Baptist Draw

Baptist Draw is a fantastic slot canyon adventure that makes for a great introduction to canyoning in the swell. Fairly straightforward natural and bolted anchors and a mid-canyon cutoff route can customize this canyon to your groups liking.

From the shuttle/start coordinates, follow the fairly well defined footpath as it drops off the plateau on which you parked. Once you have descended, follow the trail as it cuts west to avoid dropping into the the first small canyon/depression. The trail will hug the dirt/cliff band before cutting sharply east towards a prominent dirt spire. The trail wraps around the east side of the dirt spire before dropping into Baptist Draw. Once in the canyon, follow the canyon down and east where it quickly narrows into slots.

Once in the canyon, follow the slots (no smaller than shoulder width) until you get to a slung chokstone. Intermediate canyoneers should have no problem chimneying down this first obstable (~10') and then navigate past a potentially wet obstacle. This pool can be bypassed if you're not feeling like getting wet. Continue to navigate through slots and more open areas until you get to a ~20' drop. Look up and left to find existing webbing or a large rock outcrop which can be slung for a solid anchor. The drop is trickier than it looks from above and downclimbing is not recommended. After this obstacle continue to where Baptist Draw intersects chutes canyon, looking for a 3 bolt anchor on the right. This rappel is ~70-84' depending on your source (has anyone measured it?). From the bottom of the rappel, head north, up chutes canyon to escape Baptist draw for a short trip that packs a bunch, or continue south scrambling over boulders and talus until you get to a very large canyon-wide chockstone. Several trees wedged in the canyon provide adequate anchor material for navigating this ~15-20' rappel. The large boulder you are rappelling over is extremely undercut and downclimbing is not advised. Once through this rappel, pack up the harnesses and ropes and make a (very long) beeline to the end of the canyon.

The short exit left up Upper Chute Canyon is recommended as this section of Upper Chute is stunning and has several fun upclimbs and stemming to avoid water. Alternatively, the longer descent down-canyon offers a long hike through a beautiful narrow canyon and then an hour or two of cross country travel to complete the loop. Should you pick this option, the end of chutes canyon is evident from canyon opening up and several canyons intersecting the drainage. Leave chutes canyon and head due west up another canyon, following the cliff band for ~2-3mi until the canyon walls fade to nothing and the canyon opens up into a large wash. From here head due north, navigating up a small cliff band (easy scramble) and across the mesa top. Descend down into the next canyon and follow a watercourse before cutting off to ascend another wash to the road where you started your adventure.