click here to view a gallery and slideshow of all 51 photos from this hike

Jackass Canyon

On November 19, 2009, I set out with my friend Timmy to do some hikes in the Marble Canyon area. We made it to Jackass Canyon, Cathedral Wash, and a short section of the Spencer Trail at Lees Ferry before calling it a day.

Jackass Canyon is located along the west side of highway 89A, on the way toward Lees Ferry and the North Rim. We parked along the road between mileposts 532 and 533, sneaked by a fence and started to make our way down the drainage. A backcountry permit is required from the Navajo Nation to do this hike – we got one in Cameron on the same day. The hike is about a 5-6 mile round trip to the Colorado River and back.

parked along highway 89A

About halfway down the canyon we encountered this 30-foot drop with a fixed rope in place. There’s reportedly always a rope here. A skilled climber can negotiate the obstacle without the aid of a rope, though I didn’t care to try it.

Look out for the muddy quicksand!

Later we came upon this short drop of only about 10 feet, but didnt want to descend it and could not find a suitable bypass. We ended up turning around here and did not make it the river. Upon further investigation after returning home, I got the impression that there’s a way around this through a sort of narrow cave.

searching for a bypass

a view of the river

click here to view a gallery and slideshow of all 51 photos from this hike