Sad Cow Disease Canyon in Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument, UT

Canyoneer Sad Cow Disease Canyon Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument, UT

Class 3 3A (90 ft max) 10.2 miles 800 gain 6-8 hrs Out + Back May 2, 2020
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

Sad Cow Disease Canyon GPX Track

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This is a technical canyon. If you are unfamiliar with how to build anchors or the gear required for canyoneering do not attempt this route.

I've wanted to check out Little Death Hollow for a long time, a popular backpacking trail in a remote area of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, but since I'm an avid naysayer of backpacking, I've never quite had a reason to give it a look. Sad Cow Disease Canyon is located within the narrows of Little Death Hollow, and served as a great excuse to see a highlighted section of Little Death Hollow without committing to the entire backpack loop. Flat walks through a seemingly endless wash aren't my cup of tea, so all I'll say about it is that the hike to get down to the Little Death Hollow narrows is that it's long and open and the walls don't start to become interesting for miles after leaving the trailhead. That being said, it's always nice to see flowing water in the desert, and who doesn't enjoy towering cliff faces?

The turn off on the right to leave Little Death Hollow to approach Sad Cow Disease Canyon is easy to miss, so pay attention to each bend as not to miss it. A social trail leads through the vegetation and to a short Class 3 section to get up onto the slickrock. Some wandering and the occasional cairn led us higher along the slickrock terrain and to the head of Sad Cow Disease Canyon. Heading the wrong direction on the approach could result in much harder scrambling. The first rappel was the largest we'd encounter, a gorgeous fluted drop out of the hot sun. Some beautiful narrows and we were at the second rappel, 20 feet into a pool.

We continued through a wider section of canyon with pretty walls and then re-entered the narrows. A somewhat scary downclimb that we belayed each other on using some webbing around a tree brought us into the crux of the narrowness. I need a smaller backpack. A couple more fun down climbs, a gorgeous chamber, and then another section of narrows where both walls were angled diagonally led to us out of Sad Cow Disease Canyon and into Little Death Hollow. We continued down Little Death Hollow's narrows until they ended, enjoying the tall cliffs.

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Starting along the Little Death Hollow Trail.
Starting along the Little Death Hollow Trail.
Image 1 from gallery
Little Death Hollow Trail eventually narrows.
Little Death Hollow Trail eventually narrows.
Little Death Hollow Trail narrows.
Little Death Hollow Trail narrows.
Image 4 from gallery
Image 5 from gallery
Shawn scrambling up the Class 3 exit out of Little Death Hollow and onto the slickrock.
Shawn scrambling up the Class 3 exit out of Little Death Hollow and onto the slickrock.
Navigating the slickrock to get to the head of Sad Cow Disease Canyon.
Navigating the slickrock to get to the head of Sad Cow Disease Canyon.
Looking west toward Little Death Hollow, Sad Cow on the right in this photo.
Looking west toward Little Death Hollow, Sad Cow on the right in this photo.
Continuing along the slickrock.
Continuing along the slickrock.
Entering the head of Sad Cow Disease Canyon.
Entering the head of Sad Cow Disease Canyon.
Looking down the first rappel.
Looking down the first rappel.
Image 12 from gallery
Second rappel.
Second rappel.
Looking back at rap 2. Photo by Shawn of me.
Looking back at rap 2. Photo by Shawn of me.
Image 15 from gallery
Wider section with Sad Cow Disease Canyon.
Wider section with Sad Cow Disease Canyon.
Sad Cow Disease Canyon narrows.
Sad Cow Disease Canyon narrows.
Shawn belayed me as I downclimbed this section.
Shawn belayed me as I downclimbed this section.
Another little obstacle within the narrows.
Another little obstacle within the narrows.
Image 20 from gallery
Image 21 from gallery
A short down climb into this chamber.
A short down climb into this chamber.
Leaving the chamber, great colors.
Leaving the chamber, great colors.
Image 24 from gallery
Image 25 from gallery
Descending into more narrows.
Descending into more narrows.
The final section of narrows is slanted diagonally.
The final section of narrows is slanted diagonally.
Image 28 from gallery
Looking back as we leave Sad Cow Disease Canyon.
Looking back as we leave Sad Cow Disease Canyon.
Back in Little Death Hollow, exploring a little farther into the narrows until LDH opened up. We turned around at that point.
Back in Little Death Hollow, exploring a little farther into the narrows until LDH opened up. We turned around at that point.

Hire me or show me some love!

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!