Canyoneering Devil's Kitchen

[vatrachos]

Hey everyone,

I recently moved to the East from Utah. Before moving, one of my biggest hobbies was exploring the slot canyons of Southern Utah. I miss it!

Anyway, a few of my friends and I want to try to descend Devil's Kitchen 'canyoneering style.' What I mean by this is that we would like to start at the top, and go down the gorge strictly in the watercourse, and traverse all the waterfalls and other obstacles we encounter using our problem-solving skills. Of course we will do this the right way, taking great caution and with safety in mind, and we will be using a full array canyoneering skills and technical gear (ropes, harnesses, descenders, prussiks, helmets, wetsuits (if needed), etc). We plan to apply our "leave no trace" outdoor ethics, using natural and/or fully retrievable anchors. Our goal is to use this descent to practice and refine our canyoneering skills in preparation for some of the highly technical canyons we will be doing out West later this summer. Our group will consist of highly experienced hikers and rock/ice climbers. Also I am certified to guide to lead adult groups and boy scouts through the canyons in the West (although I understand that there are some different obstacles that we will encounter here).

My purpose in posting here is to get some advice before we try this from people on this forum. First off, is this a crazy idea? Is it possible? Can it be made safe with proper gear and experience? Has anyone here done this same thing before?

Also, where would be the best places to drop in and exit? Are there any issues with private property in the area that we should be aware of? Any help on this would be awesome.

Thanks!

[TobiasTicetonyk]

This will be just one of your many obstacles. I have hiked through the entire clove, including Black Chasm and Hell's Hole in the same day. It is possible on foot, and I'd imagine that with the right belaying(?) equipment, you should be able to go down the waterfalls if the water is low. I'll give you a more detailed description if you want, but time is short and it'll have to be on a later date.

Maybe check this out: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=514&sid=5571161a54a ... 3c3bf39e42

I have an offensive amount of photographs of other waterfalls in devil's kitchen that I have not posted here. I'll do it... eventually.

One of the many waterfalls: The Ghost / Greene Falls

[mike]

One of the big differences between Utah and the Catskills is moisture. The rocks in Utah are fairly grippy. Not so in the Catskills. We have an unusual amount of algae, moss, lichen, and slime that covers our rocks. Some of it is slick as ice. A rock may look very grippy, but might be very slippery. We get an unusual amount of deaths due to falls in these regions. Over the past 200-300 years there have probably been several hundred deaths just in the Devil's Kitchen.

You also have to be very careful when approaching the rim. Quite a few people have slipped and slide off the rim. Happen to experienced people too.

Some of the water courses have ground away at the rock, and the rock is very slippery. Additionally, the humidity from the water can float quite a ways from the stream and coat rocks. The rocks may look very dry, but are slippery. You also have to watch out for rocky areas. You can step on what looks like dirt, and fall in and snap off your leg.

The rock in the Catskills is not very good. So, be careful where you climb. It does break off easily.

I don't want to rain on your parade or discourage you from going. But, when you start, be a little paranoid and conservative. I have seen some very experienced hikers killed or injured. If you get injured, they will call in a helicopter to extract you. Even if you just break your ankle. Helicopter rides run about 10k. Once you learn the terrain, then you can feel more comfortable. There are Timber Rattlesnakes around the Devil's Kitchen. People don't see them too often. But, beware that they exist there. Getting tagged by one is expensive. The anti-venom doesn't work very well. Take 20-40 vials of anti-venom to counteract the venom at $3500/vial.

There are other places to climb also. You might want to check out Buttermilk Falls (549' with 7 drops). There is also Wildcat Ravine; Viola Ravine; Hillyer Ravine; Lucas Kill Falls. There are tons of other places that very few people know about. Let me know if you want to know about them.

Lucas Kill Falls is fairly close to Devil's Kitchen. More difficult then Devil's Kitchen. There are also places on the eastern escarpment that are very steep.

If you have questions, just let us know. Make sure you have a safe trip and have fun.

[mtnclimber]

You might want to hike the Devil's Path. It has some steep climbs and descents. The south access to Kaaterskill High Peak has some good climbs to the top.

I agree. You have to be very careful around waterfalls. Very slippery. But, if they use ropes and harness, they should be okay. It's just different, and you need to learn the dangerous places.

Lucas Kill Falls might be a good descent too!

Should be fun!