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Page > Upper Kaibito Creek
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Kaibito Creek is lengthy seasonal stream that crosses the largely flat Kaibito Plateau
in north Arizona, just south of Lake Powell. The lower (northern) section flows through a canyon that
is deep but relatively wide, however about 1 kilometre of the upper creek (20 miles from the Lake)
is a slot canyon, extremely dark and narrow in places and very exciting to explore. Half-way along
there is a vertical drop of at least 5 meters as the canyon becomes even darker; ropes and a torch
are needed to progress further. The narrow part of the canyon is itself at the foot of a wider gorge
for most of the way and so it is generally rather gloomy, with little direct sunlight, but still
with many pretty, colorful passages and swirling rock formations. |
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Location: The narrows can be reached by first
driving along a bumpy track that branches north from road AZ 98,
one of the many dirt tracks that cross the Navajo Reservation. The track is generally good but one part
was being gradually covered by soft drifting sand when I went, which may cause problems for some
vehicles if not cleared. The route crosses sandy and rather featureless land with some grazing
cattle and occasional signs of habitation. The creek flows out of sight to the west but becomes as
close as 1/4 miles after 5 miles along the road, at which point there are 2 short sandy side tracks
that converge at a water trough, a focal point for the local livestock - I spent a night there and
saw many horses, cattle, donkeys and even coyotes. The canyon of Upper Kaibito Creek is a short distance
downhill past the trough; here it is sheer-walled, and about 50 feet deep and 40 feet wide. The are no
immediate routes down to the streambed, but after walking downstream for 1 mile along the rim there is
a diagonal cleft in the cliff walls that allows easy access to the sandy canyon floor.
Permit: Officially, a hiking and/or camping permit is needed for all
explorations of Navajo land although this requirement does not seem to be widely enforced. However Kaibito Creek
is now officially 'closed' with no access allowed, because of incidents when
hikers required assistance after accidents in the canyon - the local Navajo people were naturally
unwilling to be involved in frequent rescues.
Description: At the suggested entry point the canyon is wide and sandy for
a little way longer but becomes narrow and rocky as the slot canyon begins - this deepens to about 20
feet at first, with a long straight section, often so narrow that one has to move sideways. In places
the bottom of the canyon is V-shaped; the walls meet at a sharp point, which makes footing difficult
and further hampers progress. Eventually the slot becomes slightly wider but also deeper and darker,
although at one point a recent rock-fall has filled a short section of the canyon with much debris,
and allowed the sun to illuminate the boulder-strewn floor. Generally, the light was not good for
photography in the mid-afternoon when I visited. After less that half a mile there is a sudden 2-stage
vertical drop of 5 meters which was as far as I went. I could just make out the floor beneath by
torchlight; there was no signs of water pools but it was clearly impossible to continue without ropes.
However, it is possible to follow the creek downstream at rim level for a few miles -
one can walk above the narrows for a while (at many places they are narrow enough to jump over), and then
climb up the west rim of the wider upper canyon to the flat lands above. The terrain is very sandy and
barren - the epitome of a desert scene with soft dunes, wind-rippled sand patterns and scattered cacti.
The canyon profile changes markedly before during and after the slot (see diagram).
The end of the narrows can be seen after less than one mile, then the canyon is much deeper with
sheer walls 1,000 feet high at each side. It is more than a little alarming to look down from the rather unstable
sandy ground, such is the precipitousness of the abyss below. Further downstream, the end of
East Fork Canyon is clearly visible - a deep narrow gash in the
cliffs opposite, with a circular pool of water in the canyon floor directly beneath.
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