Gwilliam Gazette : Bull Valley Gorge (Bryce Part 3)

About 30 minutes or so from Bryce, is Willis Creek Slot Canyon, which is very popular, easy and short. We went the last time we were at Bryce. It's not even a hike really.......the canyon starts right from the parking area and you walk through about 1/2 mile of a slot canyon with a small stream running in the middle. Very easy and fun little hike.

We had planned on going there with our visitors with us, Shauna and Donny as they'd never been and would love it.

I however, had another plan. Just about 2 miles down the road from Willis Creek, is another slot canyon most don't know exists. 100% more adventurous than Willis Creek, 100% more amazing. 100% less crowded. I read up on it and found many trip reports....all indicated it was definitely much more than just a hike, bordering on difficult. The good thing was none of the reports indicated it was a technical canyon, meaning no rappelling or ropes or any kind of gear is required.

There are about 10-12 "dryfalls" with the tallest being 10-12 feet, but they are passable to anyone with a little dexterity, and there were numerous "obstacles" to go over and under we found out. (A "dry fall" is a waterfall, but without the water.....)

Another interesting thing about this gorge, is a truck that fell off the bridge going across the gorge in 1954. The truck got stuck in the rocks at the top. The three men inside died, (and were removed from the wreck) but they couldn't get the truck out, so it's still there today.

I convinced everyone we should try this hike, because it's so incredible and different and hidden. We planned to just try it and see how it is. If we couldn't do it, we'd just go back to Willis Creek and do that one.

To get to Willis Creek and beyond, you have to travel on about a 9 mile dirt road. When we came 3 years ago, there was one part that was extremely sandy and we were in our van. Shelley and Hannah didn't think we could make it up the sandy hill. I gunned the car and we did make it up....barely...and sliding all over the road.

We took Shauna's car, with higher clearance and all wheel drive. We made it easily! There was a Mercedes sedan that didn't make it.......they were axle stuck in the sand, going DOWNHILL, not even going uphill! We stopped and Donny helped them get out.

Anyhow, this hike was AMAZING!!!!! SO glad we did it! It was an adventure, to say the least. We made it though! It's about a mile down and then you turn around and go back up.

We saw 4 other people the whole time we were there. As we passed Willis Creek on the way to Bull Valley, the parking lot was packed!

The photos here do not even come close to what it really looks like. Every corner was amazing.

Here is the Mercedes stuck in the sand...there were 3 other cars stopped and they couldn't figure out what to do. As soon as Donny got there however, he had them unstuck in 10 minutes!

There really isn't a trailhead, just a sign before the road crosses over the gorge. You then walk upstream on the right side of the gorge for about 15 minutes

Hannah's on the way! It was very hot about, the temp thingy in the car said 116, but it was really about 100 but the sand and desert made it hotter

Looking down into the gorge from the bridge. It's about 100-150 feet down to the bottom

How in the world are we supposed to get down in there?

Supposedly, about a 15 minute walk reveals that you can just walk right into the gorge, because it's not a gorge anymore

Hard to believe this deep gorge disappears in a few minutes into the hike.....we'll see

The 15 minute hike was a little sketchy at times, right on the edge of the cliff.....See Shauna and Donny in the background? Don't slip or you will quickly disappear! This is not a hike for little kids!

Yeah....this is the trail....this close to the edge.... We are just about 15 minutes now........Still no sign of a way to get down into the gorge

WHAT???? Very quickly, the gorge becomes this! A dry wash. You can literally just walk right in. Our goal was to make it to the bridge was, where the truck wreck was. It's about 1 mile down the gorge

About 20 steps into the wash, it goes down...and we encountered the first "obstacle" and dry-fall

Shelley is thinking....uh, you want me to go down this?? She kept saying, "remember, whatever we go down we have to come back up!"

On the taller dryfalls, there were logs that were stuck in place to use as a ladder of sorts

Very quickly, the walls were getting taller and taller. It was about 15-20 degrees cooler down there in the shade

Yes, we had to use that log too!

Half way down, the walls were extremely tall.....it was 100% shade.no sun

Shauna showing us how it's done!

There were a few narrow spots too! This hike had it all!

This huge boulder was right in the middle....luckily we were able to squeeze around the side

The walls opened up for a bit and it was much warmer in this section

As the walls started getting closer again, we saw this huge boulder that was stuck...walked right under it

Look how small Hannah is

We came to this huge rock....the right side was a huge dryfall, with no helps to get down. The left was pinned against the wall with another big drop off an no way to get down. We accepted we'd gone as far as we could and started to turn around. I then remembered one report I read that said they went UNDER a big rock to keep going. Could that be this rock?