Fiddle Me This

Fiddle Me This is a pleasant Zion canyon with an easy approach and an exit that follows the East Rim trail. It has three sections of entertaining narrows that will make for a solid day of canyoneering. This canyon does not have bolts or established anchors, hence the ACA technical rating of 4. It is suggested that canyoneers accept the "Ghosting Challenge" using a combination of toggles, sandtraps, and partner assists to descend this canyon safely, though a bit of webbing here and there is no big deal. FMT runs to the north and is shaded most of the day -- good in summer.

Park at the Stave Spring trailhead. Walk a half mile along the Stave Spring trail, then turn right onto the East Rim trail. After another quarter mile, the trail crosses a drainage which deepens to the left of the trail: this is Fiddle Me This. Leave the trail on rocky terrain and descend the wash. The drainage deepens quickly, with two dryfalls appearing in short order. The first is bypassed RDC, the second LDC through vegetation. Soon a sculpted drop appears. This is R1.

R1 - 200ft over two stages. This is by far the longest rappel in the canyon, with all other drops measuring between 20ft and 60ft. Leaving a 200ft rope here to pick up when exiting is an option. Several rappels follow in this section, anchored mostly from trees, logs, or rocks. Eventually the canyon opens out to a well-vegetated wash, from which escape is possible to the East Rim trail RDC and upward. After a bit the canyon turns sharply left and enters a second slot section. This section contains a two-stage pothole sequence as its major challenge. The full rappel is about 60ft and lacks a conspicuous toggle-friendly anchor. A sandtrap can be used, and a rock pinch is available to be slung with webbing if needed. In most conditions the second 'keeper' pothole can be escaped by climbing out without too much difficulty, even when the pothole is swimmer. Further along, several short drops are downclimbed with assistance from partners below. Past the second section, the canyon opens to a sun-exposed wash. Escape to the East Rim trail RDC is straightforward from the lower end of the wash, where a third slot section begins. In this section, the major challenge is a steep drop into a tight crack with no conspicuous anchor. The simplest path is to back down to the previous pothole, and escape to a rincon on the left using a partner assist. A couple of drops will return you to the watercourse. The last rappel awaits, 50ft into what is often a deep pool but does not always hold water. A sandtrap may be useful here. Please remove any slings you find in the canyon.