Blushing Bride Canyon and Lower Maidenwater Canyon Loop in North Wash BLM, UT

Hike Blushing Bride Canyon and Lower Maidenwater Canyon Loop North Wash BLM, UT

Class 3 8.7 miles 700 gain 4-6 hrs Loop Oct 25, 2019
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

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Blushing Bride Canyon is a nice non-technical canyon that allows for access to the lower sections of Lower Maidenwater Canyon as a loop. The two combined made for a nice half day excursion. If you have two cars with good clearance and the ability to drive in deep sand, you can cut out over two miles of road walking from the stats I've listed.

We parked at the start of the dirt/sand road and followed it east on foot to the head of Blushing Bride Canyon. A long rappel would drop you into the head, but we didn't bring a rope and instead meandered along the northern rim of the canyon until we found a Class 2+ downclimb onto some pretty slickrock slabs that led down to the canyon floor. From here, a series of Class 3 downclimbs and other fun obstacles led through Blushing Bride Canyon. I recommend bringing some webbing, or at least a buddy for partner assists, to use as a handline in case you need it. The fun narrow sections of Blushing Bridge Canyon ended with a squeeze behind a big boulder that would have proved difficult to descend if not for this little cave slide. Shortly after, the canyon opened up into a brushy wash, and while not prickly, it required a bit of tedious bushwhacking to get through. We took a little detour to see a really cool ampitheater-like feature about halfway through the wash. Eventually, we got to a marshy downclimb into some absolutely foul-looking water within the watercourse. Instead, we backtracked and followed the canyon rim to avoid the marsh, and then dropped back into Blushing Bridge Canyon at the confluence with Lower Maidenwater Canyon. Note that there is also a Class 4 sandstone slab just to the right of the marsh if you want to escape the canyon here.

Once at the confluence of the two canyons, we headed up Lower Maidenwater Canyon, passing lots of gorgeous cliff faces, narrows, and foliage. Toward the end, the canyon got really narrow and had smooth, pretty sandstone walls. There was also a dryfall with a bypass on the right. There was a fork toward the end of Lower Maidenwater Canyon once nearing the road (UT 276), both apparently viable options to escape. We chose the right fork and continued under a man-made drainage tunnel to ascend up to the road, which we then followed back to the car.

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Hiking along a sandy road for a bit to reach the head of Blushing Bride Canyon.
Hiking along a sandy road for a bit to reach the head of Blushing Bride Canyon.
Blushing Bride Canyon's head. We didn't have a rope to rappel, and found a Class 2+ descent option to get below the rim by heading along the left rim.
Blushing Bride Canyon's head. We didn't have a rope to rappel, and found a Class 2+ descent option to get below the rim by heading along the left rim.
Class 2+ descent option.
Class 2+ descent option.
Heading down pretty slabs from the rim to get into the canyon.
Heading down pretty slabs from the rim to get into the canyon.
The start of Blushing Bride Canyon.
The start of Blushing Bride Canyon.
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Fun downclimbs.
Fun downclimbs.
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Narrows of Blushing Bride Canyon end, and we continued into the brushy wash.
Narrows of Blushing Bride Canyon end, and we continued into the brushy wash.
Continuing down the wash, we were able to avoid a fair amount of the foliage by keeping to the sandstone slabs on either side.
Continuing down the wash, we were able to avoid a fair amount of the foliage by keeping to the sandstone slabs on either side.
Side-trip to a pretty amphitheater.
Side-trip to a pretty amphitheater.
Continuing down the wash from the amphitheater side-trip.
Continuing down the wash from the amphitheater side-trip.
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Within the main drainage for a while.
Within the main drainage for a while.
We stayed above the drainage for a bit. Here you'll see us on the wrong side. Keep to the west side of the watercourse.
We stayed above the drainage for a bit. Here you'll see us on the wrong side. Keep to the west side of the watercourse.
A gross-looking pool within the watercourse. Rather than wade through this, we backtracked and got up on the west side of the canyon.
A gross-looking pool within the watercourse. Rather than wade through this, we backtracked and got up on the west side of the canyon.
Along the west side of the canyon after avoiding the gross water section. We continued along the rim and descended into Lower Maidenwater Canyon.
Along the west side of the canyon after avoiding the gross water section. We continued along the rim and descended into Lower Maidenwater Canyon.
We made a right and started up Lower Maidenwater Canyon.
We made a right and started up Lower Maidenwater Canyon.
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Narrows and pretty section of Lower Maidenwater Canyon.
Narrows and pretty section of Lower Maidenwater Canyon.
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Lower Maidenwater Canyon, a pretty section of narrows that looked a bit like The Subway.
Lower Maidenwater Canyon, a pretty section of narrows that looked a bit like The Subway.
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Some minor obstacles within Lower Maidenwater Canyon.
Some minor obstacles within Lower Maidenwater Canyon.
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We avoided a dryfall by ascending this Class 2 scramble. Matt is seen ahead just before reaching the dryfall.
We avoided a dryfall by ascending this Class 2 scramble. Matt is seen ahead just before reaching the dryfall.
At a major junction as we neared the road, we took the right fork (apparently left fork is also viable) and continued up Lower Maidenwater Canyon.
At a major junction as we neared the road, we took the right fork (apparently left fork is also viable) and continued up Lower Maidenwater Canyon.
Through a human-made tunnel. On the opposite side of the tunnel, we ascended up to the road, which is above us in this photo.
Through a human-made tunnel. On the opposite side of the tunnel, we ascended up to the road, which is above us in this photo.
View down into Lower Maidenwater Canyon once we got to the road.
View down into Lower Maidenwater Canyon once we got to the road.

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Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!