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anutami Posts: 491
2/12/2021
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Has anyone been up to Sheep or Cougar canyon recently? Just trying to figure out if the creeks are flowing as we are looking for a reliable water source. We were up over Thanksgiving and Sheep was bone dry 
edited by anutami on 2/12/2021
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+1
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Buford Posts: 456
2/12/2021
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I have never seen that grotto dry before.
In mid January second crossing was bone dry. There has been some rain since then. I would guess the canyons have some water. How far down is it flowing? I don't know with any certainty.
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Links to my photos: ABDSP photos, Bighorn sheep photos, ABDSP time lapse video, Wildlife photos (mainly birds)
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Scooter Posts: 114
2/12/2021
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Usually thanksgiving is still dry from the long summer. I am sure springtime will have water in both.
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Scooter Posts: 114
3/10/2021
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Scooter wrote:
Usually thanksgiving is still dry from the long summer. I am sure springtime will have water in both.
Hello everyone, can anyone advise on the condition of the road up to sheep's? Mainly asking about the bypass section past the third crossing, also a friend wants to know if his full size 4 wd with a camper would make it. I have not been up there in several years. Thanks in advance. SCOOTER
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Brian Posts: 225
3/10/2021
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Hi Scooter. Rocko and I just walked over the bypass road last week. Maybe he'll chime in too. The bypass isn't nearly as bad as it was years ago. At some point the park had it graded (and coincidentally started charging $10/night at Sheep Camp right after that happened). After it was graded I was able to drive it with a stock Crosstrek. But when we walked over it last week there are now some spots where I didn't think I would have enough clearance. Also 3rd crossing has a healthy amount of water at the moment. Not necessarily deep, but a long stretch.
Bottom line, it depends on the specific vehicle. The best advice I could give would be to walk it when you show up and have an alternate plan if it doesn't seem feasible. The rocky part starts about halfway up. When I drove it I parked in a turnout just before that and walked to the top of the hill to check the condition (this is also good to check if there's anyone about to come down - it gets a lot more traffic now than it used to).
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Brian Posts: 225
3/10/2021
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More specifically...
the stock Crosstrek has 8" of clearance. That might be enough if it was a vehicle with a lot of low end power that could always choose a perfect line around obstacles. I know from my previous trip up the hill that the Subaru doesn't have that sort of power. I had to keep my momentum up, which meant I couldn't always choose the perfect line.
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Scooter Posts: 114
3/10/2021
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Thank you so much for the advice. I love this blog! Thank you Darren for keeping this going. Even when I can't get out I really enjoy reading others trip reports.
I go way back before the bypass road when you drove though the stream to get to sheep's. When they first built the bypass it was obviously made to keep people out. It was just broken rocks. Thanks again everyone
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Rocko1 Posts: 596
3/11/2021
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Scooter wrote:
Scooter wrote:
Usually thanksgiving is still dry from the long summer. I am sure springtime will have water in both.
Hello everyone, can anyone advise on the condition of the road up to sheep's? Mainly asking about the bypass section past the third crossing, also a friend wants to know if his full size 4 wd with a camper would make it. I have not been up there in several years. Thanks in advance. SCOOTER
What truck exactly is it? I think a 4WD with good off roadish tires and not too heavy of a camper I would say it's possible. There is nothing crazy in the way of clearance needed it's just the steep section that is all rocks and a heavy vehicle without enough speed may start kicking them out instead of going over. That being said we say a couple newer 4Runners TRD Off Road versions that made it over.
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Scooter Posts: 114
3/11/2021
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My friend has a F250 with a 8 foot Lance camper. FWD
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anutami Posts: 491
3/12/2021
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I made it a couple weeks ago no issues. The biggest challenge is trying to negotiate around oncoming traffic! Just have someone hike up/down the technical sectionS to alert any vehicles. I would say Boulder alley is really just another relatively easy jeep road in ABDSP now, where is years past you really had to have a high clearance short wheel base upgraded Jeep.
oh and yes there is water flowing lol
edited by anutami on 3/12/2021
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Rocko1 Posts: 596
3/12/2021
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anutami wrote:
oh and yes there is water flowing lol
edited by anutami on 3/12/2021
Where is this exactly?
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anutami Posts: 491
3/12/2021
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upper reaches of cougar canyon 
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+1
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rockhopper Posts: 668
3/12/2021
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Good to see the streams flowing! Plus we just got a foot of snow in the higher elevations. Excellent!
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anutami Posts: 491
3/12/2021
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@Scooter tell your buddy this is what his jacks are going to look like after the trip :0
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Scooter Posts: 114
3/12/2021
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Thank you. I think this will keep him from taking his camper.
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Rocko1 Posts: 596
3/12/2021
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rockhopper wrote:
Good to see the streams flowing! Plus we just got a foot of snow in the higher elevations. Excellent!
This is a fantastic time to explore this entire area. Minimal water carries for backpacking.
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