Canyoneering Route Description

The Wives (a collection of 7)
3A or 4B depending choice of Canyon
Capitol Reef National Park, Utah.

Quick Facts

09-03-10, 1 people, 1 Day (Travel time in route 7 hours) - Wives 6 and 2
09-05-10, 8 people, 1 Day (Travel time in route 7.5 hours) - Wives 3 and 5
09-06-10, 2 people, 1 Day (Travel time in route 3.3 hours) - Wife 4
10-29-10, 5 people, 1 Day (Travel time in route 7.75 hours) - TOTGA and Wife 1

Rating - All of the Wives including TOTGA are 3A I except for Wife 5.     Wife 5  is 4B I.

Time Required - 3.5 to 8 hours depending on which or how many Wives are done.
Distance for one Wife - about 2.0 miles Total, 0.2 miles Technical
Distance for two Wives - about 3.0 miles Total, 0.4 miles Technical
Distance for three Wives - about 4.0 miles Total, 0.6 miles Technical

Rappels Wife 1 - 3 Rappels, Longest Rappel 60 feet.
Rappels Wife 2 - 3 Rappels, Longest Rappel 100 feet.
Rappels TOTGA - 0 Rappels, Longest Rappel NA feet.  One down climb may require rope for belay.
Rappels Wife 3 - 2 mandatory and 1 optional Rappels, Longest Rappel 200 feet - if webbing is extended.
Rappels Wife 4 - 1 Rappels, Longest Rappel 75 feet.
Rappels Wife 5 - 5 Rappels, Longest Rappel 100 feet.
Rappels Wife 6 - 3 Rappels, Longest Rappel 80 feet.

Elevation Range - 5450 - 6200 Feet
Shuttle Required - No  Vehicle - Passenger Permit Required - Yes

Gear Used for Canyon

Wife 1:
Rappelling and anchor gear, Ropes and or pull cords for rappels up to 60 feet and 60 feet of 1 inch webbing for sling placement.

Wife 2:
Rappelling and anchor gear, Ropes and or pull cords for rappels up to 100 feet and 60 feet of 1 inch webbing for sling placement.  

TOTGA:
The One That Got Away is completely down climbable and requires no rope or rappelling gear.  However it is highly recommended  you bring about 30 feet of webbing or rope to use as a hand line to assist each other with the final down climb.  The last down climb can be done with no assist for tall skilled down climbers.  If anyone in your group is not a skilled down climber, it may be a good idea to have a harness and some rope along to help them over the last down climb.  Due to the difficulty of the final down climb TOTGA gets a rating of 3AI even though it can be down climbed.

Wife 3:
Rappelling and anchor gear, Ropes and or pull cords for rappels up to 200 feet and 65 feet of 1 inch webbing for sling placement.  

Wife 4:
Rappelling and anchor gear, Ropes and or pull cords for rappels up to 75 feet and 30 feet of 1 inch webbing for sling placement.  

Wife 5:
Rappelling and anchor gear, Ropes and or pull cords for rappels up to 100 feet and 60 feet of 1 inch webbing for sling placement.  No wet suits needed in mild to warm weather as the water sections are short and shallow.  

Note: Also something should be brought in the canyon with you that can be left behind as a dead man anchor at rap 4 if there are no other options.  See route description for details.  

Wife 6:
Rappelling and anchor gear, Ropes and or pull cords for rappels up to 80 feet and 55 feet of 1 inch webbing for sling placement.

General Comments

A friend told me about and provided detail about this little collection of canyons.  Her information, gathered from descending these canyons, was detailed and helpful making my journey through these canyons very enjoyable.  

The Wives is a collection of 7 short canyoneering routes, all running roughly parallel to each other.  They all run north to south and drop down into Cohab Canyon along its south side.  These canyons do not show up very well on topo maps, but are easily spotted on Google Earth or other similar satellite imagery.  

A portion of the approach hike will follow the trail through Cohab Canyon.  As the trail runs through Cohab Canyon there will be 6 visible drainages.  Farther along the approach hike, the route traverses along the rim of Cohab Canyon and passes the tops of the drainages you saw down in Cohab.  Along the rim are 6 visible drainages.  Originally The Wives were labeled 1 through 6, since there are 6 visible drainages top and bottom.   

After descending some of the Wives she discovered there are actually 7 drainages.  One of these 7 drainages is not easily seen from the top, while the bottom of another drainage is not seen from the bottom.  Rather than rename The Wives that had already been descended, another name was given to the 7th drainage that lies between Wife 2 and Wife 3.  The name of the 7th drainage is TOTGA which is an acronym for The One That Got Away.  In this case the one that almost got away.

After passing the bottom of the Wives on the Cohab Canyon trail, there will be an additional drainage.  This additional drainage is nick named The Betrothed and is used as part of the approach route.  The approach route leaves the trail at the bottom of The Betrothed and uses a ledge along the east side of The Betrothed to access the southern rim of Cohab Canyon.  From the top of The Betrothed the route traverses along the tops of The Wives along the rim.

The area around the Wives and Cohab Canyon are a great place for hikers to get away and enjoy the desert.  Many people wander off trail, up into the bottoms of and also along the tops of most of these canyons.  Please try to keep things clean by leaving no trash, not destroying rock features and staying off crypto biotic soils while on the approach route.

Anchor placement should be kept in mind when thinking about keeping the area clean as well.  At the tops of the Wives, try to place anchors where they will be out of sight of wandering tourists.  If your anchor choice will draw the attention of someone in the area, please hike back to the top of the canyon after you complete it to retrieve the anchor webbing or think about using a retrievable anchor.  No bolts are needed for any of these canyons and as a reminder it is illegal to place new bolts in Capitol Reef National Park.

The rock in this area is very fragile.  Be careful when choosing anchors for each of the rappels.  Rock that looks solid may break away very easily.  If a dead man anchor is made from fragile rock it may break causing the anchor to fail when weighted.  Some sections may also be hazardous to down climb since the rock is fragile and featured with holes and huecos everywhere.  Remember that wet sand stone becomes even more brittle when wet.  If there have been recent rains the rock may be more fragile for a few weeks.  

The fragile rock creating anchor challenges is not the only thing that can create hazardous conditions in these canyons.  Advanced anchor building may be needed at some of these rappels where little anchor material is present, some of the down climbing is difficult and finding the correct entry for a particular canyon may be difficult.  Groups entering these canyons should be prepared for a variety of challenges should they arise.  

Since these canyons do not show up well on most topo maps, it may be difficult to locate the correct drop in points for each of these canyons.  A GPS can help with this.  Use your head and think while trying to locate the drop in for the canyon you plan to descend.

Time and Layout:
The Wives run roughly parallel to each other and all run south to north dropping down into Cohab Canyon on its south side.  A portion of the approach route runs through Cohab Canyon and passes the bottom exit of each of the Wives along the way.  After descending any of The Wives you will be back on the trail in Cohab Canyon.  To do an additional Wife after descending one, you do not need to hike back out to the trail head.  Since you are back on the approach route after exiting a Wife, you can loop back up to the top of the Wives to descend another.  The Wives are relatively short and doing more than one Wife in a day is a pretty easy (and recommended) task.  This makes it difficult to predict time needed since Wives can be done individually or in any combination one chooses.  

Use the information below to calculate the approximate time needed for the combination of Wives you plan to do.  

The approach from the Cohab Trailhead up to the bottom of The Betrothed should take about 40 minutes.  The exit from any of the Wives back to the Cohab Canyon Trailhead should take about 30 minutes.  No matter what combination of the Wives you choose to do, this 70 minutes (or 1.15 hours) of time will need to be taken for the approach and exit.  

The times stated below for each of the Wives, is the approximate time it should take to hike up to the head of that Wife from the bottom of The Betrothed and descend the canyon back down to the Cohab Canyon Trail.

Wife 1 about 2.75 hours
Wife 2 about 3.5 hours
TOTGA about 2.5 hours
Wife 3 about 3.25 hours
Wife 4 about 2.3 hours
Wife 5 about 2.75 hours
Wife 6 about 2.5 hours  

To determine the approximate time needed for the combination of Wives you plan to do;
Add up the times given for The Wives you plan to do, then add the required 70 minutes (or 1.15 hours) for approach and exit.  This will give the approximate time required for your chosen route.

Example for doing Wife 3 then Wife 5:
3.25 (for Wife 3) + 2.75 (for Wife 5) + 1.15 (for exit and approach) = 7.15
7.15 hours is the approximate time the route should take.  

Recommended Wives:
Each of the Wives are different, so doing each Wife will be a different experience.  Some Wives are fun, some not so fun.  Some Wives go down nice and easy while others are a bit rough and will leave you with scratches and bruises, like Wife 6 which has a very large bush you need to fight through.  Wife 5 is a bit exotic with incredible curvy features, and deserves some attention since you will likely want to enjoy it more than once.  Wife 4 is a real head turner as you catch a glimpse of the head while approaching from the side, with little else to offer further down except a tight slot to navigate shortly before exiting.  Almost as fun as Wife 5 is Wife 3 which has a long flat mid section and a couple of surprise twists near the end.   Wives 3 and 5 make a great combination if you want to do more than one Wife at a time.  Wife 2 is a bit of work to get into when first dropping in but offers very little fun otherwise except for the fun ending of the bottom exit.  

Wife 5 is likely the best of the Wives with Wife 3 making a close second.  If you plan to do any of the Wives, these should be top on your list.  Wife 4 would be third choice.  Wife 2 is not recommended and may only be enjoyable if you are determined to do more than just the best of them.  Wife 6 is not recommended at all since it is short, boring and a lot of work to get beyond the bush growing between the walls in the canyon.  Wife 1 is a short enjoyable canyon with an interesting final rappel.  TOTGA is offers fun chimney style down climbing all the way through and makes a fun adventure with no rappelling.  There are some sections in TOTGA with subway like walls giving an almost cave like feel.  Do remember to bring at least 30 feet of rope or webbing to assist each other with the down climb into the cave in TOTGA.  

The best combination would be to do Wife 3 then Wife 5.  If doing this you can leave the 200 foot rope at the top of Wife 3 and take an 80 foot rope through the rest of the canyon.  Then hike back up to retrieve the rope left at the top of Wife 3 and go do Wife 5.  Doing this keeps you from having to haul the 200 foot rope and a pull cord (in fact with this combination a pull cord is not needed) through Wife 3 and allows you to do the best two Wives of the collection.

Driving Directions

To get to the Trailhead

Start from the turn off of highway 24 to the Capitol Reef Visitor Center.   This is about 9.7 miles north on highway 24 from the town of Torrey, Utah, which is at the junction of highways 12 and 24.  

From the turn off to the Capitol Reef Visitor Center (vCapReefVisit) follow the Scenic Drive road about 1.3 miles southeast to the Cohab Canyon Trailhead.  The trailhead will be on the left with a large easy to read and find sign.  

There is no parking directly at the trailhead.  If you have only 2 or 3 cars you can usually find space to park along the side of the road by the barn structure about 250 feet before reaching the trailhead (pkCohab).  Or you can park at the picnic area about 1100 feet before reaching the trailhead (pkShadyPark).  The advantage with parking at the picnic area is room for more cars and a good shady place to park with a big lawn for setting up lunch after you get back.

To leave the Exit Vehicle / Escape Pod

No exit vehicle is needed.  These canyons are done as loop routes.

Maps

GPS coordinate information listed at the bottom.  For information about waypoint naming and map symbols, refer to the Glossary page.

Click the links for maps of the route. Map of the entire route.

Details

The Approach:

Note:
This description for the approach to The Wives will traverse across the bottom then across the tops of All The Wives.  To follow the route to a specific Wife, follow the route description to its top, then skip down to the technical section for that particular Wife to complete the route.  

Walk over to the Cohab Canyon Trailhead (tCohab) from whatever parking spot you chose.  Start up the Cohab Canyon Trail.  The first 0.3 miles of the trail is up a series of switch backs and gains about 250 feet.  

From the top of the switch backs (wCohabRP-01) the trail turns right (south) and is mostly level for about 0.1 miles to the western end of Cohab Canyon (wCohabRP-02).  

From the western end of Cohab Canyon (wCohabRP-02), the trail turns left (east) and slowly drops in elevation as it travels through Cohab Canyon.  

Follow the Cohab Canyon Trail east through Cohab Canyon for about 0.4 miles to the bottom of a side canyon on the right (south) named here as The Betrothed (wBetrothed-Bt).

Note:
While following the Cohab Canyon Trail east through Cohab Canyon you will get the opportunity to look at the bottom exit of each of the Wives.  All the wives drop down into the Cohab Canyon from the south which will be on your right as you hike over to the bottom of The Betrothed.  

The bottom of Wife 1 (yWife1Bt) will be about 100 feet after entering Cohab Canyon.  

The bottom of Wife 2 (yWife2Bt) is about another 100 feet along the trail but the canyon of Wife 2 is not visible from the Cohab Canyon Trail since Wife 2 drops down into Cohab Canyon with an 80 foot rappel.  There is a large patch of bright green lichen on the canyon wall right next to the exit rap for Wife 2 and makes a good marker for its location as viewed from the trail while in Cohab Canyon.

The bottom of TOTGA (The One That Got Away) (yTOGAbt) is about 300 feet after passing Wife 1.  TOTGA looks tight and cave like as you peer up her from the bottom.

The bottom of Wife 3 (yWife3Bt) is about 225 feet after TOTGA.  Between TOTAGA and Wife 3 is a small crack that looks like it might be fun to try to climb.

The bottom of Wife 4 (yWife4Bt) is about 200 feet after Wife 3.  Near the bottom exit of Wife 4 is a sign telling you about the fragile environment and asking you to stay on the trail.  This sign makes a good landmark for knowing you are at the bottom of Wife 4.

The bottom of Wife 5 (yWife5Bt) is about 430 feet after Wife 4.

The bottom of Wife 6 (yWife6Bt) is about 330 feet after Wife 5.  If you are looking for a nice place to take a break, you can hike about 300 feet up the bottom of Wife 6 to the bottom of the last rappel which is a great place to hang out while having a snack.  

About 525 feet after Wife 6 will be the bottom of a short side canyon labeled here as “The Betrothed” (wBetrothed-Bt).  The left (east) side of The Betrothed is the route up to the top of the Wives.

At the bottom of the Betrothed is where you will leave the Cohab Canyon Trail and begin the off trail route along the top of The Wives.  

View into the bottom of The Betrothed. Yellow line shows route along the ledge on the east side of the Betrothed up to its head.  Lori, Jay and Abby shown as the beta models.

From the trail at the bottom of The Betrothed (wBetrothed-Bt), walk up onto the reddish layer of slick rock on the left (east) side of The Betrothed.  Traverse up canyon along the reddish layer of slick rock and make your way up to a ledge that transfers over to the white layer and leads to the head of The Betrothed.  On the way along the ledge will be a couple spots of boulders to navigate around or over.  The head of The Betrothed is about 350 feet away from the Cohab Canyon Trail.

From the head of the Betrothed (wBetrothed-Tp), continue south up the drainage, climbing up a 5 foot up climb along the way. 

About 175 feet after the head of The Betrothed (wWivesTopRP-01) the climb up the drainage will level off a little and you begin to get views of the now more wide open area.  It will no longer feel like being in a drainage but rather topped out on a large wide open shelf to the right (west) and a small wall still on your left.  When you are at this now wide open area turn right (south west) and start walking up the gentle slope of white sandstone.

View along the shelf that leads over toward Wife 6. This is viewed from approximately wWivesTopRP-02 where you first got to the large red patch in the slick rock. This is one of the creases you will be counting as you walk along the slick rock.  This first crease extends across the red and the white portion of the shelf.

A little more than 200 feet along the white sandstone slope will be a large red patch in the sandstone you are walking on (wWivesTopRP-02).  When you get to the large reddish patch on the slick rock slope, take note of a few creases in the slick rock.

Counting these creases as you cross over them will be used to direct you to the correct location for the top of Wife 6.

From where first got to the reddish patch in the slick rock slope at (wWivesTopRP-02), walk southwest and count the creases you cross over along the way.  The 1st will be about 35 feet away, the 2nd will be another 150 feet, the 3rd is another 20 feet, the 4th another 35 feet, the 5th and 6th creases run toward each other but do not meet and are another 25 feet away and the 7th crease is another 50 feet away.

View of the series of small pot holes leading down to the 7th crease.  The series of potholes is a visual clue to keep on track.  The down climb to Wife 6 is in the background.

Just after the 7th crease in the slick rock will be a series of small potholes running down to meet the 7th crease.  These potholes are a visual clue to let you know you are at the 7th crease noted in this route description.  This visual cue may be helpful if you lose count or followed a modified route up to this point.

After the series of small potholes running down to meet the 7th crease will be the 8th crease about 60 feet beyond the potholes.  This 8th crease will be larger and require you to hop over it (or go higher up to cross over its smaller head).  This larger crease is also a cue to being in the proper spot.  This 8th crease is also the marked as the junction to start over to Wife 6 (jWife6).

Leave Approach Route to go to Wife 6:
To break off from this approach route and continue down to Wife 6, skip down to the description for Wife 6 in the Canyon / Technical section.

To continue on the approach route towards the other Wives, continue southwest along the slick rock.  About 250 feet along the slick rock and crossing a few more creases the route will cliff out (jWife5).  At this cliff out point you will be overlooking a large convoluted system of slick rock drainages below.

View down into the orange slick rock around the top of Wife 5.  The white knob is a good visual marker.

The large system of drainages below are the top of Wife 5 and is all orange slick rock.  In the center of this sea of orange slick rock is a single white slick rock knob that is rounded and ball like at the top.  The crack running north down along the west side of this white knob is the route down to Wife 5.  

This cliff out point (jWife5) where you can look down into the area above Wife 5, is where you can break off to go to Wife 5.  

Leave Approach Route to go to Wife 5
To break off from this approach route and continue down to Wife 5, skip down to the description for Wife 5 in the Canyon / Technical section.

View of the route up to and along the next higher shelf.  Yellow line marks the approximate route over toward Wife 4.  Lori and Abby shown as the beta models.

To continue on the approach route towards the other Wives, walk about 75 feet southeast to find a spot to start scrambling up to the next higher slick rock shelf (wWivesTopRP-03).  

Continue about 330 feet roughly southwest up and along this next higher shelf to a shady alcove that is north facing and offers good shade most of the day for taking a break (wWivesTopRP-04).  On the wall in this alcove is scratched USGS 1951 and 1953.  

Continue west along the slick rock and route find your way around fallen boulders and small drainages.  About 375 feet from the shady alcove the route will cliff out over the upper section of Wife 4 (wWivesTopRP-05).  This spot gives a good view down into Wife 4.  

From where you cliffed out looking down over the upper section of Wife 4 (wWivesTopRP-05), turn left (south) and walk up along the side of the drainage at the upper end of Wife 4.   After about 100 feet, the drainage will get shallow enough to easily cross over it (yWife4Tp).  This is the eastern most of the two drainages that leads down to the top of Wife 4.  This is the top entry for Wife 4 and is where you can break off to descend Wife 4.  

View down into the top entry for Wife 4.  This is down the eastern most of the two drainages at the top of Wife 4.  Penny shown as the beta model.

Leave Approach Route to go to Wife 4
To break off from this approach route and continue down to Wife 4, skip down to the description for Wife 4 in the Canyon / Technical section.

To continue on the approach route towards the other Wives, walk west about 90 feet where you will cross over another small drainage (wWivesTopRP-06).  This small drainage is the western most of the two drainages leading down to the top of Wife 4.  

Continue west and route find your way around rock debris and small drainages.  About 100 feet after crossing the western most drainage to Wife 4, you will be able to break off to descend Wife 3.  Wife 3 is not visible from this approach route.  The head of Wife 3 is about 200 feet north of the route.

View of the walk over to the down climb to Wife 3.  Mike shown as the beta model.

Leave Approach Route to go to Wife 3
To break off from this approach route and continue down to Wife 3, skip down to the description for Wife 3 in the Canyon / Technical section.

"View down to Wife 3, TOTGA and Wife 2.  The yellow line follows along the short canyon described as part of the approach down to the actual head of TOTGA.  As you can see from the picture you could optionally follow the route down to the head of Wife 3 then scramble over to the head of TOTGA.

To continue on the approach route towards the other Wives, walk west about 90 feet where the route will cliff out overlooking a small canyon.  This canyon is a shorter canyon between Wife 3 and Wife 2 and is about 275 feet after leaving the western portion of the head of Wife 4.  This small canyon is also a false head of TOTGA.  If you get to this cliff out and are looking for the drop down to Wife 3 you have went about 90 feet too far.  Turn left (south) and walk along the edge of this small canyon for about 150 feet to its head (jTOTGA).  If you are going to do the TOTGA route you will down climb into this small canyon.

Leave Approach Route to go to TOTGA
To break off from this approach route and continue down to TOTGA, walk over to the head of this small canyon between Wife 2 and Wife 3 then skip down to the description for TOTGA in the Canyon / Technical section.

View of the white butte that divides Wife 1 and Wife 2.

To continue on the approach route towards Wives 1 and 2, continue west about 80 feet beyond the head of the short canyon.  Start looking for a small white butte about 100 feet to the right (north).  This butte is the divide between the start of Wife 2 and the start of Wife 1.

A closer view of the white butte.  Look for that Easter egg shaped rock as a visual clue for the correct butte.

As a visual cue you are looking at the correct small butte look for a small Easter egg shaped rock nestled in a divot near the top of the butte.  Both the butte and the Easter egg shaped rock are white sandstone.  

Scramble about 120 feet down and north toward the small white butte.  Wife 2 is down along the right (east) side of the small white butte.  Wife 1 is down along the left (west) side of the small white butte.  

Leave Approach Route to go to Wife 2
To break off from this approach route and continue down to Wife 2, skip down to the description for Wife 2 in the Canyon / Technical section.

Leave Approach Route to go to Wife 1
To break off from this approach route and continue down to Wife 1, skip down to the description for Wife 1 in the Canyon / Technical section.

 

The Canyoneering / Technical Section:
Canyons listed in descending order since that is the order you encounter them on the approach route along the top of the Wives.  

Wife 6:
After crossing the 8th crease you are at the junction for Wife 6 (jWife6).  This 8th crease leads down to the head of Wife 6, but you will not follow down the crease.  Instead you will bypass the drop right at the head with a little bit of down climbing.  The head of Wife 6 (yWife6Tp) is marked at the sandy ledge about 60 feet to your right at the bottom of the 8th crease you just crossed.  

From the junction to Wife 6 (jWife6), look slightly right (west) about 100 feet away to find a large rounded protrusion of orange slick rock along the white slick rock rim.  Between the orange slick rock protrusion and the white rock of the shelf you are on is a down climb (wWife6RP-01) to the level below you.  You will need to drop down into another crease and figure out how to get over onto the orange slick rock.  

Down climb and scramble about 30 feet down over some boulders.  At the bottom of the down climb are a bunch of large boulders.  Work your way through these and keep right.  After clearing the boulders walk down the slick rock about 125 feet northeast over to the RDC wall.  Along this wall will be a ledge along the top of a narrow slot.  

Rap 1 (dWife6-R1) is anchored along the white wall RDC from a medium sized boulder about 15 feet back from the drop into a narrow slot.  Rap 1 is a two stage rap with stage one being about 40 feet down into a narrow slot and stage 2 being about 15 feet.  Total rope travel for Rap 1 is about 80 feet.  The first stage of rap 1 could be down climbed at the head of the slot but the second part needs to be rappelled so it is simpler to just rappel the whole thing.  Be careful not to twist your ropes on Rap 1 or you may have rope pull issues.  

Note!:
The anchor station for Rap 1 can easily be seen by those wondering around in the area.  It is a short easy route back up to Rap 1 after descending Wife 6.  After completing Wife 6, Please hike back up to retrieve your anchor webbing to help keep the area clean for those wondering around.    

About 40 feet down canyon of rap 1 is a drop of about 8 feet that is undercut.  It can be down climbed with the last part being a skip down of a few feet.  A partner assist would be nice here.  

About 50 feet down canyon is another down climb of about 6 feet where a partner assist is helpful but not a need.  

Rap 2 (dWife6-R2) anchor is a large bush in the canyon which has grown large enough to span from wall to wall.  Trying to get your anchor webbing tied to the base of this bush will likely frustrate almost anyone attempting to do so while you weave yourself into the bush to get to the base.  The bush is thick, scratchy and just difficult to get down into.  Rap 2 drops vertically about 80 feet if you rig your anchor webbing all the way out to the down canyon end of the bush.  

You will need about 25 feet of webbing to anchor Rap 2 to the base of the bush.  The anchor webbing should be extended all the way out to the down canyon end of the bush.  While walking (uh fighting) your way through the bush to continue down canyon, be careful where you are stepping.  The canyon drops sharply at the end of the bush but seeing where the rock under the bush ends is difficult so take your time and be careful.  

After rap 2 is a very narrow crack to stem over to continue down canyon.  While stemming over be careful where you place hands and feet on the rock walls.  There are a lot of huecos in the walls and the rock is very brittle.  After stemming over the crack get up onto the slick rock on the LDC side then walk down to the top of rap 3.  

Rap 3 (dWife6-R3) is about 85 feet down canyon of rap 2.  At the top of the drop just LDC of the crack is a large flake of rock that looks like it could be used as an anchor.  This is not suggested since the rock is brittle and this flake might break and slide off while you are on rappel.  

To find the anchor for Rap 3, look down in the crack RDC along the wall.  There you will find a smaller crack with a small choke stone in it as the anchor.  The webbing tied to this choke stone is dropped under and around a section of rock and redirecting it down rap 3.  

Rap 3 drops about 35 feet and has an awkward start.  You will need to leave extra rope to allow the rope to follow the route down under the rock that is redirecting the angle.  Doing this will make it necessary to down climb the first part of the rappel until the rope is weighted.  At the bottom are a couple boulders to scramble over.  The area below rap 3 is a nice place to relax and enjoy if you have the time.  

After rap 3 it is an easy walk of about 300 feet down canyon back to the Cohab Canyon Trail to complete Wife 6 (yWife6Bt).  

After completing Wife 6, please hike back up to retrieve the anchor at rap 1.  Then either do another Wife while up on top or hike back to the Cohab Canyon Trail the way you came to exit.

Wife 5:
From where the route cliffed out overlooking the area above Wife 5 (jWife5), walk about 125 feet southwest over to a short down climb (wWife5RP-01).  After down climbing to the level of orange slick rock, traverse about 100 feet up and around to the south side of the white knob.  Then start down the crack running north and down along the west side of the white knob.  The spot where the crack runs next to the west side of the knob is marked as the head of Wife 5 (yWife5Tp).  

From the head of Wife 5 (yWife5Tp) continue north down climbing along the crack on the west side of the white knob.  At the bottom of the crack is a sandy floor where the crack turns sharp right (east) and drops another 10 feet to another ledge.  This second ledge has a large bush and is where the top of rap 1 is located.  

Rap 1 (dWife5-R1) is anchored from a large bush.  The top of Rap 1 is sloped and rolls off to a vertical rap of about 100 feet.  Extend the anchor webbing for the anchor about 10 feet from the bush to make this rap 100 feet.  While on rap 1 you have take time to look over the alcove on the way down.  The rap is vertical with a couple awkward sections going over slanted edges.  Be careful to keep the ropes untwisted at the top of rap 1.  The sloped edge can cause a lot of friction during the pull and any twists in the rope will create huge problems.  

At the bottom of rap 1 you are in a very closed in section with winding twisting walls overhead and feels almost cave like.  

Rap 2 (dWife5-R2) is about 60 feet down canyon of rap 1.  Rap 2 drops about 35 feet along a series of drops in a tight slot.  The anchor is a choke stone a short distance down in the slot and can make for an awkward start.  

About 15 feet after rap 2 is a down climb of about 7 feet into a water filled pot hole.

Rap 3 (dWife5-R3) is about 80 feet down canyon of rap 2.  Rap 3 is anchored from a dead man anchor and drops about 50 feet with a sharp overhang near the top.  The overhang is very sharp and undercut leaving no place for your feet on the underside making it awkward.  There is a pool at the bottom to cross that is about thigh deep.  

On the other side of the pool at the bottom of rap 3 are a couple of down climbs.  The first down climb is about 7 feet.  A tall person can lower their feet over belly first and grab a lip near the top to let themselves over.  Others will likely want a hand line.  The second down climb is a short drop to a small pool through a hole that looks like a birthing canal.  

Next are a couple of shallow pools to cross on the way down canyon.  The first pool can be stemmed across by some and the second can be climbed around RDC by some people as well.  Most people will need to drop into and cross these pools which are only a little over waist deep.  The section between rap 3 and 4 is a long straight section but has twisted walls giving an interesting look.  

Rap 4 (dWife5-R4) is almost 200 feet down canyon of rap 3.  Rap 4 drops about 60 feet over 2 stages and starts down an awkward narrow slot.  Rap 4 is awkward and is angled such that the rope will rub harshly on sections of the rock and may start to damage the rope.  The rope position should be adjusted between after each person raps to keep the rope from being damaged by constant rubbing in the same place.  

Rap 4 has an anchor challenge.  The original anchor used is a small choke stone in a small hole near the top of the rap.  The stone in the hole can be next to impossible to get out even with a lot of work.  If the webbing is suspect it may be difficult or not possible to get the rock out to replace the webbing.  There are few other options for an anchor here.  There are few spots for a knot chock and the rock is brittle making it risky.  The rock in the area has very few features and does not provide any obvious anchor options.  A dead man anchor is the best option here since there is a lot of sand.  The issue with this is there are few rocks here to use as the dead man.  The rocks that are there are brittle and may easily tear apart when force is applied to them.  The suggestion here is to go into the canyon with something you intend to sacrifice as a dead man anchor.  Have someone haul in a rock, stick, old back pack or anything that can be sacrificed as the dead man anchor.  A SandTrap or MaxxiPad may work well here as well.    

After rap 4 is a long flat sandy bottomed stretch with some vegetation growing on the sides.  The canyon here starts to widen out a little allowing more light in and gives the impression you are almost out.  

Rap 5 (dWife5-R5) is about 125 feet down canyon of rap 4.  Rap 5 is anchored from a dead man in the sand and drops about 35 feet down a vertical wall.  At the bottom is a sandy bottomed grotto like area with a small tree just down canyon of the rap.  The spot at the bottom of rap 5 is comfortable and would make a great picnic spot if hiking along the Cohab Canyon Trail since it is a short walk up the canyon to here from the trail.  

After rap 5 it is an easy walk about 250 feet down canyon to the Cohab Canyon Trail where Wife 5 exits (yWife5Bt).  

Once back out on the Cohab Canyon Trail you can conclude your day by turning left (south) and following the Cohab Canyon Trail back to the trailhead.  Or you can turn right (east) to loop up and do another Wife.    

Wife 4:
From the top of the eastern drainage leading down to Wife 4 (yWife4Tp) scramble down along the drainage about 100 feet to the top of rap 1.  

Rap 1 (dWife4-R1) is anchored from a boulder about 10 feet back from the drop.  You will need about 30 feet of webbing to get around the boulder and string down to the top of the rap.  The anchor should be set so the rapid barely hangs over the edge to help avoid rope pull issues.  Rap 1 has an awkward start as you drop over the edge.  Once over the edge the rap is free hanging most of the way as you descend down the middle of a large alcove.  Rap 1 drops about 75 feet to a sloped slick rock floor.  

After rap 1 the canyon is easy travel as it continues to slope downward.  A few down climbs along the way but most of what is just after rap 1 is walking and light scrambling.  

About 450 feet down canyon of rap 1 is a drop with a boulder at the bottom (wWife4RP-01).  There is a ledge RDC of this drop that looks like it may provide a bypass but does not.  The easiest way down is to lean out over the drop with the boulder right below you then get your hands on the wall on the other side.  This will have your feet on one side and hands on the other forming a bridge.  From there step down onto the boulder.  

After this is a short down climb where you stem down into a narrow slot then crawl under a small pile of choke stones.  

About 70 feet farther down canyon is a tight crack to down climb that is a total of about 50 feet tall.  The slot is very narrow and is easily stemmed or slithered down over two stages.  Near the bottom of the second stage it gets a little exposed feeling but is easy to get down.  

Just after the long skinny down climb is another drop LDC.  To get to the head of this drop where it is possible to down climb, walk left around a fin and traverse the ledge to the head of the drop.  From there it is an easy down climb of about 15 feet.  Traversing out onto the ledge looks and feels exposed.  The ledge offers wide flat spots for your feet making this a simple task, contrary to what your eyes first tell you.  

Cohab Canyon is about 200 feet down canyon from here and is an easy walk.  There will be one section where you will likely need to take your pack off and walk sideways since the walls get tight.  

Once back out on the Cohab Canyon Trail (yWife4Bt) you can conclude your day by turning left (south) and following the Cohab Canyon Trail back to the trailhead.  Or you can turn right (east) to loop up and do another Wife.    

Wife 3:
About 100 feet after crossing the western most of the two drainages down to Wife 4 turn right (north) and look for a natural place to down climb near a Pinyon Pine tree juniper tree (jWife3).  

The down climb is about 35 feet down a boulder.  At the bottom of the down climb you will see a small rock shaped like and anvil.  At the bottom of the down climb continue north along the slick rock slope.   

Looking north down the slick rock you will see a sandy ledge about 140 feet away.  To the right (east) of the sandy ledge will be a large Pinyon Pine which will be the anchor for the rap down into Wife 3.  Find your way down the slick rock and to the large pine.  

Rap 1 (yWife3Tp) drops down on the west side of the head of wife 3.  Rap 1 is from the large pine and drops down into the head of Wife 3 on its LDC side.  You should use about 60 feet of webbing for the anchor.  This will allow the anchor to be extended from the tree over to the top of the rap and down the slope a ways to avoid rope pull issues from excessive drag.  The top of Rap 1 rolls off as a gentle slope at the top then quickly goes vertical and into free hang.  Rap 1 drops 200 feet with a lot of free hang on the way down.  The rope will need to travel longer than 200 feet if the webbing for the anchor is left too short.

It is recommended to rig the anchor for rap 1 and drop your 200 foot rope with no pull cord.  Leave the anchor webbing and your single 200 foot rope in place.  Use a shorter rope to complete the canyon.  After completing Wife 3, hike back to the top and retrieve the rope and anchor webbing.  This will alleviate the need to haul the 200 foot rope through the canyon and allow you to clean up the unsightly webbing anchor at the top.  Since you are up there to clean up the webbing you might as well use the rope as an excuse to do another Wife.  Wife 3 then Wife 5 make a great combination for a day and should be considered in this order.

While at the bottom of rap 1, be sure to stay out of the way of things that might fall.  There is loose rock along the top that can easily be knocked off as other rap down to you.  If providing a fireman belay for someone, there is a small alcove at the head where you can get out of the way while doing so.  Others should stay on the east side of the canyon, where there is a better view of the rap anyway.  Staying out of the way here will keep you from getting hit on the head with the occasional falling of rocks or stray backpacks.  

After rap 1 scramble down the slick rock slope LDC until you come to a narrow crack that needs to be down climbed.  The crack is about 15 feet tall and is a fun excursion to down climb.  This down climb is optional and can easily be bypassed down a slope RDC.  Although this is an optional down climb, it might be a good idea to down climb the crack since it will provide a good warm up for the mandatory down climb shortly down canyon.

About 200 feet down canyon of rap 1 is another narrow crack.  This one needs to be down climbed.  The narrow crack drops about 35 feet and has very rough walls which will tear you up if you are not careful.  This one should be put in the carnivorous category.  This down climb may present a challenge to some.  A top rope is a god idea here for those not comfortable with this style of down climbing.  Part way down the down climb you drop under a choke stone.  While doing so, take time to look into the small arch on the RDC side of the down climb.  

After this down climb is a long flat sandy bottomed corridor about 350 feet long.  If you like long narrow corridor areas in canyons take it slow here to enjoy it beauty and peacefulness.   At the end of the corridor the canyon looks as though it comes to a dead end. 

At the end of the corridor the canyon makes a hard left and presents a drop of about 40 feet.  This drop is rap 2.  

Rap 2 (dWife3-R2) is anchored from a rock jug handle formed from one of the holes or huecos in the canyon wall on the RDC side.  The rope is extended to the LDC side of the canyon to the top of rap 1.  Rap 2 drops about 40 feet down a vertical wall.  While going over the edge of rap 2, be careful of rope placement.  The top of rap 2 is awkward and can place the rope in a position to slide and become damaged.  

Other options for the anchor to rap 2 are slim.  The walls are very featured but brittle making most options from the wall not a good idea.  There are also a few places where knot chocks would fit but the rock is also too fragile for this.  A crack on the RDC wall about 30 feet up canyon of the rap can provide a good spot for a choke stone anchor if you can find a rock that is not too fragile.  The other option here would be a dead man anchor.  If building a dead man anchor, the rocks used would need to be farmed from up canyon since there are few rocks in the sand here.

Down canyon of rap 2 is another narrow corridor of about 125 feet.  At the end of the corridor is rap 3.  

Rap 3 (dWife3-R3) is a 2 stage optional rap that drops over two stages where the canyon makes a left turn.  The stages are about 12 feet each and can be down climbed by experienced down climbers.  If you decide to rap the 2 stage rap 3, it can be anchored from a choke stone in a crack near the top of the rap.  

Optionally and recommended is to bypass rap 3.  To bypass rap 3 climb up about 15 feet along the RDC wall at the top of rap 3.  After climbing up walk over the rounded slick rock to a narrow chimney down climb along the RDC wall.  A belay should be set for those not comfortable with this style of down climbing.  The chimney down climb is about 30 feet.  

The bottom of rap 3 is about 70 feet from the Cohab Canyon Trail.  At the bottom of rap 3 it is a short scramble along the slick rock on the RDC side of the canyon to get back onto the Cohab Canyon Trail (yWife3Bt).  

Once back out on the Cohab Canyon Trail you can conclude your day by turning left (south) and following the Cohab Canyon Trail back to the trailhead.  Or you can turn right (east) to loop up and do another Wife.    

TOTGA:
The small canyon between Wife 2 and Wife 3 is a false start to TOTGA and is actually a side drainage down to Wife 3.  When you reach the head of the small canyon between Wife 3 and Wife 2 (jTOTGA) down climb into this small canyon with a down climb of about 30 feet.  The down climb is not difficult but be careful since there is a lot of loose brittle rock here.

After the down climb, is a gentle slope and some stuff to scramble down along rock fall debris to a flat sandy floor. about 150 feet later the canyon get narrow with walls about 7 feet apart.  This narrow section travels straight for almost 200 feet with a sandy floor before turning sharply right (east).

When the narrow section turns right do not follow it.  Instead climb up the crevice directly in front of you which is sloped and an easy up climb of about 30 feet.  When you reach the top of the climb (yTOGAtp) you will be able to look down the true head of TOTGA, which is just a little over 500 feet from the floor of Cohab Canyon.

Note:
If you had followed the small canyon to the right at the end of it's narrows you will come to a pour over dropping down into the side of Wife 3.

Also of note is that the head of TOTGA is a short distance from the head of Wife 3.  So optionally you could use the approach over to Wife 3.  When you get to the big tree used as the anchor for rap 1 in Wife 3 follow the short slot over toward TOTGA.  This would avoid the small short canyon and the down climb at the head of it when leaving the trail for the route already described.

Start down the true head of TOTGA by down climbing about 50 feet down a narrow slot to the floor below.  This first down climb has a lot of loose chossy rock so be careful with every move.  Actually a lot of this canyon is loose and chossy so take care all the way through.

When you get to the bottom of the down climb you will be in a chamber like section with subway like walls on each side.  Looking down canyon almost feels like being in a tunnel.

Continue down canyon along a semi steep sloped floor.  About 150 feet down canyon after the first down climb is another drop.  By pass this drop by climbing up and over the rock on the RDC side to get to another narrow chimney down climb.  Getting up and over to this second down climb involves a little exposure.  The down climb on the other side is about 40 feet over a couple stages while going under a choke stone.  While on this second down climb be quiet and hope the evil clown that lives there does not sneak up behind you.  After this second down climb you are only about 350 feet from the end of TOTGA where it empties into Cohab Canyon.

 Continue down canyon between semi narrow walls for a hundred feet or so to the start of another narrow down climb.  This down climb is the narrowest down climb in the canyon.  You will need to take your pack off to get past a few spots along this down climb.  This down climb has a lot of loose brittle rock as well making this a good time to remind yourself to watch where you put those feet and hands.

At the bottom of the long narrow down climb is a small ledge large enough for 2 people (kind of tight).  From this ledge it is another short down climb to get to the canyon floor in a section that is a little wider.  The down climb down from the small ledge is about 15 feet and drops into a cave like area where people frequently climb up to from the bottom of the canyon.  The down climb from the ledge into the cave is a difficult one.  Most people will want a belay from the top.  Save your better down climber to give the belay and down climb this last.  Even the skilled down climber in your group may wish they had a belay.  The down climb starts out skinny then quickly bells out leaving very little to get feet or hands onto on the LDC wall.  Someone at the bottom can climb up part way and assist with giving the last person a spot.

Walk through the cave then drop down another short down climb before walking out to the end of the canyon (yTOGAbt) where it meets Cohab Canyon.

Once back out on the Cohab Canyon Trail you can conclude your day by turning left (south) and following the Cohab Canyon Trail back to the trailhead.  Or you can turn right (east) to loop up and do another Wife.

Wife 2:
The head of Wife 2 (yWife2Tp) starts down the right (east) side of the small white butte.  Scramble down the slot to along the east side of the butte.  About 100 feet down canyon will be the top of rap 1.  

Rap 1 (dWife2-R1) is anchored from a choke stone anchor in a crack about 20 feet back from the rap.  Near the top of rap 1 is a short down climb of about 6 feet to a small sandy ledge.  Extend the anchor webbing down to the sandy ledge to keep rope pull issues to a minimum.  There are places where a knot chock anchor could work but the rock is too brittle for this to be trusted.  There are also a few protrusions of rock that could be used as anchors but again the rock is too brittle for this to be trusted.  

Rap 1 drops 100 feet down a mostly vertical section of wall with a gentle slope down near the bottom.  The slope at the bottom allows the rope to be done with a little less than 100 feet of rope travel.  At the bottom of rap 1 is a down climb of about 15 feet down a narrow slot.   

Rap 2 (dWife2-R2) is about 100 feet down canyon of rap 1.  Rap 2 is anchored from a large rock knob RDC and drops about 40 feet.  Rap 2 can optionally be bypassed via a down climb LDC along a section of rock with a lot of huecos.  With the rock being brittle it may be safer to rap than to down climb.  The anchor webbing will not be seen by casual hikers from the top or bottom so using the rap option at this drop will not noticeably dirty the canyon.  

About 50 feet down canyon of rap 2 is a drop of about 40 feet.  The drop can be bypassed by climbing down along a series of ledges RDC.  

Shortly down canyon is a tight slot to stem down into with a large choke stone in it.  Stem down under the choke stone about 15 feet then stem down canyon in the slot to another section to stem down another 15 feet.  

About 150 feet down canyon after the narrow slot down climb is a down climb of about 8 feet.  Then a walk of a couple hundred feet down canyon with some easy scrambles along the way before reaching the rap 3 which is the final rap.  

Rap 3 is the final rap and is right at the exit of Wife 2 (yWife2Bt).  From the top of rap 3 take time to look across Cohab Canyon at the Wife Beaters side.  There is an interesting slab of rock that makes you wonder how it fell into that position high up on the wall.  

Rap 3 is anchored from a dead man anchor with more rocks on top making it at combo of a dead man and a cairn anchor.  Rap 3 drops about 85 feet along a vertical wall.  To avoid rope pull issues the anchor webbing should be extended just over the edge of the rap.  This will make it necessary to stem down the first part of the rap until you are low enough to weight the rope.  This may be awkward for some but makes the rope pull simple and free of pinch points.  

After getting to the bottom of rap 3, walk up a dirt slope about 20 feet to find yourself back on the Cohab Canyon Trail.  

Once back out on the Cohab Canyon Trail you can conclude your day by turning left (south) and following the Cohab Canyon Trail back to the trailhead.  Or you can turn right (east) to loop up and do another Wife.

Wife 1:
The head of Wife 1 (yWife1Tp) starts down the left (west) side of the small white butte with the Easter egg on it.  Right at the head of the canyon is a skinny chimney down climb of about 35 feet.  At the bottom of the down climb you are in what feels like a small cave.  At the exit of the cave like area on the down canyon side is a great view out toward Cohab Canyon.

Just after exiting the cave like portion below the first down climb you will have a down climb of 15 to 20 feet over a few large boulders and will still be between narrow walls.  Rap 1 is at the bottom of the boulders you climb down after the cave.

Rap 1 is anchored from one of the boulders you down climbed and drops about 20 feet down a mostly vertical wall.  Rap 1 might be down climbed by stemming between the walls and chimneying down.  Getting to the LDC wall would involve a very sketchy lean out to reach the LDC.  There are also foot holds that may aid in getting stretched across the drop as well.

After rap 1 stem down canyon a few feet then drop down another chimney style down climb of about 25 feet.  This down climb drops down onto a large ledge with views of the more wide open spaces of Wife 1.  It also becomes obvious that this route is working down a crack and ledge system along the RDC side of the canyon.  On the down canyon end of the ledge after the down climb is another drop down between narrow walls which is rap 2.

Rap 2 is anchored from a choke stone in a crack LDC along the ledge about 15 feet back from the top of Rap 2.  To find the anchor walk over to the top of the drop then look back about 15 feet along the ledge LDC of the down climb.  Set the anchor from a choke stone in the crack and run the webbing along the crack down to the top of the rap.  Rap 2 drops about 25 feet down a slope and is down easily down climbable except for the last 8 to 10 feet.

Rap 3 (dWife1-R1-3) is the final rap in Wife 1 and is anchored a few feet from the bottom of rap 2.  The top of the drop for Rap 3 however is about 20 feet down a slope from the anchor.  The webbing should be extended from the choke stone down the slope and over to the edge of the drop.  The natural fall line of Rap 3 falls left over the ledge rather than straight down canyon.  If the anchor webbing is not extended all the way down to the ledge there may be difficulties in pulling the ropes after the rappel.  Other issues will be increased wear on both rock and ropes.  With the anchor webbing extended down to the top of the ledge Rap 3 drops about 60 feet down from the ledge to the canyon floor with free hanging rappel for a little more than half of it.

The slope from the anchor to the ledge at the top of rap 3 can be down climbed pretty easily but can be a bit un-nerving for some since you will be down climbing to the top of the drop off.  For those not comfortable with this you can set up a separate rope to lower them down the down climb.  For each person to be lowered you will need to pull the end of the anchor webbing up to the top of the slope, set them up on the rappel rope ready to go.  Then lower them with a separate rope until the rappel rope is weighted at which time they can lock off the rappel line and detach from the lower line.  The last person down can use the anchor webbing as a hand line while down climbing the slope.

At the bottom of rap 3 you find yourself in the now much wider main canyon of Wife 1 and about 400 feet from the lower end of Wife 1 where it meets Cohab Canyon.  Before heading down canyon after rap 3 walk over to the end of the ledge on the LDC side of the canyon to look down on some interesting rock features.

To continue down canyon after rap 3 scramble down the slope on the RDC side of the canyon.  Down canyon of rap 3 will be a slot on the LDC side you will need to down climb.  Getting into the slot will require a climb down the side of it over a section of rock with a lot of thin brittle sections.  Be very careful what you step on while getting over into the slot.  The down climb down the slot is about 20 feet and a very easy almost scramble.

From the bottom of the slotted scramble walk a short distance along a flat sandy bottomed hall way section for about 90 feet.  At the other end of this hallway like section will be a more narrow area to the right with a drop shortly after in a very narrow slot.  The best route out is not to go down this slot.  Instead climb up a crevice on the LDC side about 15 to 20 feet high.  At the top of the crevice walk down canyon along slick rock and look for a way to drop into a narrow area on the RDC side of the canyon where you can scramble or walk a short distance to the end of the canyon (yWife1Bt).

Once back out on the Cohab Canyon Trail you can conclude your day by turning left (south) and following the Cohab Canyon Trail back to the trailhead.  Or you can turn right (east) to loop up and do another Wife.

The Exit:
After getting back to the Cohab Canyon Trail after any one of the wives, turn left (west) and hike the Cohab Trial less than 1 mile back to the trailhead where you began.

GPS Waypoint Information

Click to show / expand the list of waypoints below........

Wives (a) - Drive to Trailhead

vCapReefVisit          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.29111   W -111.26180        Elev: 5,208 Feet Capitol Reef Visitor Center. pkShadyPark          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28528   W -111.24628        Elev: NaN Feet Parking area at a large beautiful picnic area. FYI there is a water spiggot at the base of a water fountain here to fill up on water. pkGiffordFarm          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28409   W -111.24701        Elev: 5,394 Feet Small parking lot by the Gifford Farm house store. pkCohab          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28337   W -111.24643        Elev: 5,423 Feet Parking for about 3 vehicles next to a small hay barn along the road. About 260 feet from the Cohab Canyon trailhead. tCohab          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28264   W -111.24619        Elev: 5,450 Feet Cohab Canyon Trailhead.

Wives (b) - Approach (along all 7 canyon tops)

tCohab          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28264   W -111.24619        Elev: 5,450 Feet Cohab Canyon Trailhead. wCohabRP-01          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28275   W -111.24372        Elev: 5,730 Feet Top of the switch backs at the start of Cohab Canyon. wCohabRP-02          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28098   W -111.24386        Elev: 5,790 Feet Western end of Cohab Canyon. yWife1Bt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28106   W -111.24353        Elev: 5,800 Feet Bottom Exit of Wife 1 where it meets the Cohab Canyon Trail. yWife2Bt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28122   W -111.24319        Elev: 5,795 Feet Bottom Exit of Wife 2 where it meets the Cohab Canyon Trail. Wife 2 is not visible from the Cohab Canyon Trail. There is a rappel of 85 feet here to exit the canyon to the trail. The anchor fro this rap is a dead man anchor and webbing should be set long to avoid rope pull issues. yTOGAbt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28154   W -111.24272        Elev: 5,790 Feet Bottom Exit of TOTGA (The One That Got Away) where it meets the Cohab Canyon Trail. yWife3Bt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28170   W -111.24205        Elev: 5,780 Feet Bottom Exit of Wife 3 where it meets the Cohab Canyon Trail. yWife4Bt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28189   W -111.24162        Elev: 5,770 Feet Bottom Exit of Wife 4 where it meets the Cohab Canyon Trail. As a land mark There is a sign posted along the trail here telling you to stay on the trails. yWife5Bt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28239   W -111.24033        Elev: 5,750 Feet Bottom Exit of Wife 5 where it meets the Cohab Canyon Trail. A walk of about 250 feet up canyon will get you to the bottom of rap 5 and a great spot to stop for a picnic if only hiking in the area. yWife6Bt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28267   W -111.23935        Elev: 5,730 Feet Bottom Exit of Wife 6 where it meets the Cohab Canyon Trail. wBetrothed-Bt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28319   W -111.23786        Elev: 5,720 Feet Bottom of The Betrothed. Travel up a ledge on the left (east) side of The Betrothed to access the tops of the Wives. Stay on slickrock to avoid destroying crypto. wBetrothed-Tp          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28234   W -111.23789        Elev: NaN Feet Top of The Betrothed. This is not something you will want to descend. From the top, turn west and start up out of the wash you find yourself in by walking up the slick rock. wWivesTopRP-01          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28188   W -111.23784        Elev: NaN Feet Climb up the drainage above the head of The Betrothed starts to level off. There are now views over the now more wide open areas. wWivesTopRP-02          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28139   W -111.23832        Elev: 5,880 Feet The beginning of a large section of orange sandstone along the route up from The Betrothed. jWife6          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28068   W -111.23957        Elev: 5,970 Feet After crossing the 8th crease in the slickrock here you can choose to continue on the approach to the other Wives or break off to go to Wife 6. To go to Wife 6, look about 100 feet to the east for an orange rounded section of slick rock along the white slick rock rim. Between the white and orange slick rock will be a couple small pines and is the route of the down climb to the ledge below. jWife5          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28037   W -111.24037        Elev: 6,000 Feet As you are traveling southwest the route will cliff out here and will be overlooking the complex system of slick rock drainages at the top of Wife 5. wWivesTopRP-03          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28025   W -111.24026        Elev: NaN Feet Start scrambling up to the next higher ledge to traverse over toward Wife 4. wWivesTopRP-04          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.27946   W -111.24078        Elev: NaN Feet North facing alcove that provides shade almost all day and makes a good rest spot. In the wall of the alcove is scratched USGS 1951 and 1953. wWivesTopRP-05          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.27920   W -111.24193        Elev: NaN Feet Route runs along the eastern edge of Wife 4 and gives a great view down into Wife 4. yWife4Tp          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.27891   W -111.24212        Elev: 6,170 Feet Top of Wife 4. This is at the shallow upper end of the drainage leading down into Wife 4. This is the eastern most of the two short drainages leading down into Wife 4. wWivesTopRP-06          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.27898   W -111.24239        Elev: NaN Feet Crossing over the western drainage that leads down to Wife 4. This is not the drainage down to rap 1. To descend Wife 4 drop down the eastern drainage. jWife3          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.27925   W -111.24272        Elev: 6,160 Feet Top of a down climb of about 35 feet next to a small juniper. At the bottom of the boulder down climb is a small rock that looks like an anvil. jTOTGA          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.27885   W -111.24325        Elev: 6,230 Feet Head of a short side slot between Wife 3 and Wife 2. This is the head of a very small canyon leading down to the head of TOTGA. yWife2Tp          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.27928   W -111.24340        Elev: 6,200 Feet Top of Wife 2. This is to the right (east) of a small white butte. yWife1Tp          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.27942   W -111.24354        Elev: 6,190 Feet Top of Wife 1. This is to the left (west) of a small white butte.

Wives (c) - The Canyon, Wife 1

yWife1Tp          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.27942   W -111.24354        Elev: 6,190 Feet Top of Wife 1. This is to the left (west) of a small white butte. dWife1-R1-3          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.27995   W -111.24356        Elev: NaN Feet Raps 1 thru 3 - Wife 1. This point marked aprox where rap 3 is located. Rap 1 anchored from a large boulder and drops about 20 feet down a vertical wall in a narrow slot. Rap 2 anchored from about 15 feet back and drops about 25 feet. Rap 3 anchored from a small choke stone with webbing extended about 20 feet tot eh drop and drops about 60 feet over a ledge with freehang. yWife1Bt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28106   W -111.24353        Elev: 5,800 Feet Bottom Exit of Wife 1 where it meets the Cohab Canyon Trail.

Wives (d) - The Canyon, Wife 2

yWife2Tp          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.27928   W -111.24340        Elev: 6,200 Feet Top of Wife 2. This is to the right (east) of a small white butte. dWife2-R1          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.27957   W -111.24329        Elev: NaN Feet Rap 1 - Wife 2. Anchored from a choke stone about 20 feet back from the rap and drops about 100 feet. dWife2-R2          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.27988   W -111.24325        Elev: NaN Feet Rap 2 - Wife 2. Anchored RDC from large rock knob and drops about 40 feet. Rap 2 can optionally be down climbed LDC along a very brittle section with a lot of huecos. yWife2Bt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28122   W -111.24319        Elev: 5,795 Feet Bottom Exit of Wife 2 where it meets the Cohab Canyon Trail. Wife 2 is not visible from the Cohab Canyon Trail. There is a rappel of 85 feet here to exit the canyon to the trail. The anchor fro this rap is a dead man anchor and webbing should be set long to avoid rope pull issues.

Wives (e) - The Canyon, TOTGA

jTOTGA          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.27885   W -111.24325        Elev: 6,230 Feet Head of a short side slot between Wife 3 and Wife 2. This is the head of a very small canyon leading down to the head of TOTGA. yTOGAtp          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28008   W -111.24295        Elev: NaN Feet Top entry for TOTGA. This is the true top of TOTGA. yTOGAbt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28154   W -111.24272        Elev: 5,790 Feet Bottom Exit of TOTGA (The One That Got Away) where it meets the Cohab Canyon Trail.

Wives (f) - The Canyon, Wife 3

jWife3          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.27925   W -111.24272        Elev: 6,160 Feet Top of a down climb of about 35 feet next to a small juniper. At the bottom of the boulder down climb is a small rock that looks like an anvil. yWife3Tp          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.27969   W -111.24275        Elev: 6,105 Feet Top entry for Wife 3. This is on the east side of the head of the canyon and is also the location for rap 1 down into Wife 3. Rap 1 - Wife 3. Anchored from a large Ponderosa Pine. Set the anchor webbing about 60 feet long over to the edge of the rap to keep rope drag to a minimum on the pull. dWife3-R2          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28119   W -111.24221        Elev: NaN Feet Rap 2 - Wife 3. Anchored from a rock jug handle formed by some of the holes on the RDC wall. Rap 2 drops about 40 feet on the LDC side of the canyon down a vertical wall. dWife3-R3          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28155   W -111.24217        Elev: NaN Feet Rap 3 - Wife 3. Optional rap that can be anchored from a choke stone in a crack RDC of the drop. The rap is a two stage rap that can be down climbed by experienced down climbers. The stages are about 12 feet each. Optionally rap 3 can be bypassed with a climb up and over RDC and down a narrow chimney down climb of about 40 feet. yWife3Bt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28170   W -111.24205        Elev: 5,780 Feet Bottom Exit of Wife 3 where it meets the Cohab Canyon Trail.

Wives (g) - The Canyon, Wife 4

yWife4Tp          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.27891   W -111.24212        Elev: 6,170 Feet Top of Wife 4. This is at the shallow upper end of the drainage leading down into Wife 4. This is the eastern most of the two short drainages leading down into Wife 4. dWife4-R1          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.27923   W -111.24206        Elev: 6,110 Feet Rap 1 - Wife 4. Anchored from a boulder about 10 feet back and drops about 75 feet and is mostly free hanging. wWife4RP-01          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28041   W -111.24195        Elev: NaN Feet A drop with a large boulder at the bottom. yWife4Bt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28189   W -111.24162        Elev: 5,770 Feet Bottom Exit of Wife 4 where it meets the Cohab Canyon Trail. As a land mark There is a sign posted along the trail here telling you to stay on the trails.

Wives (h) - The Canyon, Wife 5

jWife5          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28037   W -111.24037        Elev: 6,000 Feet As you are traveling southwest the route will cliff out here and will be overlooking the complex system of slick rock drainages at the top of Wife 5. wWife5RP-01          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28009   W -111.24063        Elev: NaN Feet A down climb in a small drainage to drop down to the level where the white knob is. yWife5Tp          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28011   W -111.24099        Elev: 6,020 Feet Top of Wife 5. This point is slightly west of a round white knob surrounded by a sea of red slick rock. dWife5-R1          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28039   W -111.24088        Elev: NaN Feet Rap 1 - Wife 5. Anchored from a nice big bush. Extend the webbing about 10 feet or more from the bush so the rope travel is only 100 feet. Rap 1 drops about 100 feet with a couple awkward slanted ledges along the way is is mostly vertical. dWife5-R2          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28058   W -111.24076        Elev: NaN Feet Rap 2 - Wife 5. Anchored from a choke stone and drops about 35 feet along a series of drops in a tight crack. dWife5-R3          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28084   W -111.24064        Elev: NaN Feet Rap 3 - Wife 5. Anchored from a dead man anchor and drops about 50 feet to a pool about thigh deep. Near the top of rap 3 is an overhang that is awkward to get over. dWife5-R4          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28134   W -111.24054        Elev: NaN Feet Rap 4 - Wife 5. Anchored from a choke stone down in a hole at the top or optionally a dead man can be used in the sand. It is recommended to bring in something to sacrifice as the dead man for this rap. Rap 4 drops about 60 feet over 2 stages starting in an awkward start. dWife5-R5          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28171   W -111.24042        Elev: NaN Feet Rap 5 - Wife 5. Anchored from a dead man and drops about 35 feet. yWife5Bt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28239   W -111.24033        Elev: 5,750 Feet Bottom Exit of Wife 5 where it meets the Cohab Canyon Trail. A walk of about 250 feet up canyon will get you to the bottom of rap 5 and a great spot to stop for a picnic if only hiking in the area.

Wives (i) - The Canyon, Wife 6

jWife6          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28068   W -111.23957        Elev: 5,970 Feet After crossing the 8th crease in the slickrock here you can choose to continue on the approach to the other Wives or break off to go to Wife 6. To go to Wife 6, look about 100 feet to the east for an orange rounded section of slick rock along the white slick rock rim. Between the white and orange slick rock will be a couple small pines and is the route of the down climb to the ledge below. wWife6RP-01          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28075   W -111.23990        Elev: NaN Feet Start of the down climb to get down into Wife 6. Look for an orange section of slickrock next to the white slick rock ledge you are on. Down climb between these two to get to the level below. yWife6Tp          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28088   W -111.23962        Elev: 5,960 Feet Top of Wife 6. The head of the canyon starts here at a flat sandy ledge just down from the slickrock ledge above. To descend the Canyon, bypass this ledge by working around the west side then below here to get to rap 1. dWife6-R1          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28106   W -111.23971        Elev: 5,900 Feet Rap 1 - Wife 6. Anchored RDC along a wall from a medium boulder about 20 feet back from the side of a narrow slot. Rap 1 is a two stage rap. Stage 1 about 40 feet, stage 2 about 15 feet and total rope travel of 80 feet. dWife6-R2          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28161   W -111.23967        Elev: NaN Feet Rap 2 - Wife 6. Anchored from a large bush spanning between the canyon walls and drops about 80 feet. dWife6-R3          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28185   W -111.23964        Elev: NaN Feet Rap 3 - Wife 6. Anchored from a small choke stone in a crack that is down under where you are standing and drops about 35 feet. yWife6Bt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 38.28267   W -111.23935        Elev: 5,730 Feet Bottom Exit of Wife 6 where it meets the Cohab Canyon Trail.