NEON CANYON

Neon Canyon  has become a holy grail of canyoneering.  With the publication of images of the rap descent through the bridge of the dryfall about 1km up Neon (known as the Golden Cathedral) in such magazines as National Geographic Explorer, people from all over the world are coming to Escalante to do this route.  In just a year, a trail up to the rim has become obvious, and multitudes of hardware (bolts, slings, webbing left hanging down from the rim, etc.) have desecrated this pristine and incredibly beautiful canyon.  Nonetheless, it is still one of the neatest canyoneering hikes I have done.  The complete loop down fence canyon, up Neon (to a point above the Cathedral where you can rap in easily), through the slot and down the tunnels, and back up fence (usually in the hot hot hot) takes around 8-10 hours.  Many people backpack to the base of Neon for overnights and explore both the whole of it as well as other nearby technical gems.

The technical section is straightforward.  There is a keeper pothole at the end of the slot just above the Cathedral that one person would have serious difficulty getting out of if the water level is low.  One time we had to arrange a shoulder stand assisted exit.   A long sling is needed for the tunnel rap if using a 50m rope.  If you re-rig this, please take out the old junk.  We once encountered 6 slings in various stages of decay.  Ugly. 

Since the slot is not especially narrow and difficult to squeeze gear through, I always carry a tripod down through here.  While much of the canyon is open, it is best to photograph the Cathedral when it is in total shade.   Photography here benefits from having an ultrawide lens (20mm or less, for a 35mm camera).  A normal lens or weak telephoto is good for images of people rapping down through the bridges, or swimming the potholes above.  The canyon gets its name from it iridescent walls (really, they are awesome), and it's worth hiking down to see these and the Cathedral even if you are not into the technical stuff.    

Refs.  Ref.  Kelsey,  Canyon " Hiking Guide to the Colorado Plateau,"  Kelsey Publishing, 1999.   Get a good topo and route description from the BLM visitor center in Escalante.  The fence canyon route is pretty obvious, but there are many tracks and you can get dead-ended.

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 beta (information), and get properly prepared before entering any slot canyon.