Horse Collar Canyon
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| | Difficulty:3B I (v4a2 I) Raps:2, max ↨175ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle: Vehicle:4WD Rock type:Sandstone | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Best season: | Apr-Jun, Sep-Nov
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38.3965, -108.8179
38.3969, -108.8233
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Introduction[edit]
Horse Collar Canyon has a short access and exit to rappel under a natural bridge (Horse Collar Arch) and into a semi-keeper pothole. Constant views of the Hanging Flume on the other side of the Dolores River add even more novelty.
The trail is well-marked with cairns the whole way.
Approach[edit]
Drive West on R13 Road off CO 141. Turn left at the first three intersections. Park near a cairn along the wide dirt road. (GPS is helpful as this trail is not signed.)
Hike along the trail into the drainage below and down the streamcourse to Horse Collar Arch.
Descent[edit]
R1: 175' from a large pinon pine up the sandstone on Canyon Right for a rappel line into the hole formed by the natural bridge. A large pothole at the bottom of the rappel may be difficult to escape if the water level is too low. Use the same rope to rappel the final 20 ft ledge.
An emergency exit is on Canyon Right, which should merge with the exit trail.
R2: 90' from a rock wedged in the slot, over a small pothole, for a 35' rappel
Exit[edit]
After R2, head south on a well-used trail, which leads back up the hillside on the South side of the canyon. Just after the trail passes under a roof, switchback north up to the right to follow easy gullies over the roof and then up to the next level. This trail will soon rejoin the approach trail. Return to the cars.
Red tape[edit]
Beta sites[edit]
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/horse-collar-arch
https://www.trailforks.com/trails/horsecollar-arch-trail/
The Natural Arch and Bridge Society lists this arch as unnamed.
https://www.naturalarches.org/db/arches/coloUv.htm
Trip reports and media[edit]
2019-04 Likely first descent. Mike Davlantes and Christopher Welsh
2024-06-09 Beta added to ropewiki. Ira Lewis, Andrew Tanasescu, Cassie Taylor, Jim Rickard. Photo credit: Ira, Andrew, Cassie.
Background[edit]
"The Hanging Flume was an open water chute (known as a flume) built over the Dolores River Canyon in Colorado. The Montrose Placer Mining Company built the flume in the 1880s to facilitate gold mining. Some sections of the flume remain attached to the canyon wall, although much of the wood has vanished."
provided from wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanging_Flume
more info with an old photo: https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/hanging-flume-0