Buckskin Gulch/Wire Pass

“OK...I don't want to do the entire Buckskin Gulch Trail, but I will be traveling down the Wire Pass Trail to Buckskin Gulch...now...my question is...is it worth hiking up the 5 miles of Buckskin Gulch to the trail head or should I just turn around and head back out the Wire Pass Trail? I can't find any reports about what the first 5 miles of the Buckskin Gulch Trail are like.

Any help?”

“It was worth a shot.”

“the first section of the Paria Canyon hike, due to poor road conditions we couldn't get to wire pass trail head so we started at Buckskin , lots of nice views,but mostly open area you will miss some of the slots though.
check out my pictures”

“Look at Kelseys book; Canyon Hiking Guide to Colorado Plateau. Also http://www.toddshikingguide.com/Hikes/Hikes.htm
last edited: 7/03/08 9:12:34 PM”

“Going in from the Wire Pass trailhead I imagine you would want to go down, not up Buckskin Gulch, and then return the way you came. At least that's what I've always done. The Wire Pass trail follows a sandy wash down to Buckskin, but to experience the slot canyon you really need to go down Buckskin Gulch at least a little bit. If possible that is, and I say that because mid September is the end of the monsoon season, meaning water from thunderstorms may have been flowing through. That can leave a wet muddy bottom you probably won't want to walk down, and also of course you don't want to be in there at all if there's a possibility of a thunderstorm when you're there.”