Conditions:Shake Tree Canyon-20240310233440

Latest:	5 Mar 2024 (1 yr, 4 mos ago)

Reported by:	HHays (5 reports)
Quality:	Great
Waterflow:	Moderate Low
Wetsuit:	Thin wetsuit
Water temperature:
Difficulty:	Normal
Time:	8 hours

Team: 4 people with experience level Intermediate

Trip report URL:

Comments: The canyon was flowing moderately, pretty cold, nothing deeper than waist deep. 4 people, all in 3 mm full wetsuits with rain gear over and we were all comfortable in spite of the air temp being less than 60 that day. 8 hours car to car at a very leisurely pace. We used a 200' rope and pullcord. no pull issues at all. We got off early on rap 8 and did the downclimb to avoid what looked like could be a tricky pull. The hike out is crazy steep and annoying, but we were able to avoid most bushwhacking. Some of the webbing is getting a little crispy, may need to be changed out soon, some looked brand new. Absolutely worthy canyon!

All condition reports

Date	Quality	Waterflow	Wetsuit	Difficulty	Time	Team	Reported by
5 Mar 2024	Great	Moderate Low	Thin wetsuit	Normal	8 hours	4 people Intermediate	HHays (5 reports)
Comment: The canyon was flowing moderately, pretty cold, nothing deeper than waist deep. 4 people, all in 3 mm full wetsuits with rain gear over and we were all comfortable in spite of the air temp being less than 60 that day. 8 hours car to car at a very leisurely pace. We used a 200' rope and pullcord. no pull issues at all. We got off early on rap 8 and did the downclimb to avoid what looked like could be a tricky pull. The hike out is crazy steep and annoying, but we were able to avoid most bushwhacking. Some of the webbing is getting a little crispy, may need to be changed out soon, some looked brand new. Absolutely worthy canyon!
17 Feb 2024	Amazing	Moderate	Thin wetsuit		7 hours	5 people Beginner to Advanced	RFontaine (289 reports)
Comment: A top notch route for the area, with these conditions!! Air was warm on approach and exit. I wore a 4/3 with cave suit in canyon and was comfy. All anchors good. Flow was perfect!! The big drop feels huge and if rappelling DCR you get dumped on!! 7.5hrs
12 Feb 2024	Great	Moderate	Thick wetsuit	Normal	6 hours	3 people Advanced	EMoorcroft (451 reports)
Comment: 6 hours car to car. 1.5 hour approach. 3 hour canyon. 1.5 hour exit. All anchors looked fine. We did not see the bolts mentioned in past report, but we also weren't looking. Flow was good and really fun. We wore combos of thin wetsuits and vest. one member wore a 7mil and rain jacket and was super comfy. If water is flowing on in the drainages on the approach, you can be certain shaketree will have some flow.
24 Apr 2023	Great	Moderate Low	Thin wetsuit	Normal	8 hours	2 people Beginner to Advanced	24evolution (9 reports)
Comment: Started at Barnhardt TH. Super mellow, gradual approach.2hours exact. Feels like the trail just KEEPS GOING. Straightforward rappels. All webbing good. Water felt amazing with light 4/3 suit. There's brand new bolts along the sandstone wall in-between raps 2&3. Curious who is developing there. CTC 8.5hrs
23 Apr 2023	Ok	Low	None	Normal	10 hours	4 people Brand new to Intermediate	Stber321 (39 reports)
Comment: This canyon is pleasant and has some nice raps, but I was not blown away by it. With 3 snakes and some cool water beetles I'd say wildlife was the highlight of the trip. We didn't need to pull out our wetsuits when we did it in late April.
16 Apr 2023	Great	Moderate Low	Thin wetsuit	Normal	6 hours	4 people	Jec (10 reports)
Comment: Mellow, straightforward descent with light flow throughout. We took the approach from Barnhardt TH. Overshot the entry by 1/4 mile and backtracked in. Water temps were comfortable with light wetsuits. All rappels flowing nicely - mod low based on comparison photos. No challenges, just great scenery. The exit hike was a steep slog, but not nearly as unpleasant as I remembered.
19 Feb 2023	Amazing	Moderate	Full wetsuit	Normal	7 hours	2 people Advanced	Cooper smith (30 reports)
Comment: Great canyon! Some really cool rappels, made spectacular with flowing water. Well worth the drive from flagstaff. Water felt good with about 5mm of neoprene and Merino base layers for both of us. Based on other comments about rope pull issues we used a fiddle stick on the big rap and used a CEM on the rap towards the end that goes around the corner. This was smooth and easy in both cases.
11 Feb 2023 Trip report	Great	Moderate	Thin wetsuit	Normal	9 hours	2 people Beginner to Advanced	Triggerfish (64 reports)
Comment: Perfect slot for a winter day! One of those otherworldly spots it’s difficult to believe is this close to the Valley. Between the water, the big hardwood trees, and unusual plant life, it’s visually interesting. Add a rapid stack of flowing water rappels, and it’s pretty awesome. We struggled with rope pull on the 165. Thought about hauling from the next anchor with a pig rig, but opted to ascend instead. So, up the big falls… where I found nothing more than a minor rope twist. In a couple other spots, we learned to respect the class C, as water found ways to force lengths of neglected rope into cracks in the blocky rock typical here. We did the 4x4 route east enough in a stock Tacoma. Inhike is easy. Outhike kinda evil, starting with relentless crumbly deadwood along the creek, and ending with a short but steep and kinda prickly climb to the parking spot.
5 Feb 2023	Great	Moderate Low	Thin wetsuit	Normal	7 hours	2 people Advanced to Intermediate	Cvancleve (7 reports)
Comment: Beautiful conditions in Shake Tree. Hiked through some light mud and snowmelt that was contributing to the moderate flow. Merino wool base layer with a 4/3, spray jacket, and 3mm neoprene socks was enough to be comfortable.
29 Jan 2023	Amazing	Moderate Low	Thin wetsuit		7 hours	3 people Advanced	RFontaine (289 reports)
Comment: Great canyon! Perfect bit of flow to make for an enjoyable time! This time we approached via Y Bar Trail from Barnhardt TH. Hiking was easy but this trail feels like it takes forever. Having done both approaches/exits, Id say 4x4 approach is definitely quicker but more bushwhacking through creek on exit and probably a more obnoxious(but shorter) scramble up and out. Wore 4/3 wetsuit with wool base layer and rain jacket. Was plenty comfortable. Scramble up exit drainage was easy, lots of large boulders to climb on and soil at the end is firm. Total 7.5hrs Kevin Iosue lost his green beanie on the trail, if anyone finds it, reach out! His mom knitted it for him…
6 Jan 2023	Great	Moderate Low	Full wetsuit	Normal	5 hours	2 people Advanced	Coalemus (160 reports),Nclegg (421 reports)
22 Oct 2022	Ok	Very Low	None	Normal	8 hours	2 people Beginner to Advanced	Erek (206 reports)
Comment: Replaced webbing on R3. Only a few pools with max depth about stomach high. Took time learning and practicing skills.
28 Aug 2022	Ok	Very Low	None	Normal	6 hours	5 people Intermediate to Advanced	Nclegg (421 reports),KpIosue (14 reports)
Comment: Canyon was almost entirely dry, as suspected, but several clean and refreshing pools up to waist depth. Approach and exit hike from Barnhardt TH was exposed and hot this time of year. We all drank about 3 liters of water. Replaced R2 webbing and removed junk webbing from a couple anchors. 1.5h approach, 2.5h descent, 2.5h exit. KML has been revised.
28 May 2022	Good	Deep pools	None	Normal	9 hours	5 people Advanced to Beginner	MRickerd (37 reports)
Comment: Prius to TH parking - approach feels long - kml to easily spot left off of trail and down into canyon - some edges near anchors to keep an eye on - mainly walk-down rappels - a few deep pools felt great in the summer, no wetsuits - We all had a blast, and the third rappel is the best of the bunch.
9 Apr 2022	Good	Low	Thin wetsuit	Normal		6 people	K arc (384 reports)
Comment: Would be good to establish a standard route in and out of the drainage. Ropewiki maps do not appear to offer the best approach once you leave the trail. After the final rappel, we continued downstream a short distance, then exited via an easy trail DCL. We headed directly up slopes to the north to eventually intersect the sneak approach, then west back up to the main trail. This approach is steep, but appears to avoid a lot of brush.

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