Hike in Buckskin Gulch via the Middle Route, southern Utah

David and I hiked Buckskin Gulch from the Middle Route access point on a sunny day in mid-March. The scramble down sandy ledges into the canyon was way scarier than I remembered from two years earlier. Once in the canyon we spent about 7 hours hiking downstream 4 or 5 miles and back again, mostly in ankle-deep opaque pinkish-brown water. We stayed dry in chest waders and Crocs. Quicksand, fortunately never more than knee-deep, ate our Crocs from time to time. Spectacular scenery - we each took hundreds of photos. The tripod came in handy, and gloves would have been nice too. Though in the low 60's overhead, the temperature in the deeper sections of the canyon was closer to 40F.
Click a picture to see a larger view.