Asay Slot Canyon

HaydukeUpdate

– part of the Hayduke Reference –

map_buttonAsay Slot (pronounced as in AC/DC) is a cool side canyon in the Upper Paria drainage. The lower portion is easily accessible and just off the Paria. Backpackers visiting the area can drop their packs and explore the short and shallow slot and then be back to the river within about 20 minutes.

The primary challenge associated with this slot is… knowing where to find it! Asay Canyon enters the Paria from the west about 3/4 mile north of Lone Rock or about 1.25 miles south of the junction of the Paria and Sheep Creek. The entrance to the scenic canyon is hidden by a bunch of cottonwood trees:

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When all else fails… N37.4041,W-112.0318.

After possibly fighting through a bit of brush, one continues right up the sandy stream. Watch for some super soft spots of quasi-quicksand.

Within just about 5 minutes the walls start to close in:

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Just a little farther up, the walls have a nice sculpted appearance:

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Less than 1/4 mile up the canyon, the slot unceremoniously ends in a very tight crack pierced by a single bit of light about 15′ above.

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Guidebook author Kelsey says it’s possible for climbers to scale up this obstacle and access the upper canyon, but it’s easier just to retrace one’s progress through the slot and then use the bypass on the northern side around the obstacle. I’ve personally never visited the upper canyon, but evidently after several miles of uninteresting canyon it slots up again into another short, scenic canyon.

Video Segment: 

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High-res Gallery:

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