canyon Blue John - Robbers Roost
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Tags: Type:Canyon, Season:Spring, Season:Summer, Season:Fall, Season:Winter, Difficulty:Average Joe
RATING: 3A
LENGTH: 4-8 hours depending on forks
GEAR: Standard Technical Gear, The east fork can hold water after rain to waist deep or deeper. Beware of this if doing it in colder times of the year.
RAPPELS: West Fork - 0, Main Fork - 0, but a 10 m ( 33 ft ) rope is handy for belaying, East Fork - 2, bring a 30 m ( 99 ft ) rope, Little Blue John - 2, bring a 50 m ( 165 ft ) rope and 30 m ( 99 ft ) of webbing.
WATER: Generally little or none unless right after rains. Possibly wading, but likely little swimming.
FLASH FLOOD DANGER: Moderate, but you can see the whole drainage and skies on the approach.
SEASON: Any, although summers can be hot. Roads can be difficult to pass in the winter.

Hype:

Aaron Ralston made Blue John famous when he became trapped there in May of 2003 when a rock shifted and pinned his arm in the lower section. Five days after becoming trapped, he amputated his arm with a small knife and freed himself.

The canyon complex itself is many people's first canyon experience, and for good reason. The different forks of Blue John offer different challenges and scenery, but are very accessible to beginning canyoneers. Several options are available for combining the forks, depending on time available and motivation.
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Photos:

Blue John ArchMini Tower

My History:

I have been in all of the forks described several times over the years. My favorite loop would be down Little Blue John and up the main fork. If you have more time, the standard loop is to go down the east fork and up the main fork. This makes for a nice 6-8 hour loop.

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