Canyoneering Route Description

Fiddlestix Canyon - 3A II (III)
Ticaboo Mesa, Utah.

Quick Facts

11-04-2012, 6 people, 1 Day (Travel time in route 4 hours) Pictures Icon
02-23-2014, 6 people, 1 Day (Travel time in route 4 hours)
05-28-2016, 5 people, 1 Day (Travel time in route 4.75 hours)

Time Required - 3 to 4 hours
Distance - 1.8 miles Total, 0.6 miles Technical
Rappels - 3 Rappels, Longest Rappel 185 feet.
Elevation Range - 4975 - 4115 Feet
Shuttle Required - No Vehicle - High Clearance (4WD in bad road conditions) Permit Required - No
This route description provides minimal detail in the canyon section.

Gear Used for Canyon

Rappelling and anchor gear, Ropes and or pull cords for rappels up to 185 feet and 30 feet of 1 inch webbing for sling placement.  Only in very cold months after recent rains a waist down wet suit may be nice.  Generally no wet suit would be needed.

General Comments

Fiddlestix is short but offers a lot of fun in that short distance.  Rap 2 can have serious issues with ropes sticking on the pull and may be best broken up into a couple raps to help reduce rope sticking.   Also at the bottom of rap 2 the canyon takes on the deep narrow feel that is very committing feeling.  Using a Fiddlestick or retrievable anchor on the drops can be helpful in reducing rope grooves. 

Fiddlesticks offers galumphing to 15 feet off the deck and down climbs of up to 30 feet with moderate difficulty.  There are a few potholes that could be waist deep if full and easy to get out of but they generally will not have much if any water in them.  And did I mention a sandy bottomed corridor of about 200 feet?

Driving Directions

To get to the Trailhead

Note:
There is a maze of roads on Ticaboo Mesa making it a good idea to study the map ahead of time and keep a close eye on the map as you drive.

From Hanksville, UT., drive south on highway 95 for 26 miles to the junction of highways 95 and 276.

From the junction, drive south on HWY-276 for 25.6 miles then turn left (east) onto BLM dirt-road 13400 between mile markers 25 and 26 (extTicaboo1).

About 1.5 miles from the highway is a junction (TicabooDP-01) of BLM roads, 13400 continues east and 13410 branches off to the south.  Continue east on BLM road 13400.  Note: If you were headed to the Smith Fork area you would turn south onto BLM road 13410.

About 2 miles farther is another junction (TicabooDP-02) of BLM roads, 13400 continues east and 13420 branches off to the south. Continue east on BLM road 13400.  Note: BLM road 13420 to the south goes out to Cane Spring Well about 1.25 miles south.

About 0.2 miles farther is short side road (TicabooDP-03) on the left (north) that goes to a camp area.
Stay right to continue on BLM road 13400.  Beyond this point the roads will have intermittent rough sections. 
About 0.37 miles past here is a fork in the road where the two roads rejoin a short distance later.  The low road is typically the smoothest.

About 1.7 miles farther is another junction (TicabooDP-04) of BLM roads (13400 continues north-ish and 13430 branches off to the south).
Continue north on BLM road 13400. 
Note: If you were going to the roads between Warm Springs Creek and Sevenmile Creek, you would turn south onto BLM road 13430.

About 0.3 miles farther is another junction (TicabooDP-05) of BLM roads (13400 continues northeast and 13440 branches off to the north).
Continue straight northeast on BLM road 13400.
Note: BLM road 13440 to the south goes out to Colt Spring Well about 0.4 miles north.

About 0.5 miles farther is a junction (TicabooDP-06) of BLM roads (13400 continues northeast and 13450 branches off to the north).
Continue straight northeast on BLM road 13400.

About 0.9 miles farther is a junction (TicabooDP-07) of BLM roads (13400 continues northeast and 13430 branches off to the south).
Turn south onto BLM road 13430.
Note: If you were going to Tough, SF Ticaboo or Sleepytime Trio Canyons you would continue northeast on BLM road 13400.

About 700 feet farther is a fork in the road (extWarmSpring).  At this fork stay left to continue toward the East Branch of Seven Mile Creek.

About 0.4 miles farther is another fork in the road (ext7MileCkEB).  Veer left (east) to continue toward the Dante's.

About 1.1 miles farther is a junction where a side road joins in from the southwest (TicabooDP-08).  Veer left (east) to continue toward the Dante's.

About 0.4 miles farther is a junction where a side road joins in from the southwest (extTicabooMesa).  Turn right at this junction and follow the road south.

About 0.9 miles farther is a junction (TicabooDP-21).  Turn left at this junction and follow the road east.  Shortly after the junction the road will little then travel southeast.

About  0.9 miles from the junction the road will round a corner (pkFidlStix) to the left where it turns from southwest to southeast.  This corner is where you will begin the route to Fiddlestix.  There are no designated spots to park and you will likely need to be creative to find a good spot to get off the road. 

To leave the Exit Vehicle / Escape Pod

No exit vehicle is needed.  This is done as a loop route.

Maps

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

Map Link Icon
Click the links for maps of the route. Map of the drive into the route.
Map of the entire route.

Details

The Approach:
From the parking spot (pkFidlStix), walk about 400 feet west to a rubble pile (wFidlStixRP-01) that allows travel down to the shelf below. 

After getting to the bottom of the rubble pile continue southeast toward the portion of the lake you can see.  Follow the natural flow of the slick rock for about 900 feet to the top of a large crack (wFidlStixRP-02).  You can travel on a fin on either side of this crack but the easiest is the fin on the left (north) side.

Continue southeast for about 375 feet to a wide open flat slick rock area where a drainage begins (yFiddlestixTp) dropping down to the northeast.

Note:
There is a drop up canyon of this about 150 feet southeast but there is little to it and may not be worth the effort of getting up to it.

The Canyoneering / Technical Section:
From the head of the canyon (yFiddlestixTp) continue down canyon northwest.

Rap 1 (dFiddlestixR1) is about 300 feet down canyon of the head, is anchored from a small arch about 8 feet up on the RDC side and drops about 35 feet.

Rap 2 is shortly down canyon of rap 1 and is anchored from boulder debris in a narrow section and drops about 75 feet.  To make the rope pull smooth and less likley to get stuck the last person can rappel over the top of the boulders instead of down the crack on the LDC side. Rap 2 can also be broken into two separate rappels by rappelling down about 10 feet to choke stones and ledges to re-anchor and continue the drop.

Down canyon of rap 2 is a pretty section of canyon with some easy downclimbs / low galumphing.

Last Rap (dFiddlestixR3) is about 450 feet down canyon of rap 2 anchored from a large chock stone and a few other rocks to help support it.    Anchor to bottom about 185 feet with first part being more of a scramble on rope then down a mostly vertical drop with a ledge part way down.   At bottom of the last rap is a pool, but you can traverse carefully LDC then up the slick rock to a ledge to avoid water.

 If the large pool is dried up walk the sand about 70 feet to a downclimb of about 10 feet then walk the wash.

After the last rap follow the canyon as it winds east for about 0.4 miles to tees into another drainage (yFiddlestixBt).

The Exit:
From tee at the end of Fiddlestix (yFiddlestixBt) there is a prominent point about 200 feet east with a ridge line running up and northwest.  The exit out of Fiddlestix is along that ridge.

From the tee walk about 150 feet north up the wash then leave the wash and walk east about 150 feet over to the bottom of a gully (wFidlStixRP-03) to upclimb to get part way up onto the ridge.  After climbing to the top of the gully turn left and follow the ledges north.  As you follow the ledges traversing north there are a couple spots to step across missing spots in the ledge with significant exposure but the moves are not difficult.

Example Pic. Blue line shows the route up the gully and along the first part of the ledges to start the exit from Fiddlestix.

Soon the ledges lead over to wide open flat spaces on a saddle like area.  From this saddle like area continue north for about 600 feet to the bottom of a slick rock nose (wFidlStixRP-04).  Go up the slick rock nose and where it becomes extremely steep traverse left to skirt around the high point of the nose as shown in the picture below.

Example Pic. Blue line shows the route up the slick rock nose and approximately where to traverse left.

As you traverse along the left side of the slick rock nose in the image above you will have an easy upclimb of about 4 feet when you get near the high point of the slickrock (wFidlStixRP-05).

A few hundred feet farther will be a spot (wFidlStixRP-06) where you have a wide drainage to the left (south) below you or a sandy open area to the right (north) side of another slick rock nose. Veer left (south) and drop down into the large drainage below. 

Walk up the drainage about 250 feet then scramble up the steep slickrock ramp (wFidlStixRP-07) to get out of the drainage.

From the top of the ramp route find your way up and about 400 feet west to the bottom of a slick nose (wFidlStixRP-08).  Scramble up the slickrock nose about 850 feet to the top (wFidlStixRP-09) where you will be on a dirt bench below the rim.

From the top of the slickrock nose veer left and walk about 250 feet southwest along the dirt bench to the bottom of a rubble pile (wFidlStixRP-10).  Scramble up the rubble pile and then up to the road (wFidlStixRP-11).

After you make it to the road turn left and follow the road 0.33 miles southwest back to where you parked (pkFidlStix). 

GPS Waypoint Information

Downloadable GPX files available at BG-Gear Store (easier than manual entry and a great way to support Bluugnome).
Waypoint naming convention and map symbol information can be found on the Glossary page.  Elevations are approximate.
BEFORE manually entering coordinates set your system to WGS84 datum and Lat/Lon hddd.ddddd° coordinate format. 
Inconsistent datum's and coordinate formats will result in location errors.

Click to show / expand the list of waypoints below........
Fiddlestix 1 - Drive to Trailhead
  1. extTicaboo1          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.69720   W -110.67138        Elev: 4,520 Feet
    Exit off of highway 276 to get to the Ticaboo Mesa area. Turn east and leave the highway on a dirt road. Near Mile post 25.
  2. TicabooDP-01          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.68607   W -110.65188        Elev: NaN Feet
    Continue straight for the main area of Ticaboo Mesa. Or Turn right (south) here for an alternate route over toward the Smith Fork Canyons.
  3. TicabooDP-02          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.67981   W -110.62886        Elev: NaN Feet
    Road junction with faint road running to the south. Continue straight (east). Road to the south is about 1.25 miles long and goes down toward Cane Spring Well.
  4. TicabooDP-03          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.68038   W -110.62628        Elev: 4,565 Feet
    Exit to a spot to camp if the roads ahead are too rough.
  5. TicabooDP-04          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.67963   W -110.60429        Elev: NaN Feet
    Junction for a road going south. Continue straiaght (north east) to continue toward Ticaboo Measa. This road junction is near Wild Horse Springs.
  6. TicabooDP-05          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.68389   W -110.60153        Elev: NaN Feet
    Junction for a side road on the left going north. Continue north east toward Ticaboo Mesa. The road going north is BLM Road 13440 aobut 0.4 miles long and goes over toward Colt Spring.
  7. TicabooDP-06          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.68667   W -110.59547        Elev: NaN Feet
    Junction for a side road going north. The Road north is BLM Road 13540 and goes out toward Upper South Fork Ticaboo.
  8. TicabooDP-07          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.69529   W -110.58385        Elev: NaN Feet
    Turn off for a side road on the right. Turn right onto the side road and drive southwest.
  9. extWarmSpring          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.69362   W -110.58484        Elev: NaN Feet
    Stay right to go toward the main drainage of Seven Mile Creek and Warm Springs Canyon. Or Stay left to go toward the East Branch of Seven Mile Creek and Ticaboo Mesa.
  10. ext7MileCkEB          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.69147   W -110.58014        Elev: NaN Feet
    Turn right (more south) to continue toward the East Branch of Seven Mile Creek. Or veer left to continue toward Ticaboo Mesa.
  11. TicabooDP-08          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.68412   W -110.56389        Elev: NaN Feet
    Junction where a rod joins in from southwest. Veer left and continue east toward the Dantes.
  12. extTicabooMesa          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.68397   W -110.55581        Elev: NaN Feet
    Juntion where a road joins in from the south. Stay left and follow the road north to continue out toward the Dante Canyons. Or Turn Right and follow the road South to continue out toward Fiddlestix Canyon. The road to the south eventually loops around to meet the road by Seven Mile Creek.
  13. TicabooDP-21          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.67248   W -110.54955        Elev: 5,085 Feet
    Junction in the road. On the drive in toward Fiddlestix turn left to drive east.
  14. pkFidlStix          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.66742   W -110.54729        Elev: 4,940 Feet
    Corner in the road where the road turns from traveling southwest to traveling southeast. Park near this corner to begin the Fiddlestix Route.
Fiddlestix 2 - Approach and Canyon
  1. pkFidlStix          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.66742   W -110.54729        Elev: 4,940 Feet
    Corner in the road where the road turns from traveling southwest to traveling southeast. Park near this corner to begin the Fiddlestix Route.
  2. wFidlStixRP-01          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.66726   W -110.54575        Elev: NaN Feet
    Rubble pile that allows access down from the rim on the way into Fiddlestix.
  3. wFidlStixRP-02          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.66629   W -110.54284        Elev: NaN Feet
    Top of a large crack on the way to Fiddlestix. You can contiune on either side of the crack but the fin on the left (south) side of the fin is the easiest.
  4. yFiddlestixTp          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.66583   W -110.54175        Elev: 4,520 Feet
    Top of Fiddlestix where the slot drops northeast down away from a wide open slick rock area.. There is a drop above this but there is little to it and not worth the effort to get up there. Raps 3, Max 185 feet.
  5. dFiddlestixR1          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.66643   W -110.54112        Elev: NaN Feet
    Rap 1 - Fiddlestix Canyon. Anchored from a small arch about 8 feet up on the RDC side and drops about 35 feet. Rap 2 is shortly down canyon of rap 1 and is anchored from boulder debris in a narrow section and drops about 75 feet. To make the rope pull smooth and less likley to get stuck the last person can rappel over the top of the boulders instead of down the crack on the LDC side. Rap 2 can also be broken into two separate rappels by rappelling down about 10 feet to choke stones and ledges to re-anchor and continue the drop.
  6. dFiddlestixR3          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.66748   W -110.54025        Elev: NaN Feet
    Last Rap - Fiddlestix. Anchored from choke stones and drops about 185 feet down a mostly vertical wall with a ledge part way down. At the bottom is a large pool that can be avoided by carefully traversing LDC and up the slick rock to a large ledge. If the large pool is dried up walk the sand about 70 feet to a downclimb of about 10 feet then walk the wash.
  7. yFiddlestixBt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.66842   W -110.53355        Elev: 4,115 Feet
    Bottom of Fiddlestix. This is where the drainage / wash tees into another wash. At this junction is a prominent point about 200 feet straight ahead (east).
Fiddlestix 3 - Exit
  1. yFiddlestixBt          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.66842   W -110.53355        Elev: 4,115 Feet
    Bottom of Fiddlestix. This is where the drainage / wash tees into another wash. At this junction is a prominent point about 200 feet straight ahead (east).
  2. wFidlStixRP-03          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.66870   W -110.53310        Elev: NaN Feet
    Bottom of a gully that will allow access up onto the exit ridge line.
  3. wFidlStixRP-04          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.67059   W -110.53419        Elev: NaN Feet
    Bottom of a slick rock nose to walk up.
  4. wFidlStixRP-05          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.67114   W -110.53546        Elev: 4,440 Feet
    Short upclimb of about 4 feet as you traverse near the high point on the slick rock.
  5. wFidlStixRP-06          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.67139   W -110.53648        Elev: NaN Feet
    Spot where you have a wide drainage to the left (south) below you or a sandy open area to the right (north) side of another slick rock nose. Veer left (south) and drop down into the large drainage below.
  6. wFidlStixRP-07          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.67133   W -110.53739        Elev: NaN Feet
    Go up the ramp to climb up out of the drainage.
  7. wFidlStixRP-08          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.67134   W -110.53925        Elev: 4,555 Feet
    Bottom of a slickrock ramp to scramble up.
  8. wFidlStixRP-09          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.67224   W -110.54201        Elev: NaN Feet
    Top of the slickrock nose where you will be on a dirt bench below the rim.
  9. wFidlStixRP-10          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.67178   W -110.54280        Elev: NaN Feet
    Bottom of a rubble pile allowing you to scramble up to the rim.
  10. wFidlStixRP-11          Lat/Lon (WGS84):  N 37.67157   W -110.54423        Elev: 4,975 Feet
    Exit route of Fiddlestix meets the road. From here turn left and follow the road southwest back to the car.

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