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Non-slideshow version of photos below

Images from Buckskin Gulch

When the cars at the Wire Pass Trail head parking lot first came into view, I thought it must have been my mind playing tricks on me.   The quick pace I had started the day with was now resembling a staggering limp.   My feet had hurt with every step for more miles than I could remember.   I guess that’s what I get for hiking 28 miles in a day off the couch.

Buckskin Gulch is a popular slot canyon hike about 40 miles from Page, AZ.   After 1 mile of desert wash hiking you are quickly rewarded with another 13 miles of slot canyon where the canyon is rarely wider than about 15 feet.   Those 13 miles of canyon lead you to the confluence of the Paria River, which is more slot canyon, but go in two different directions.   The upriver Paria takes you to another trail head after 7 miles (White House Trail head), and the downriver Paria will lead you to Lee’s Ferry which would easily be several days of canyon travel on foot.

I had wanted to do a shuttle from Buckskin to White House, but couldn’t be bothered with: planning ahead, or hiking at the pace of others.   This left me in the position of retracing my steps 14 miles back to where I began. I had never walked much farther than 14 miles, so I was curious as to how this would go.   Like some of the other hikers I saw said “the light will be different on the way back”, and although this is true… 28 miles of slot canyon in a day all starts to look the same.

Also of note, I discovered that quicksand exists outside of Lassie reruns.   Near the confluence of Buckskin and the Paria, I stepped into a shallow puddle, much like what you’d see on the beach at low tide to take a photo.   I reached into my pocket to grab my camera and before I could take a photo, the mud was cresting my knees and I was sinking fast.   A quick leap backwards ended the drama, and the puddle of quicksand bubbled with disappointment.

Aside from each step being painful, the hike out was uneventful and my pace grew slower with each mile that passed.

Tips for Buckskin Gulch

1. Be prepared for walking in water.
2. Wear sturdy shoes if you’re going for long haul.   Something like the Asolo Distance would have been much better than the old sneakers I wore.
3. It’s cool in the canyon, so dress in layers.   I particularly enjoyed the OR echo tee I was wearing.
4. Buckskin is a great place for a day hike to go and explore and return the way you came.   Don’t feel obligated to go the whole distance as the scenery doesn’t change all that much.
5. The first boulder jam at mile 5 can be easily skirted on the right over a dirt hill. The second boulder jam (somewhere around mile 10) requires a simple down-climb/butt-slide and then you duck under a boulder to escape.
6. The preferred way to do Buckskin is to descend Buckskin and then go up the Paria to a shuttle. You could leave a bike for the shuttle, but it will be a 16 mile bike ride back to wire pass in addition to about 21 miles of hiking.
7. A tripod would be prudent for shooting photos given the low light levels in the canyon.   But if you’re going a long distance, carrying a tripod probably isn’t an option.

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