Mee Stone King
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| | Difficulty:3A II (v2a1 II) Raps:0-3, max ↨176ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle: Vehicle:High Clearance Rock type:Sandstone | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Best season: | Apr-May, Sep-Feb
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39.1050, -108.8621
39.0966, -108.8429
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Introduction
The upper slot in Mee Canyon is great, but it's short. Tacking on another, even shorter slot in the neighboring tributary helps make the quicker out-and-back more palatable, but it's still a long walk for short technical challenges. To make it a bigger day, hike further downstream in Mee Canyon and add in a 176' free hanging rappel, which commits to an even longer return.
Time listed is approach, descent and return for just Mee Canyon Slot, skipping the 176' rappel below and does not include the 30min side trip to nearby Mee Prince Slot.
Approach
Access Black Ridge Road (39.05497, -108.74505) from N 16 1/2 Rd either from Glade Park to the South or from the North off Rimrock Dr in Colorado National Monument near the Upper Liberty Cap Trailhead.
From the start of Black Ridge Road, drive 1.3 miles northwest to a T-intersection with the Upper Access Road (open Apr15-Aug15) and Lower Access Road (open Aug15-Feb15).
Drive the Upper Access Road directly to the Mee Canyon Trailhead (39.09662, -108.84291).
Hike the Mee Canyon Trail West, which is an old road for this section. Depart the defined trail after one mile at a switchback and use the wash (see map) to hike the remaining 0.9 miles to the start of the Mee Canyon Slot.
In the wash, bypass a 10' dryfall, downclimb a 20' dryfall, and bypass a 20' dryfall Down Canyon Left.
--OR--
Drive the Lower Access Road and park at (39.10731, -108.83927), which has less space for vehicles. Another parking location is available on the left just north of this gate at (39.10833, -108.83952).
Hike West cross country toward these two short slot sections or hike the connector to the south and start at the Mee Canyon Trailhead, but this adds mileage.
Descent
Mee Canyon Slot
DC: 10' under a chockstone
DC: 10'
R1: 40' from a chockstone or log. Some may consider this a more interesting/challenging downclimb.
Two more notable DCs complete the slot.
Poison ivy hiking out of the slot is easy to avoid.
Hike the wash clockwise to an exit near the other tributary (39.11172, -108.85810). An easy slope provides access to the rim.
Mee Prince Slot
DC: 15' in the left of the two washes
R1: 55' from a rock above the dryfall. Some may consider this a more interesting/challenging downclimb.
Exit the slot and regain the rim.
Exit
Hike cross country to the south (if parked at the Mee Canyon Trailhead) and retrace the approach wash, upclimbing or bypassing the obstacles. Retrace the road back to the Trailhead.
Red tape
There are two roads with different sets of access dates to access Mee Canyon Trailhead and the Rattlesnake Arches Trailhead.
The Upper Access Road is open Apr15-Aug15, which provides better access to the Mee Canyon Trailhead.
The Lower Access Road is open Aug15-Feb15.
There is a connector between these two roads closer to the trailheads.
Beta sites
Trip reports and media
2019-09-20 first exploration of the slot
2020-05-16 first exploration of the upper Mee canyon including the 176' dry fall
2025-05-13 Trip to the Mee Canyon Slot and neighboring tributary slot. beta added to ropewiki. kml & photos added. Ira Lewis, Chris Welsh