UPPER CHUTE CANYON FROM LOWER BAPTIST DRAW

Upper Chute is located west of Goblin Valley off the McKay Flats 2WD dirt road.  The whole deal from Lower Baptist down to the end of Upper Chute Canyon involves a car shuttle, and is at least ten miles long.  Total distance is hard to judge because the last two or three hours are spent zig-zagging back and forth while the GPS says the car is still only a mile or two away!  It was the first technical canyon we ever did, and as such it was a mouthful (not technically so much as just long - 13 hours worth).  A year of experience later, I would certainly do it again.  It is an incredible canyon, with very deep narrow sections having vertical walls towering a couple hundred feet up, colorful corners, and enough bouldering, chimneying, and rappel work to excite even the jaded.  There are no long swims, but some wet and/or muddy potholes may have to be traversed in the lower technical section, and above the first rappel.  An alternative single-car trip is to enter from the top by going down Baptist Draw and rappelling into Chute (on one of the more awesome raps to be had).  You can proceed down Chute to a cross canyon and exit right for a moderate hike back up and around to your car.  If you can spot a car or a motorbike at the bottom of Upper Chute near the Lower Chute canyon entrance, its definitely worth it to do the whole thing.  Except for the zig-zag section at the end, the canyon is awesome.  We downclimbed from the McKay bench to the wrong entry canyon (missing Baptist Draw) and got stuck at a 300 foot dryfall.  Fun to see, but climbing back out and around to the proper entry cost us a couple hours.  If you 4WD out to the rim at the end of the dirt track, you'll get a great view of the reef and the Upper Chute system, but you've gone to far.  Don't downclimb here.  The proper entry involves downclimbing north, directly into Baptist Draw, from a point about a quarter mile back.     

References:

A good discussion  and maps for the cross-canyon exit route can be found at http://www.canyoneeringusa.com/utah/swell/baptist.htm

This trek is also discussed in Kelsey, " Canyon Hiking Guide to the Colorado Plateau", Kelsey Publishing, 1999.  

Disclaimer:  The goal of these trip notes is to suggest good photographic locations and what I consider pretty neat hikes.  These paragraphs should not be used as a canyoneering guide!  Seek out good maps and detailed information, and get properly prepared before entering any of these canyons.