Conditions:Illusions Canyon-20230918202810
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...additional reports
Latest: |
17 Sep 2023 (1 yr, 12 mos ago) |
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| Reported by: | RFontaine (309 reports) | |
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| Quality: | Amazing |
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| Waterflow: | ||
| Wetsuit: | Thin wetsuit |
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| Water temperature: | ||
| Difficulty: | ||
| Time: |  6 hours
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Team: 3 people with experience level Beginner to Advanced
Trip report URL:
Comments: Incredible canyon, never gets old! We used a sneak approach I developed, parking at the very end of the trail at the exit and B-lining it down off the rim at this point: 34.98639, -111.77142 This route is starting to get worn in as I see others have done the same. Cuts out the long shitty bushwack down from the head of the canyon. Pools are full, mostly cleanish. 4/3 wetsuit was fine. We took our time at a leisurely pace. We found and removed a large loop of red webbing at R2 (suit up spot) around a log where there is clearly a bolt on the wall. Please dont do this… keeper is 12.5” above lip and dropping, always bring escape gear just in case… exit is much more over grown then Ive seen it, stay on the rocks in the gully and you will be fine, ignore the side trails leading away from the gully, they are terrible, and give this relatively tame exit a bad reputation. Ive found that for the best Illusions experience, get a late start, (we started at 10:30am, beautiful colors in canyon, no sun exposure on exit! Lovely day out!
All condition reports
| Date | Quality | Waterflow | Wetsuit | Difficulty | Time | Team | Reported by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazing | Deep pools 
| Full wetsuit
| Special challenges |  10 hours
| 7 people Brand new to Expert | Dangel (160 reports),Eljefe62 (63 reports),Calvarez (17 reports),Canyoncowboy (23 reports),Ralex (3 reports) | |
Comment: Easy mode. All keeper potholes were simple swim-outs, filled past the brim. Nevertheless, partner assists were required for pothole escape throughout the canyon. Those of us wearing 5mm+ were grateful to have it, and those with less were chilly through the narrows. Recent monsoons made for a verdant canyon with relatively clean pothole water and comfortable swims. Excellent downclimbs throughout, this is a truly a “can’t-miss” canyon. While I was excited to practice with potshots and hooks, I am unsure if we would have had time for it. Beautiful canyon; not one to be taken lightly, even when full.
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| Great | Deep pools
| Full wetsuit
| Special challenges | 6 hours
| 3 people | AZ Advocate (58 reports) | |
Comment: As Nclegg noted, water level in the final keeper is getting quite low. Missing from his description, is the smell of that final keeper, which, to say the least, is not so good. The rest of the water features are still relatively clean (for this late in the summer, with no rain) and are still quite cold. Very happy to have a 5+mm full wetsuit. Head out now if you want pothole escape practice and can handle treading water in liquid death.... if not, I'd wait for monsoons to finally arrive.
Special challenge is for the keeper.
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| Great | Deep pools
| Full wetsuit
| Normal | 6 hours
| 3 people | Nclegg (439 reports) | |
Comment: We encountered multiple dead birds and a dead baby bear in the keeper pothole (bear was removed so future parties are not forced to swim with it). We drilled out the lower two hook holes as they were blown out. Water level is 4+ feet below the lip.
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| Great | Deep pools
| Full wetsuit
| Normal | 7 hours
| 5 people Intermediate to Advanced | Sstaverman (21 reports) | |
| Great | Deep pools
| Thin wetsuit
| Special challenges |  4 hours
| 10 people | JGM (22 reports) | |
Comment: Great canyon, and by far the best in the area. If this has 2 hrs more in canyon time it would be world class. Smiles galore. We were all able to climb out of the keeper without aid, but it is getting low.
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| Great | Deep pools
| Thin wetsuit
| Normal | 9 hours
| 3 people Beginner to Advanced | Koli Venture (1 reports) | |
Comment: Canyon was great. 3mm wetsuits worked, one of us got pretty cold and had to do some jumping jacks. We stuck our rope on the final rappel and spent an hour trying to unstick it. We decided to exit and return the next day to retrieve the rope. The next day 2 of us rappelled into the canyon at about the mid point and did the second half of the canyon. When we arrived at the stuck rope we were quite surprised to find it stuck the way it was. We reset and rappelled down and this time the pull went smoothly.
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| Great | Deep pools
| Full wetsuit
| Normal | 5 hours
| 3 people Intermediate to Advanced | Nclegg (439 reports) | |
| Great | Deep pools
| Full wetsuit
| Normal | 6 hours
| 4 people Beginner to Advanced | Nclegg (439 reports) | |
Comment: Water level in the final pothole is 8.48" below the lip.
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| Great | Deep pools
| Full wetsuit
| Normal | 6 hours
| 3 people Intermediate to Advanced | Nclegg (439 reports) | |
Comment: Water level in the final pothole is 7.98" below the lip.
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| Amazing | Deep pools
| Thick wetsuit
| Normal | 10 hours
| 4 people | AZ Advocate (58 reports) | |
Comment: An excellent day through the canyon with an unfortunate injury to a party member towards the end which needed an evac. Accident report has more information.
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| Amazing | Deep pools
| Thick wetsuit
| Special challenges | 11 hours
| 3 people Beginner to Intermediate | Hikerdude5 (1 reports) | |
Comment: Very beautiful canyon, Illusions did not disappoint. Must see for Arizona canyoneers. We were very comfortable temperature-wise in 7+7mm farmer john wetsuits. The log jam described in bluu gnome for rap 6 was washed away so we tossed a log down from the top of rap 5. Final pothole is full to a couple inches above the lip.
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| Great | Deep pools
| Full wetsuit
| Normal | 6 hours
| 2 people Advanced | Nclegg (439 reports) | |
Comment: Manageable in a 5/4 but partner was chilly in a 4/3 and thin vest. Keeper pothole is still full. Please be mindful of the locations where rope grooves have developed and take measures to avoid exacerbating them.
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| Great | Deep pools
| Thick wetsuit
| Normal | 7 hours
| 3 people | AZ Advocate (58 reports) | |
Comment: Excellent conditions for late May. Pools are still cold, (relatively) clear, and very cold. Keepers are still easy swimmers. The pool for the last rappel still had water 6-8" above the lip of that keeper.
Old webbing removed and new added where needed.
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| Deep pools
| Full wetsuit
| | 6 hours
| 3 people Intermediate to Advanced | EMoorcroft (451 reports),Triggerfish (66 reports),Dyln cole (82 reports) | ||
Comment: Keepers are full, thick wetsuits encouraged, webbing looked great. Beautiful canyon with a smooth exit, nothing to complain about and everything to enjoy. Thrilling day with fun down climbs and rappels.
Great to avoid rope grooves by increasing pull angles or toggling.
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| Amazing | | Full wetsuit
| | 5 hours
| 4 people | RFontaine (309 reports) | |
Comment: Top of the line! Super fun and asuper pretty! Showing a couple of Utah canyoneers their first time through! Drop in via sneak approach near exit parking for minimal bush. Fall colors in full effect! Potholes super full well above lip. Water cold but comfortable in 5/4 wetsuit with cave suit and wool base layers. Probably last weekend 5/4s will be feasible as temps are dropping fast up there. Sneak exit out is always a breeze!
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