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dave4242
26-May-2017, 15:00
hi all,

planning my fall trip anyone do the road/slot canyons in october?

thanks!

Willie
26-May-2017, 20:53
A lot depends on whether you have recent rain and how much. Cool or cold is not the problem, slick clay surface road the last few miles is. You need a 4x4 to get in and out no matter what. If you have camping gear you can stay overnight or a few days if you get much rain. Getting back up the grade when it is wet and slick is nearly impossible so a days wait to dry out a bit helps.
There is a lot to photograph with the Lake Powell overlooks, the hike down to the lake and back up as well as the old trail remnants still sticking out of the sandstone where it was shored up for wagons in the 1800's. Night skies are absolutely stunning and worth the effort.

If possible plan a few days there and in the vicinity - it is worth it.

dave4242
26-May-2017, 20:58
Thanks Willie!

Sanford
2-Jun-2017, 16:19
It's always a crapshoot, but October is about ideal. I spent the first three weeks of Oct 2014 exploring the canyons of the hole in the rock road and it was perfect. Not too hot, not too cold. You should see Capitol Reef,if you're in the area

dave4242
2-Jun-2017, 16:33
Thanks! looking forward to the trip already!
:)

John Layton
5-Jun-2017, 06:48
Did Hole In The Rock years ago (1995?) Late October as I remember. Great stuff....want to go back! Here's a photo from that trip (5x7 FP4 in PMK):
165754

dave4242
4-Jul-2017, 09:23
@john thanks!

xkaes
4-Jul-2017, 09:40
October is the perfect month. The touristas have died down and you can actually find places all to yourself -- without too much trouble. Plus, October is normally a dry month. It can be hot toward the beginning and cold toward the end. I've been to Island in the Sky in November, December, and January and it's been great -- short on people and long on vistas. Snow is unusual but it can happen -- it is a desert afterall. I camped near Sid's Mountain, north of I-70 in the San Rafeal Reef, WAY down a jeep trail, one January. At night it started to rain and turned to snow. At breakfast, there was more than a half a foot on water-soaked rocks. We were able to get out OK -- we were afraid there would be even more snow, and back in those days you could not get any radio reception in the canyons for weather reports -- especially during a storm. It turns out there wasn't much more snow, and the hot rocks melted it all pretty fast. GREAT, GREAT PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES.

166842

dave4242
4-Jul-2017, 09:52
@xkaes Thanks!

gevalia
29-Sep-2017, 10:05
For the last 20 years I have done the Escalante NM area in both April and October. Actually never ran into rain in October but snow in and around Bryce and of course you will hit a little snow on 12 around Lion Mountain. From what I recall, there is usually still water in Zebra slot in October (mid-October that is). The BLM in Escalante is awesome so stop in. Remember to ask about the Golden Cathedral out of Little Egypt and the Cosmic Ashtray. Oh, there's a little restaurant behind the Prospector Inn in Escalante. There's a guy there (I think he's the manager, forgot his name) who does a lot of hiking and he can give you a simple route to the Cosmic Ashtray. He's a wealth of knowledge. I believe he use to work for one of the guide shops in town.

DavidFisk
29-Sep-2017, 18:57
It's always a crapshoot, but October is about ideal. I spent the first three weeks of Oct 2014 exploring the canyons of the hole in the rock road and it was perfect. Not too hot, not too cold. You should see Capitol Reef,if you're in the area
Definitely Capitol Reef. That time of year, you should pretty much have the park to yourself.