Imlay Canyon, Sneak Route, Zion National Park

Lat/Lon: 37.31944°N / 112.9575°W- Click for Satellite Image
Imlay is considered as one of the three most difficult canyoneering routes in Zion
National Park. “Tom’s Utah Canyoneering Guide” states the time necessary to
complete Imlay Canyon at 12-24 hours, but we completed the “Sneak” route in 11
hours car to car including a decent lunch. Although Imlay Canyon is considered a
difficult objective by canyoneerers, it is not overly challenging for a climber who has
some basic canyoneering skills. This was only my 2nd technical canyon experience
and I did not find it overwhelming. The 4B R IV or V rating means it is “potentially
dangerous, physically demanding and technically challenging” (4=Advance
Canyoneering; B=Normally has Water; R=Risky; IV or V=Equivalent Alpine
Rating). The beauty of this canyon is spectacular. Several keeper holes were over
our head offering a few unique challenges.

I took no photos in the canyon as our team was kind of obsessed with speed and
efficiency. Somebody had to be to work by 5:00 pm and you know it was not me. To
mess with dry bags and to get situated with the light, keeping your camera dry,
messing with exposure, etc, takes quite a bit of time in a technical canyon. This
gentleman took some really nice photos of his trip down Imlay.

Route Description(s)

The Sneak Route, 4B R IV The Sneak route starts at an open area
called the crossroads. It takes over an hour of bushwhacking from where you
left the West Rim trail to work your way down to the Crossroads area. From
here Imlay Canyon is divided by another open area (great lunch spot) that
divides the technical section of the route up fairly evenly. There are several
technical “keeper” pot holes that require “mad scientist” like ingenuity to
escape from in both sections. The first is the coldest and most time
consuming section. However, the second section down to the final rap into
“The Narrows” offers the most difficult single pothole escape in my opinion.
Potato Hollow Entrance, 4B R V Most don’t suit up for the first section
of Imlay that is bypassed by the Sneak Route detailed above. You start up at
Lava Point and hike 8km to Potato Hollow to a small pond which feeds Imlay.
Follow the pond outlet too the head of the canyon. This longer route does not
involve the elevation gain of the Sneak Route up from the Zion Canyon floor,
but it adds quite a few raps and makes for a longer trip albeit no more
technical.

Complete Sneak Route Description
From the Grotto trail head area in Zion Canyon, ascend to the West Rim trail like you
are going to Angel’s Landing. Continue along the West Rim trail which is hand paved
believe it or not and cross a small bridge as you descend into Telephone Canyon
Trail. Follow a few cairns as you traverse the canyon. Look for an easy ramp on your
right to get across the deepest chasm. Continue northeast along slick rock into a
heavily treed section (stay left of the south-north canyon floor). Descend to your right
down steep loose ground to the canyon floor. The next few miles involve quite a bit of
bushwhacking. Continue down canyon until you come to a short steep section that
can be bypassed on the left. Continue in the same direction with a steep wall on your
left down this subsidiary canyon that eventually leads to a steep drop off in the
canyon floor. Bypass this obstacle to the right on slick rock and continue towards a
massive sheer wall which rises over the northern flank of Imlay. Descend to the main
Imlay Canyon running southeast. At times you will not see any footprints or evidence
of a trail. This canyon is not overly done. Suit up here.

We utilized hooking (existing holes) twice in the first section as I recall and twice
in the second section as well as one assist (shoulder stand). The rest was pretty
much swimming and rapping. We did not count, but various guidebooks suggest
40+ rappels several of which we used “batman” techniques on cordellete to save on
time. Most rap stations are well fixed. We did one short rap off of a large log in the
2nd narrows.

On a busy summer weekend day, you can hear people hiking “The Narrows” during
your final portion of the 2nd section, about the final 6 raps or so. The last rap is
approximately 140’, mostly free air, down into “The Narrows”. There is some funky
webbing set up to allow you to tie off onto allowing you to swing out to a set of
bomber chains on the wall to set up rappel.

To be honest with you, the 5 miles or so you have to exit “The Narrows” after that last
rappel can be a pain in the ass. I swear there were over 1000 folks wading through
the Narrows the day we exited, yet we were the only party in Imlay. Now I remember
while visiting Zion these past six years, why I have never been tempted to hike “The
Narrows”.

Red Tape
You will need a permit for doing Imlay Canyon. The park limits the number of
canyoneers who can go through the canyon to 12 per day. You can also apply for a
permit that allows you to drive into Zion Canyon itself for an alpine start. Check with
the permit window for more instruction and/or availability for these permits. On a
June weekend day, we had Imlay to ourselves and no one else had applied for a
permit. We parked and started at 5:00am from the Grotto trail head. This early start
allowed us to avoid the intense sun on the hump up the base of Zion Canyon to the
West Rim trail at Angel’s Landing.

You will have to pay a National Park fee to access the park. During tourist season,
you will only be able to access the road by shuttle unless you apply for a special
permit as before mentioned. I always purchase an annual pass to US and Canadian
National Parks. If you are going to make more than four visits per year, I advise this
option.

Zion National Park will have manned kiosks on Highway 9 and you will be required to
pay a US National Park fee ($25 per vehicle for a day/week pass, $80 for an annual
pass-2007) if you drive by them. Backcountry permits are required for all overnight
trips in Zion National Park, including canyoneering bivouacs. The permit fees are
based on group size: 1-2 people: $10, 3-7 people: $15 and 8-12 people: $20.
Reservations are available for many backcountry trips in the park. A reservation does
not guarantee that you will receive a permit. Reasons that a permit will be denied
include high water, flash flood warnings, and wildland fires. Depending upon the
backcountry zone, 40%-60% of the total number of backcountry permits are available
through reservations. The remainder of permits are available as walk-in permits.

My favorite place for dinner in Springdale is the outdoor patio at Oscars. It also
appears to be the local’s favorite. Most of the staff is into climbing as well, so it is a
great place to plan your next climbing day and maybe even pick up a partner. Ask for
Zach (he did Imlay with me). The Mean Bean across from Oscars is one of my
favorite independent coffee houses period. Ask for Joe.

Essential Gear
Although you can filter the pothole water, doing this trip in the heat of summer when
the water has stagnated, will have you filtering out dead mammals and snakes
along with quite a few smaller microbes I imagine. I took 3 liters in late June and had
plenty to spare, but we moved at a very fast pace and accomplished the canyon in 11
hours. You need a dry or 7mm wet suit. I advise the wet suit, but if you are renting
a dry suit, do not rent one with booties built in. Every drop of water that leaks in
(and it does, canyoneering is hard on dry suits) flows to your feet. So these booties
end up holding tons of cold water against your feet the entire trip. Instead, use thick
neoprene socks independently of any dry wear on your feet.

We took a 150’ 9.2mm static rope, a pull cord of the same length and my 30m
dynamic 8mm Beal alpine-glacier rope which is bomber in canyons. It is well treated
and does not pick up extra weight that most dynamics would. Since that last rap was
a single line free air rappel with a biner block, it was nice to rap on the thicker 9.2
static. Neoprene gloves, drybag(s), hammer, 3/8” drill, at least two talons and sky
hooks, pair of aiders, slings, extra webbing for replacement on the stations. You
might want to wear some long pants for the approach, it is kind of a thrash. A
camera is only useful if you bring a tripod and have time to burn. We had another
commitment later that day and I never even took mine out of the dry bag in the
canyon. Without the proper equipment and knowledge, it will be difficult and hardly
worth it to attempt to take photos.

When to Climb
Spring and summer are the best times of the year to do Imlay. In May, the pools are
fuller making it less technical but no doubt colder. In summer there is more hooking
involved. Afternoon thunderstorms are common from mid-July through mid-
September. Storms may produce waterfalls as well as flash floods.

External Links
Zion Canyoneering Coalition (disgruntled hikers, not quite climbers)
Zion Adventure Company Gear Rental
North Fork Virgin River Flow

Notes: Fast and furious. Pretty cool, first real canyon experience. Friends who do it
said I could stop now, but with this heat I suppose I will do quite a few of these. Nice
to be cold again, lets me know I am alive. Unreal the temperature difference from the
surface to deep into the canyon. All the technical sections were fairly easy, caught on
to hooking pretty fast. Quite a few dead animals (fall in and can't get out, why they call
them keeper holes) and such, kind of eerie from that perspective. Great day with
Zach and Jeff. None of us had done it before. We were stoked.