Litte Utah Brown Water Dream Introduction
| Rating: 3-C1 III *** Time: 6-8 hours Season: Low: July-Sept Norm: Aug-Sept High: Aug-Sept Number of Raps: 4 plus at least 2 good slides Longest Rap: ~170ft Gear: 2x 200ft rope, 75ft webbing, 4 rapides, 2 ½” baby angle pins, wetsuit, neoprene gloves, technical canyoneering gear Rubber: At least 2mm/3mm. Hazards: Dam release canyon. You must visually verify that that flow is low and manageable before committing to the route. Very slippery canyon, even sticky rubber is no match. Raps in waterfalls, natural anchors, anchors in the watercourse. A good understanding of class C canyoneering technique and good natural anchor skills are required. |
Vehicle: Passenger car Car Shuttle: About 9.5mi Approach: 1/2mi Exit: 1/4mi |
Introduction:
Little Utah Brown Water Dream (“Little Utah Brown”) is a romp of a canyon located just outside of Kings Canyon National Park. It got its name from its turbid dam release water that has a similar color to the water in the finest southern Utah potholes. Fortunately, unlike southern Utah pothole water, that water in Little Utah Brown is flowing and doesn’t stink like a rotting pachyderm!
One of Little Utah Brown’s greatest charms is also one of it’s greatest challenges. It is slippery in there. Like, really really slippery, be careful. The low friction environment also makes for some of the greatest slides around. There are at least two no rope slides in Little Utah Brown that are fast, long and really fun. In addition, many of the rappels yield well to the flip over and rappel/slide on your back technique.
All of the water in Little Utah Brown is dam release. The dam is an old one and release is controlled by hand turned valves at the base of the dam. These valves can be easily seen from the path along the dam. It is important that you check the flow in the canyon before committing and do not commit to the canyon if there have been recent rain or snowstorms or if storms are in the forecast. If it is mid to late summer and the weather is fair, chances are that the dam will only be releasing a minimal amount of water and descent conditions will be good.
Little Utah Brown is pretty straightforward and will probably be a romp for the experienced canyoneer. The canyon is also a great place for canyoneers to hone their class C skills. Don’t let the brown water dream turn you off, Little Utah Brown is a really fun way to spend a summer day.
Full route descriptions with driving directions, canyon play-by-plays and more are available to Sierra Canyons members. Membership to the site is by invitation. Sierra Canyons members can invite new members or from time to time you may request an invitation from the site adminstrators. You may ask members for an invitation on the forums or check the sidebar for invitation requests.
