Hiking Phipps Arch to Zebra Slot Canyon | GEL Part 2

[@bewe5681]

We are two guys from Germany, watching your videos the whole winter long. We made it to the Phipps Arch while staying in Escalente! Thanks a lot for your gorgeous inspiration and wonderful videos, which took us throughout the dark and rainy winterdays (and there are many) in sticky old Germany

[@Acrossutah]

Very cool. Thanks for watching and I appreciate the comment as well. Cheers! 🌞✌

[@geli.s24]

@@bewe5681 Toll, wir haben es vor 2 Wochen leider nicht geschafft.

[@A-K_Rambler]

A cold one for Mr. Shadow!

[@Acrossutah]

Wow -- @A-K_Rambler! Thanks so much -- I am humbled once again by your generosity. I'll make sure to get Mr. Shadow that cold one asap! 😉🍻

[@Desertkns60]

Great video, beautiful scenery, amazing sunset and a perfect example of listening to those gut feelings! Safe travels and Thank you for sharing!!!

[@Acrossutah]

Thanks! I appreciate you for watching and the comment. 🌞✌

[@meg9728]

You made a nice tribute to Lynn Sessions and his love of Utah arches. RIP.

[@Acrossutah]

Thanks -- he was definitely worthy of a tribute. Thanks for watching and the comment! 🌞✌

[@laramassano2340]

It's amazing how water in the desert is both a deterrent and unwanted as well as lifesaving and needed.

[@Acrossutah]

Very very true. Thanks for watching and the comment! 🌞✌

[@gayleedgar1794]

Beautiful!

[@Acrossutah]

Thanks for watching and the comment! 🌞✌

[@ervinslens]

Such a beautiful episode man, storytelling is brilliant! Love it 👏👏

[@Acrossutah]

Thanks -- I appreciate that. 🌞✌

[@BFanning-yv1dp]

The natural bridge is cool. I liked that you mentioned how the thunder echoes in the canyon. Also showing us the arch from a distance & then zooming to show us. Amazing the distance you cover! Beautiful zebra rocks and oh the cold water in the bottomless canyon in spots. Beautiful previous shots for comparison.

[@Acrossutah]

Thanks -- I just wish I could have captured more of the thunder as it was crazy loud at times. Thanks again for watching! 🌞✌

[@jeffMinnesota952]

epic Jamal, thanks for sharing, lets get going!

[@Acrossutah]

Thanks! And yeah... definitely gotta get going as there's a LOT to hike/watch in the extended series for this hike. There will be 12 episodes in total. Thanks for watching! 🌞✌

[@davidogle9247]

"I'm doing this for you guys..." And I'm holding my breath for you again... 😅 Greatfull you're taking us along again. Thanks so much!!!

[@Acrossutah]

OK, you can exhale now! 😉👍 It's funny because I really never do anything "just for the camera", but often having the camera makes things harder for me (as was this case.) I think it's apparent that I truly enjoy my time out there, but it's also true that I really enjoy sharing the experience with others. So to that... thanks for "following along"! ✌

[@potatothorn]

that was one crazy "swim" in the slot, up to your chest sure made for interesting video// nonstop beautiful views thanks for taking us with you

[@Acrossutah]

Thanks! Yeah... it was a strange experience for sure. I was comfortable swimming and stemming underwater at first, but when it got more narrow it got more unnerving fast and I knew I had to turn around. Thanks again for watching and the comment! 🌞✌

[@potatothorn]

@@Acrossutah had to be extra tough with the camera, thanks for the effort !

[@tedpeterson1156]

Your vids always convey the sense of wonder and excitement of exploring new trails and scenery. Hiking with a pack is the only way to really get the full effect.

[@Acrossutah]

Thanks -- I appreciate that. And I agree that backpacking definitely provides a unique/different experience. Most of the places I visit can be done as a long day hike -- but IMHO it's still not quite the same as "connecting the dots" while backpacking. Thanks for watching and the comment. 🌞✌

[@WJr_88]

You got way further than I would have in Zebra Slot... I would have been thinking of too many "what if's". Those frogs are a natural way to fall asleep real quick after a long's days hike. Thank you Jamal for another great video!

[@Acrossutah]

Thanks -- glad you enjoyed the video. The slot definitely was eerie in those conditions. Wish I'd tried it w/o the bag and camera -- but it still would have been a challenge. As always thanks for watching and the comment! 🌞✌

[@dddhhh2612]

Hiking overland from Phipps Arch to Zebra Slot? Even with GPS that is a heck of an overland trek. Without GPS, that'd take incredible route-finding skills. Kudos!!

[@Acrossutah]

Thanks! Truth is I do take a GPS (and paper maps), but I rarely use either for navigation as I know the surroundings fairly well. One of the many reasons I love hiking in southern Utah is that if not deep in a canyon the line-of-sight to known features is great and that makes navigation fairly easy (compared to being in a tree tunnel in the mountains for instance.) Thanks for watching and the comment. ✌

[@Desertkns60]

Love that you are carrying on the Lynn Sessions legacy using your own gifts! ❤

[@Acrossutah]

Yep, he definitely deserved a bunch of credit. He gets another mention in episode #7. Thanks for watching and the comment. 🌞✌

[@Karen-dq8nw]

Good time for frogs! so cute

[@Acrossutah]

Yep! It's funny... I like the frogs, but my mom hates them -- so she never likes the parts of videos where I include them! 😬🐸

[@DebbieHumphries-jm9ig]

I've been following since the "younger" Jamal segments and the "older" Jamal still has it!

[@Acrossutah]

Thanks and... that's awesome --- one of the OG crew then! 😀👍 I meant to date the "archive" shots but forgot (would have been 2010 and 2016.) Thanks for following along for so long! ✌

[@jameshudspeth7622]

Jamal, just got back from a short backpacking trip in Colorado, and all i can say is Thank You... Very much worth the wait, and so grateful for all of the time and effort you put into your videography and editing... Again, thank you..

[@Acrossutah]

I'm jealous -- I've had too few nights under the stars thus far this year. Hope your trip was fun and glad you are enjoying the extended series so far. Cheers! 🌞✌

[@lisatalley296]

Worth the wait to see the extended version. Last year I watched with envy as my knees were so bad with severe bone on bone arthritis. This year I’m 5 1/2 months and 6 weeks post op on new knees, and as I watch, I am thinking, I think I and do some of the hikes to places you have been!

[@Acrossutah]

Thanks! Best of luck on your continued recovery! 🌞✌

[@joycemiller8107]

Just found your videos. Very nicely done!

[@Acrossutah]

Awesome -- welcome then! Glad you've enjoyed the videos thus far. Thanks for watching and the comment. 🌞✌

[@Udink]

Rest in peace Lynn Sessions. I met him and his brother, David, on Thanksgiving weekend 2009 in the San Rafael Swell near Prickly Pear Flat. Sometimes I think I've been out there and seen some interesting things, then I realize that often Lynn had been there before me.

[@Acrossutah]

Absolutely! That's so cool that you got to meet him in person. I actually cut out a longer segment where I told the story of how I used to think Lynn was a woman just based on the name and mistakenly thought this for a while until someone (ie You!) corrected me. 😀👍

[@ekimpp]

I have been waiting for you. Great to see you!

[@Acrossutah]

Awesome -- hope you enjoy it. Thanks for watching and the comment! 🌞✌

[@StereoSpace]

Thanks!

[@Acrossutah]

Wowza -- BIG thanks for the SuperThanks, @StereoSpace! 🌞👍 Very generous and very appreciated. Thanks again for watching the series and the comments on the vids. ✌

[@StereoSpace]

@@Acrossutah I've literally watched hours of your amazing hiking videos, Jamal. I know how much effort goes into producing these, and they're really fantastic. Probably the best content of their type on KZbin. I thought it was time to say thanks. Hope to see more in the future.

[@biri_biri]

Love the video as always. Zebra is one of my favorite slot canyons, just so pretty. Was there just a few weeks ago, luckily only waist high water this time.

[@Acrossutah]

Very cool -- I was wondering what it was like this season. I'd like to go mid-day some off-season to have good colors and (likely) not many people around (and ideally after a dry spell so no water!) Thanks for watching and sharing your experience. 🌞✌

[@krigsgaldr5619]

Thanks for sharing, Jamal. Really enjoying this Escalante loop.

[@Acrossutah]

You are welcome -- glad you are enjoying following along. Cheers! 🌞✌

[@garyonnen7634]

I hate that moment when the water hits the bottom of your shorts, and you know it’s going to reach the top. Thanks.

[@Acrossutah]

Yep! I realize I'm a bit of a wimp re: cold water/temps, but... yeah! 😉 Thanks for watching and the comment! 🌞

[@drone_boss]

That slot was no joke! Awesome video.

[@Acrossutah]

Thanks! Yep -- cool spot, and though it would've been easier without all the junk I was holding onto, it still would have been awkward. Thanks for watching and the comment! 🌞✌

[@westzonal]

Awesome hike and great Video. I Love your adventures. Thanks for sharing ❤️ Greetings from Germany Martin

[@Acrossutah]

Thanks, Martin! I appreciate you for watching and the greetings all the way from Germany. Cheers! ✌

[@tangenttrails]

Loving the slots!✌️

[@Acrossutah]

Slots of fun! 🌞✌

[@3adam11]

Dang. I was rooting for you in Zebra, but that was crazy deep. You went farther than I would have. I’ve only seen Zebra dry once. It holds water for awhile.

[@Acrossutah]

Thanks! Yeah... I think it's remained fairly deep for over a year now. I wish I'd noted that in the video as some people might have thought that that water was from the recent storm -- but it was definitely much more than that. Thanks for watching and the comment. 🌞✌

[@fishnsyd]

Hi Mr. Shadow! 👋

[@Acrossutah]

Haven't seen him lately as I've been inside working, but... when I do I'll tell him you said "hi"! 😉 Thanks again for watching. ✌

[@jerryphillips7330]

Another great video. You must hiking a few miles east (parallel) of Hole in The Rock Road. On your way did you see Big Horn Slot Canyon? We had a guide take us there a few years. He was to take us to Zebra but mentioned we would be in fairly deep water, so asked to go to Big Horn Slot. This was in Sept and still a lot of water in Zebra.

[@Acrossutah]

You are correct! Zebra is one drainage east of Big Horn -- both of which are a 2-3 miles east of HITR Road. I've visited Big Horn from the bottom in the past and then hiked it from the top on my 2016 hike. Big Horn is beautiful. Even though upper Zebra is amazing too -- overall I think Big Horn might be better from top to bottom. But... one really can't go wrong hiking any of these canyons IMHO. Thanks for watching and the comment. 🌞✌

[@sonyaj66]

Welp, a few days late watching and commenting... Love the section of the GSENM you covered today! I went to Phipps last fall when camping along Spencer Flat road; it's kind of a go-to hike when I'm there. Thankfully, I ran across two other ladies who came from the Escalante end, so we helped each other up over those two kind of awkward climbs; I wouldn't have felt comfortable trying to do it by myself 😬. Have you seen the dino tracks on the middle section of Phipps Wash? They're along the section of slickrock that is adjacent to where that dryfall is that you have to bypass before you drop back down into the main section. I only noticed them for the first time last year. That's such a bummer about Zebra. The presence of the frogs in there tells me it's probably flooded for the foreseeable future (years). We were lucky to go in 2012 when it was still dry, and one of the photos I took is up on my wall. It's been wet the 2x we've gone back, and no way am I wading through all that - kudos to you for taking one for the team, as it were 😄. Speaking of losing things on a trip...last year, I did (or tried to) the Owl-Fish loop, and on day 2, maybe a mile and a half past Nevill's Arch, I realized that my phone had fallen out of my pack 🤡! I dropped the pack, and ran back down the trail and found it maybe 3/4 of a mile back. Later, after I set up camp near the confluence of Fish & Owl, I dayhiked down Fish to try and find the ruins that are down there. Never found them, but thank goodness I turned back when I did, because about 15-20 min. after I got back to camp, Fish flashed, and it was substantial. If I'd been hiking back and happened to be on the west side of it, I'd have had to spend the night with no food, water or shelter. That was on May 22. There was a lot of rain last spring, so I'm not surprised you got hit with a lot of it on your trip.

[@Acrossutah]

Yes -- this is a great section of GSENM and fun to explore (I'd love to do every drainage in the area!) Spencer Flat/Sheffield Road is really terrible for car camping though -- so I usually recommend people stay FAR away. 😉👍 No -- I didn't know about the dino tracks. Darn. Guess it's another reason to go back! Yeah, I meant to make the comment that the water in Zebra was NOT the result of the storm that day -- definitely more a long-term condition at those levels. Though it's only waist-deep recently evidently. Thanks for sharing your experience in Fish/Owl. I've never been in those canyons, so it's another place I need to get to one day. Cheers! 🌞✌

[@genemccabe9657]

Just did this from Old Sheffield Rd down to Phipps Wash. I missed the arch and now that I am home and looking on Google maps I see where I went awry, I was sooo close. So I'll try again next spring. Regarding the Dino track, if coming down from Old Sheffield is it by the 1st dryfall that you bypass on the left, or the next one further down?

[@sonyaj66]

@@genemccabe9657 Yes, the tracks are about 100-200 meters or so to the left of the first dryfall (this assumes you're entering the wash from the west branch of the drainage and are heading east, vs. one from the south that's further down Old Sheffield), so look for them as you walk along the slickrock area. They're really easy to miss, so you need to look for a bunch of little V-shaped tracks, many of which have black lichen/moss growing in them. They're about 2.5" in length, so either babies or small dinos 🙂. Phipps Arch, interestingly, is quite visible from a few places along Old Sheffield, once you know where to look, and esp. in the afternoon from the overlook campsite area (we camped there again this year). It is not at all visible even from the side canyon where you access it; you need to climb up and get over a couple of dicey areas (dicey for me, anyway - I'm only 5'7", and not a rock climber). It's easier if you're with someone and/or are tall and have confidence with slickrock scrambling). The route is at least well-cairned and once you get over those two climb sections, goes quickly. The side canyon to the arch is not far after you finally leave that extended spring section of the wash and all those willows and creek braids - it is the first one you encounter. I hope you find the dino tracks the next time you go; they are so cool! I saw them on the way back the first time, and again this year. At first I didn't know what they were, but as I looked at them a bit closer, it was clear they weren't just random areas of pitted erosion.

[@lilianm7151]

Amazing footage! Which end did you entered Zebra? I was there a couple years ago but your footage looked a bit different then from what I remember.

[@Acrossutah]

The slot portion? Even though I hiked down the whole wash from the top, I bypassed the drop in point of the slot and then entered from the very bottom via the only way in (non-technical anyway.) It was fairly late in the day at that point so it may have looked different with all the shadows (and the water too.) Thanks for watching and the comment! 🌞✌

[@martinforrester8249]

Another fascinating hike thru parts of Utah I haven't ( nor will now at 80) covered, so thank you. With all the hiking you do Jamal, you mention probs with your feet. Do you ever suffer from Plantis facsilis ? I have over the years, and it's bl..dy painful.

[@Acrossutah]

Thanks! Surprisingly my feet do exceptional well now. I used to frequently get blisters early on into a big hike -- but now that's extremely rare (and they are minor if at all.) I am usually very diligent about removing any sand or small rocks from my boots asap and often remove my boots and let my feet dry out during longer breaks. Thanks for watching and the comment! 🌞✌

[@joyouslily2982]

Yo Mr. Shadow!

[@Acrossutah]

I will tell him you said hi! 😉 Thanks for watching! ✌

[@primarytrainer1]

It was great that you included the tent info! Is there any chance you have a list of the gear you use? I am looking to upgrade as my hikes get longer (and google is giving me info overload). Thank you!! :)

[@Acrossutah]

Thanks. Truth is I'm really not much of a "gear guy". However others often ask me about what I use and thus on this hike series I made more of an concerted effort to talk more about gear along the way (especially since much of it was new this year.) So watch for more of that coming up and I might create a written blog post afterwards with my full list for this hike and conclusions. I definitely have my preferences, but really IMHO there are other channels which are more knowledgeable and focused on gear than I'll likely ever be. Thanks for watching and the question. ✌

[@geli.s24]

Unfortunately, about 10 days ago we didn't make it to the last step, it was just too high and too dangerous for me.😢 Such a shame!

[@Acrossutah]

@@geli.s24 Oh no -- that's too bad. Do you mean to Phipps or in Zebra? Sorry to hear that either way, but hope you had fun in the area! ✌️

[@geli.s24]

@@Acrossutah To Phipps Arch 😰

[@jodhi2068]

5:07 😝

[@Acrossutah]

Thanks for watching! 🌞✌