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| Great | Low 
| Drysuit 
| | 6 hours
| 4 people Advanced | EMoorcroft (451 reports),Nclegg (414 reports) | |
| Good | Deep pools
| Thin wetsuit
| Advanced  |  10 hours
| 2 people Intermediate | Ryandc (8 reports) | |
Comment: Drive in:
You've got approximately half a mile of dirt road with uneven ruts passable by any moderate clearance 2WD (like a Subie). To get to the commonly marked "camp" further south on most of the beta, you want a genuine high-clearance vehicle. 4WD isn't necessary, but there are large rocks and big potholes in the road. The approach: Approach is pretty friendly. Nothing thorny or overgrown. Easy route-finding. There's a weirdly abandoned camp at 34.49572 -111.49904; had an old fixed-frame Jansport backpacking pack, a foam mattress, a 2-person tent, camp stove. Off the beaten path for a liaison or drug use, but also a really strange spot to set up camp. Be curious to hear the back story if anyone knows it. What we brought: A 100 foot rope, an 85 foot rope, and 120 foot pull cord. I had a 3mm wetsuit and my partner had a 4/5. We brought some climbing pro but didn't use it. The descent: Little bit of everything, and the beta is kind of a moving target. There are definitely more than 5 anchors set up for the descent (and we added one as well). Some of these would benefit more from a handline than a rappel - there is one where the anchor is on a boulder pinch about 3 feet below the canyon level that caused my only bloody injury of the day. In any case, use your judgment on these - there are two "mandatory" rappels (the 50 and the 80), and everything else is handline-able or downclimb-able. The 20 foot rappel that's indicated as the last rap was not anchored; we chose to downclimb it instead. All anchors were boulder pinches or wrapped trees with single 8mm rapides (most of which were hardware-store zinc-plated stuff. If you're the kind of person that insists on wrap-3-pull-2-with-a-rated-quicklink, you're going to want to bring lots of webbing and links, as everything in there right now is single loops tied with water knots. If you're used to the ethos of "never jump," get that out of your head. There are a couple mandatory jumps - one about 6 feet, the others 3-4 onto rocks or into water. Lots of swimming to be had here, most in relatively chilly pools. It's short swims (I didn't have gloves or neoprene socks and I was fine), but they are chilly. Some of the water is completely opaque, some is surprisingly clear. Not sure why, but it's an interesting contrast. If you're uncomfortable downclimbing or jumping, you'll need to get used to it before hitting this one up. Or just take the Cortez approach and commit yourself to it by giving this canyon a whirl, I guess. Otherwise, the descent is relatively unremarkable. It's a mixed bag, but every downclimb has a way of offering protection if you want it and know how to tie some webbing. If you're taking less experienced folks - bring a fifty-foot length of webbing and tie some loops every 3 feet and use it as a handline. Partner catches are also an option in some terrain. The ascent / exit: This is where this canyon earns every bit of its R rating. I missed the exit up to Sandtrack by about 500 feet and had to backtrack a bit, so keep a close eye to the right as you approach the confluence, as the exit is somewhat brushy at canyon floor. It's worth noting that there was one unavoidable pool before the fourth indicated climb here. Choose when to take off your wetsuit accordingly; we bailed on ours after we we started ascending Sandtrack, but if you're prone to cold water chills, you might want to leave it on. There are 5 indicated climbs in the beta as it's currently presented. The 20 climb is easy-peasy, doable by this reluctant climber with a pack on. The crack climb is also fun; I did a pack haul on this one, but I probably didn't need to. The 60' dryfall indicated looks particularly menacing. As you traverse up the dirt trail to the right, look for the ledge with trees that are at least a foot or two out (the first ledge's trees just disappears, and the third/last ledge is workable, but you'll have a spicier downclimb than you want). Once you've gotten past the dryfall, descend fast. I stayed higher up for a bit and had to navigate more of a downclimb on crumbly dirt than I'd like. And now, for the last two climbs! Unlike the slabby crack climbs previous to this, these are genuine rock climbs. And while 5.1/5.3 may not sound like much, it's a different story in hiking boots wearing wet cargo pants after you've just gone swimming in frigid water. The 4th climb, (rated 5.1 in the beta), oddly enough, gave me the most trouble; you can start this either from the pool or, if you look, there's a ledge on the right upcanyon you can use to cut off most of it (but you may want somebody to coach you through it). The "crux" is a move through and under an outcropping that proved to be a bit challenging with a pack on. There's no place to sit and rest here, either, as you work your way up. If you're bringing weak climbers, consider having a handline or doing a pack haul on this one. We did not use harnesses or protection on this pitch, though you certainly could if you felt so inclined. The last climb (the 5.3) was, IMO, easier than the previous 5.1. There's a few places with some very fragrant plants that make great holds, and the crux move rewards people with stronger legs moreso than agility. Did this one with pack on. After that, it's just a matter of exiting. If you look at the contour lines on the common map for this, the exit goes right up the wash back to camp. If you want an easier walk, stay on the ridgeline to the west/right and you'll be on relatively smooth grass. Thoughts for anyone tackling this: - Bake in extra time - Bring a handline or a short rope. Honestly, we could have left the other rope in the car, though our small group philosophy is "everyone always has a rope in their pack." 2 100 feet + pull cord is more than enough, but 100 rope + pull cord + handline is probably better. - There is a lot of swimming. It's broken up, but it's there. If you're cold-averse, make note of it. - The climbs out are genuine climbs, not overinflated "It's Class 3, but we are labeling it Class 5 to keep people from getting hurt" kinda things you see in more highly-trafficked areas. There are various ways to solve these/mitigate these - including using protection, having a strong climber throw down a handline, and doing pack hauls. The 4th climb, particularly, despite the low rating is very airy and terminates in a deep pool. Would I do this one again? It's an interesting athletic challenge, to be sure. It's well into the realm of Type II fun (per my Garmin, I burned 3800 calories and sweated 5L on this trip - I suspect it's actually less than that, but it's nonetheless intense). Aesthetically, eh... it's not particularly majestic.
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| Amazing | Deep pools
| Rain jacket
| | 8 hours
| 4 people Intermediate to Advanced | RFontaine (280 reports) | |
Comment: A fantastic canyon! Fun, engaging, and absolutely beautiful! This canyon has many large swimming pools throughout, lots of down climbing and of course the up climbs on the exit! Some of the pools have woodchip debris in them but over all were mostly clean. We were mostly comfy without wetsuits, maybe a bit on the chilly side in a few of the pools but worth it to not bring suits in my opinion. The exit is one of my all time favorites, the climbs are easy and fun! We cut down on the approach/exit by taking the 4x4 road in that intersects the 2. 8hrs at a very leisurely pace!
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| Great | Low
| Thin wetsuit
| Normal | 6 hours
| 6 people | Nclegg (414 reports) | |
Comment: Low flow, and fairly clear water in most the pools. Weather was overcast with some very brief, light rain showers. Not quite comfortable in a 4/3, but manageable. New log jams and flood debris throughout the canyon (including large tree trunks in the narrows below the first rappel). Replaced webbing at the anchor for the 70' rappel.
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| Great | Deep pools
| Thin wetsuit
| Normal | 6 hours
| 2 people Advanced to Intermediate | MRickerd (37 reports) | |
Comment: Camped at the end of FR road the night prior and after completing the canyon - A full-size truck can make it, though road is a bit tight - Several large pools to swim across, water felt great with the wetsuits - very green and lush in the canyon - all short rappels, with one long rappel that is beautiful - first time encountering other canyoneers out in the wild, NClegg and Coalemus showed us up as they were blazing through the canyon with efficiency, no wetsuits and downclimbing rappels - It was great to meet them - the exit is the tricky part, competent 5.10a climber but got off gps track and ended up scaling some exposed ledges - definitely more 'private' feeling canyon than others we have done, which was nice - The view a short walk from camp was spectacular as well, definitely an enjoyable place to camp.
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| Ok | Deep pools
| None 
| |  4 hours
| 2 people | Coalemus (160 reports),Nclegg (414 reports) | |
Comment: Water levels are low but still numerous deep pools and swims. Water temperature seemed to vary significantly between some pools, but we were never uncomfortably cold without wetsuits. Lots of dead things encountered in canyon and a few pools had a thin coat of algae. 30min approach, 2.5h in canyon, 1h exit. 4.5h car-to-car moving at a swift pace.
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| Great | Deep pools
| Rain jacket
| | 9 hours
| 4 people Beginner to Advanced | RFontaine (280 reports) | |
Comment: Such an awesome route! Lots of fun and very cool narrows with interesting rock throughout. LOTS of deep swimming pools! Way more swimming than we expected! Most pools were long and deep but seemed fresh and clean. None of us wore wetsuits, a few of us wore rain jackets. Some of the pools were cold but definitely bearable. Many had plenty of sun exposure. The 2 big raps were very nice, especially the 70' which was mostly free hanging and very picturesque!
The exit was a breeze and we all rather enjoyed it! Very engaging. We had no issues and stayed in the wash the whole time except to avoid the one wall as beta suggests. Very straight forward. The exit climbs we found to be quite easy, even for some that weren't "experienced climbers", no belays needed. The exit was very pretty and a lot of fun, definitely my all time favorite exit! We noticed an alternate forest road access trail which would shorten the approach/exit, cutting out the final forest hill climb dictated in the original map. After finishing the original canyon route, we scouted this new route and found it to be viable for a stock high clearance 4x4. KML Map and beta have been updated!
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| Amazing | Deep pools
| Rain jacket
| Special challenges | 9 hours
| 4 people Intermediate to Advanced | Jawx0420 (44 reports) | |
Comment: We were finally able to check this route off our list! The area is now open and can be accessed via high clearance vehicle or by walking from the highway. The route didn't appear to have been trafficked for awhile. Webbing was replaced before the big rap and old webbing was packed out. All other anchors were in good shape. We opted to not bring the wetsuits. It was bearable but I would take one next time. There are several deep pools / swimmers throughout the canyon and the water was cold. The exit was spicy and fun. All group members are competent rock climbers and were able to manage without any belay / hand lines. We definitely got off track towards the end of the exit. It is deceiving and can be very dangerous depending on what route you take. Overall this is an awesome canyon that has a little bit of everything.
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| Great | | None
| Special challenges | 9 hours
| 4 people Advanced | EMoorcroft (451 reports) | |
Comment: Great conditions. Jumps, slides, swims, and downclimbs. Utilized a body belay for a drop that may have been between r4 and r5. All pot holes are full. Anchors looked good placed an anchor towards the end (r5) off a pinch RDC. Exit is challenging as mentioned but didn't require any special gear. Caught the route with a trickle of flow and it was fantastic. Camped at end of road near exit.
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| Great | Deep pools
| Full wetsuit
| Normal | 9 hours
| 4 people Advanced | Canderson (21 reports) | |
Comment: A late season run of Horsetank Wash. The canyon retains deep pools year around so full 5mm wetsuits were worn and completely necessary this trip. We managed to irritate a couple danger noodles with our presence and were glad to have been given proper warning from one. Three anchors were replaced. A very fun and rewarding canyon.
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| Great | Deep pools
| None
| Normal | 9 hours
| 4 people Intermediate to Advanced | Coalemus (160 reports) | |
Comment: did it with 2 raps & one body-belay for some members of the group. downclimbed a couple of drops. webbing at the big drop was totally blasted out, must have been a decent flood since anyone went through last.
plenty of swims and the water was chilly. wetsuits would have been nice, though it's an open canyon so plenty of sun and we were happy not to carry wet neoprene on the long exit. water was fresh, clean and a beautiful emerald green in many places. first upclimb on exit is pretty easy. the second is definitely a bit spicy, nice to have a strong (or at least brave) climber in the party. i got the impression that you could skip this last climb if you just left the canyon at the bypass of the big 60' dryfall though. great canyon!
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| Great | Deep pools
| None
| Normal | 10 hours
| 2 people Beginner to Advanced | Erek (206 reports) | |
Comment: Many swimmers, but not cold enough to have to wear wetsuit. All potholes full, no issues, swim out. Few tough downclimbs in canyon. Exit is crux of canyon, two very exposed and challenging climbs out. Must have someone in group comfortable with exposed climbing without protection up to 40'.
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| Great | Low
| None
| Normal | 7 hours
| 2 people Advanced to Intermediate | Rocknbob33 (10 reports) | |
Comment: Water is flowing conditions were excellent it was so much fun
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| Deep pools
| Thin wetsuit
| | | CanyonCollective.com (83 reports) | |||
Comment: Most recent conditions reported at CanyonCollective.com, see Trip Report for full details.
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