Trip report
Notes
You can make this a loop rather than a shuttle (one-way) route by adding about 2 miles of road walking. I recommend a shuttle or hitching a ride because walking through the tunnel is a bit unsafe, though. Plus, people are friendly and I got picked up quickly.
Aug 30, 2017 — This route ascends Deertrap Mountain via the South Buttress, a Class 4+ route that totally doesn't seem feasible, but absolutely works. Follow Upper Pine Creek Canyon for a while until you can see a slab on the left (west) side that brings you to higher ground. Head directly for Deertrap Mountain and ascend the Class 2+ slabs leading to the South Buttress. Once you get to a spot that clearly is a vertical cliff, keep to the left side of the ridge, and a lightly used trail will lead you on easy ground with a ton of exposure up to the saddle. At this point, you'll cross over the saddle and notice a knife edge behind you (what the trail avoided). The rest of the route continues up the right (east) side of Deertrap Mountain and quickly becomes Class 4, progressively getting more dangerous. A series of sandy ledges keeps you moving, with maybe four or five sections of obstacles, all are really fun and the rock feels pretty solid. There really ony seems to be one way, and it is fairly clear where you can't go. Note that the traverse along the east side of Deertrap Mountain goes for a while before you really make any upward progress. The final section takes you through prickly shrubs with some exposure five feet below the mesa's lip. Do a pull-up or whatever it takes to mantle onto the lip and you'll be on the mesa. Deertrap Mountain is a short walk and a quick Class 2 scramble to the north.
Once you take in the views of nearby Mountain of the Sun, Twin Brothers, and the East Temple, head north and pick up the East Mesa Trail. As you'll see from my map, I followed something that was closer to the rim for a while (is Google Maps wrong about the trail, or was there a second trail?) before I went complete off-trail to get to the canyon's head that leads to Many Pools. This Class 2+ canyon leads down in a sand wash. I was a bit concerned it would be overgrown and I'd be covered in scratches, but it's actually a pleasant bushwhack. Many Pools is an interesting section of this canyon where a bunch of potholes are linked in sucession, with a great Zion landscape as a backdrop. Head down the canyon back to the road and head back to your car.