JoeB, Mojave Ben, when you all were writing about that crack just north of Peak
6641 on JoeB's pano, were you referring to what looks like a V shaped notch to
the left of Ant Hill? And if so, I was thinking that you couldn't get up there
via a west-east hike from say the pine creek pouroff because of the steepness of
the pinkish slickrock below ant hill.

I'm probably experiencing bad recall, but I thought I read of an account once of
a harrowing south to north traverse of that slickrock a while back, but maybe it
was actually a Ram account of going up and over Ant Hill.

As an aside: directly below the N on Joe's pano is the drainage that Ron Kay
uses enroute to Air Force F-111 Crash Site. His route begins near the Short
Tunnel. So if you're taking his route either coming or going from rt 9 to the
rim you have plenty of opportunity to look over Ant Hill way and ponder how to
get up to that elusive area.

I'm still pondering, but perhaps Ram or others have actually wandered over there
and could clue us in.


- In Zion_National_Park_Hiking@yahoogroups.com, "bodhijoe" <joe@...> wrote:
>
> Great stuff, Mojave Ben! Seems we have been obsessing over the same areas
recently. :) So you have your eye on climbing up that crack just north of Peak
6641? (I think that Ram calls this "Ant Hill.") I hiked up the drainage to the
east of Progeny last fall with my family--"Small Tunnel Canyon"--and it's a
pleasant little hike, just like Upper Pine Creek. There are plenty of climb-out
spots on both sides and I have a photo that hints that your little crack to the
east may be possible. Mostly bare slickrock slabs sloped downward; it looks
doable, but you never know until you're there. The other side of that formation
is very tall and too steep and doesn't look like an option for a non-climber
like myself.
>
> When I was in Small Tunnel Canyon, I scrambled up and out to the west (a bit
north of where Michael climbed out) and made my way into that whole slickrock
area north of Progeny. We were late for a dinner date, so I was denied enough
time to explore more. I remember JeffB writing about scrambling up to Deertrap
from that drainage to the north... ah-ha, search for message 42349 in the
archives.
>
> All good stuff. What's so fun about the east side is that there are so many
different destinations and so many different ways to get there. I've got 6
months before I'm back and I know I'll be going insane during winter wanting to
get back sooner. :) -Joe
>
> --- In Zion_National_Park_Hiking@yahoogroups.com, "mojave_ben" <mojave_ben@>
wrote:
> >
> > Awesome pano, Joe, excellent blue sky and good uniform exposure. Fantastic
job and it certainly is a wonderfully photogenic place, no? Here is my pano,
which is just the south half of yours, from a few feet below the peak (came out
nicer than what I shot on the peak)
> >
> > http://web.media.mit.edu/~geek/pan/progeny_peak_pano_shrunk.jpg
> >
> > Just the other day I was looking at some old photos and recalled my interest
in the drainage/basin to the north, shows up half way between N and E in your
photo. Starts at the "waterfall" into Pine Creek and heads on up toward the
east, looks like you could travel up to the pass between the white tower and the
rest of the white later behind and to the ENE of Progeny. It just looks so
pretty up there!
> >
> > Probably can't get there from Pine Creek canyon; that wall is real steep.
Michael shows a lot of routes on the blog you reference. I was thinking of
going up above Pine Creek on the E side but not sure you can get by the hump of
Progeny without exposure - he shows some of his purple lines but they do not
connect. He does show access from the E side up that next drainage, which I
figured would go, but was thinking about doing a loop.
> >
> > This basin must be similar to that on the W side of Pine Creek - I've been
in the one you describe in your "East Temple Loop" last year and the basin just
to the N of that on the way to Mtn. of the Sun from Bo and Tanya's site. I just
love that country, it is so scenic with the mixed red and white layers all
swirled up together, and fun walking and figuring out all the (easy) breaks and
weaknesses to follow.
> >
> > Funny to be looking at the topo just last night, then see your pic today :)
> >
>