Backpacking Beautiful Buckskin Gulch at Spectacular Vermilion Cliffs (Day 7)

Welcome back to Aspen’s Tracks, backpacking through Paria Canyon and Buckskin Gulch in the Utah portion of the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness on approach to the Arizona Trail.

Buckskin Gulch: Confluence-Middle Exit

After several hours spent trying to fill water bags and talking with a friendly BLM ranger, as well as a farewell encounter with Philip and Raj, I begin backpacking up Buckskin Gulch. After dragging my pack over the boulder jam – a much more difficult undertaking than yesterday without the pack – I start upcanyon.

It’s an incredible journey that photos tell better than words, heading westbound through the canyon and gazing up at the narrow strips of sky, icing light and rare deeper light penetrations. No quicksand, which can form here at this time of year but has not this year with how dry it has been. There are places where you can reach out and touch both sides of the canyon at once. Yet the logs and debris lodged high up in the canyon continue to tell the story of the harsher side of the water that can flow through here, as opposed to the delicate beauty currently evidenced.

Buckskin Gulch: Middle Exit-Camp

Upon reaching the Buckskin Gulch’s Middle Exit out of the Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness and onto the Paria Plateau, the point where I turned around yesterday, I take the opportunity to briefly climb and get a photo of the canyon from above. Still, it eventually becomes clear that I won’t make it out to Wire Pass today as hoped, so I let my friend Steve know to cache the water and supplies he’s leaving for me at the start of the AZT on his way back from Page and settle in for the night. Looking for an early start to get onto the AZT itself and start heading toward Jacob Lake tomorrow.

Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness Logistics

	Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness
BLM Information	Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness
Weather Forecast	Buckskin Gulch Weather
Trail Surface	Rustic (the river is the trail)
Length (Mi)	45 (Lee’s Ferry to Wire Pass via Buckskin Gulch) 38 (Paria Canyon, Lee’s Ferry to White House) 20 (Wire Pass to White House via Buckskin Gulch) 22, approx. (Buckskin Gulch to White House) 1.8 (Wire Pass to Buckskin Gulch)
Season	Fall-Spring. Brutally hot in summer.
Potential Water Sources	Springs. Unless informed otherwise by a BLM ranger, there is likely no drinkable water in Buckskin Gulch, and the Paria River should be considered undrinkable even when filtered. Know how to recognize desert springs.
Trailheads	Paria Canyon North: White House Paria Canyon South: Lee’s Ferry Buckskin Gulch Middle Exit Buckskin Gulch West Wire Pass
Trailhead Access	Vehicular access to all trailheads
Wilderness	Yes
Possible resupply points	None
Difficulty	Strenuous
Potential campsites	Best near springs. Some higher-water campsites in north, south of Buckskin Gulch-Paria Canyon confluence. Use higher water sites if there is any risk of rain. Few to no campsites in Buckskin Gulch.
Threats	Flash flooding – Extreme hazard here. Know the forecast daily (an inReach or other satellite communicator helps with this). Know how to recognize the signs of a flash flood and how to react. You cannot outrun a flash flood; you must climb above it. This is not possible in Buckskin Gulch – do not enter it if storms are in the forecast during your trip. Heat – wear a cotton shirt so you can soak it. Synthetics aren’t great in the desert. Hyponatremia – “drunk on water.” To avoid, ensure adequate salt & electrolyte intake and ensure you eat as well as drink water. Symptoms are almost identical to dehydration, but drinking more makes it worse. Prevention is by far the best solution. Dehydration Hypothermia in winter, made worse by exposure to cold water Because there is no trail, there are places where boulders must be climbed around or over and at least one spot where your pack must be hauled over a boulder jab. Flash floods change the trail, shifting obstacles around, removing some and adding others. Expect the unexpected.
Permits Required?	Yes. 20 people max per night issued on recreation.gov .
Miscellaneous	Leave No Trace is different in the desert. Know desert principles and carry wag bags.
Cell service?	Nonexistent