Gray Cap Scramble Loop - 12/8/22 - Mike O'Connor as Guest Blogger and Photos by the Whole Gang

Climbing the Red Wall (Turtlehead Peak in background)

View of Brownstone Canyon from Gray Cap Peak

An interesting Scramble in the Cairned Route Descent

Resting on Kraft Saddle

Thursday's hike was one of the best scrambles at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Not too much and not too little. Not too hard and not too easy. Mike describes the hike below as only Mike can do it. Mike, Cheryl, Ralyn and Ralph all joined in to document the occasion with colorful photos as they climbed to a limestone covered peak found on top of a sandstone ridge between Gateway Canyon and Brownstone Canyon. According to Mike's report, the descent route was diverted slightly over the route indicated on the maps below but there are actually many different routes that can be used to descend from Gray Cap back into Gateway Canyon. Some are more difficult than others. Mike's brief report is as follows:

Descending from Kraft Saddle

Climbing up through Gateway Canyon

Scrambles in Upper Gateway Canyon

Upper Gateway

There were no fox sightings in Gray Fox Canyon. Year after year, we scale Gray Cap (5443’), but the elusive vulpine has only been spotted a single time. The name stuck, but the fox disappeared. We did however, see lots of long shadows as the winter solstice was just around the corner. Those shadows were cast by Jerry, Cheryl, Ralyn, Chuck and Ralph, in addition to mine.

To add a little spice to our adventure, we decided on a classic, lollipop loop. After exorcising the demons on Five-Stop Hill, we ascended the Class 2 Upper Gateway Canyon. At the top end of Gateway, we focused on the lone tree at the crest of the sandstone scramble. Up we went to the huge tinaja, which was as dry as a powder house. Another short up-and-over and we were staring at our destination, some 400 vertical feet away. 

Crossing Fin above Deep Tinaja

Flat before Final Climb

The Picnic Table - Midway Up

Crossing over to Gray Cap

The Class 3 descent of the eponymous Gray Fox Canyon is always a blast. Lots of fun scrambling here, with many different routes down to the canyon floor, including a couple dicey spots which deterred no one. We thought we had been on every possible descent route, but Chuck Stinnett managed to find a new one. It was a keeper. Upon reaching Lower Gateway, we scampered back up to Five-Stop, then finished the day with an easy, downhill cruise to the Kraft Mountain dirt lot. 

Red Cap and the Escarpment from Final Climb

Gray Cap summit Photo

Starting down into the Yellow Sandstone

Getting Steeper by the Cairn

Vitals: 6 hikers, 5.3 miles, 2300’ vertical, 5 1/4 hours.

MOC

From Yellow to Red Sandstone

An interesting Sramble

Just above Gateway Canyon