After the chilly high Uintas we suffered the long, hot 300 plus mile drive south along Utah's Rt. 15. Our primary target was the Veyo Pool and Climber's Park known as Crawdad Canyon in Veyo, Utah which is 19 miles northwest of St. George along Rt. 18. The inviting and beautifully maintained spring fed pool has been in service for decades but the basalt walls lining the canyon that the pool resides in were recently developed as a climbing venue much as Seneca Falls, Arizona was commissioned to be bolted. A few climbers did most of the bolting. Todd Goss, chief among the developers, is author of the St. George area guidebook which includes Crawdad. Rockclimbs of S.W. Utah and The Arizona Strip. Sharp End Publishing, 2000.

Al and I did not know what to expect. Had we made a mistake? Will it be cool enough? We'd planned on camping in the canyon in a walk-in site. We parked in the parking lot and walked down the very steep driveway into the canyon and pool/office/snack bar area. There we signed a waiver for Tim the manager and paid our $10 walk-in site fee ($20 for one of the two drive-in sites). We were also assessed $4 each for the day of climbing. Showers are available but they're cold water only - not a bad proposition after a day of climbing at this time of year. Use of the pool is NOT included in either fee. Pool usage will
cost another $4.

The walk-in "sites" are really any flat spot you can find along the creek which, by the way in case you were thinking of jumping in for a swim, is chock FULL of crayfish or crawdads. You remember when you were a kid hunting frogs and turtles, these are the miniature lobsters you'd find and wonder if they tasted as good. The critters in this creek and in Tim's aquarium are bigger than any I'd ever snatched out from under a rock as a kid. I can just imagine them going after my toes as soon as I set foot into the water. No thank you.

As advertised our first experience with the climbing was almost surreal. At the far end of the pool deck is The Flytrap area with its spring fed waterfall, a stream at its base, cement paving, park benches and railings. The climbs are spaced closely. Each has a brass plaque stating the grade, name and creator of the route. We did the three star namesake 5.9 called Flytrap and moved down canyon to sample some of the many starred tens there. This side of the canyon is in the shade in the mornings until 1:00 or so. The temperature was comfortable but the climbs, once we entered the Todd Hollow area, were far from comforting. We found the bolting haphazard and unpredictable with no regard to clipping ease. Bolts would be encountered in mid crux or far from the crux. The routes here were scary and potentially dangerous. The ratings were just as bizarre. I had to resort to
lowering off and later top roping a 10b. A 10B! That one was called Sibling Rivalry. Further to the right we continued to encounter disturbing routes and ratings. I had all I could do to keep it together on the thin, delicate, balancy moves of Double Amputee. A 10A! After half a dozen routes that were similar to these we retreated to the snack bar in disgust. I was ready to pull up our tent stakes and return to the enjoyable routes of the Uintas.

Somewhat refortified with lunch and with renewed hope he entered the upper canyon. Here we encountered the first of many climbers on this a Sunday. None had been present at the areas we had visited so far today. Do they know something that we don't? I began tentatively with another 10a. Sunrise Buttress the plaque said. It was superb just as every other route we did at this and other crags upstream of the pool proved to be. The best of the best turned out to be The Integrity Wall and The Rubicon. Five eleven heavens both. One great route after another. Beautifully bolted and accurately (mostly) rated. Reaching daily "quotas" of 12 - 15 routes is entirely practical. It was difficult to call it quits when the evening is so cool but the gate is locked at 8:00 pm. All climbers must be signed out by then.

The Real Skinny
Al and I soon learned of a much more convenient, pleasant and free camping area. It's at Sand Cove Reservoir which is only a mile back down Rt. 18 from Crawdad. From St George head north on Rt. 18 which is
the road to Veyo and Crawdad. At mile marker 18 there's a dirt road to the left just after the Dameron housing development sign and before a large volcanic cone. There's a BLM sign a few yards in along this road but the sign is not easily seen when driving by on Rt. 18. The road begins as crushed black basalt. The reservoir is less than two miles down the road just after the black basalt gives way to dirt. There are sites on either side of the road. We liked a site down a short road to the left just before the reservoir. The sandstone Prophesy Wall lies just beyond on the left.

Ahh. Cool days down in the canyon and the always cool and star filled nights under the clear western sky. These two New England craggers never had it so good.

We interspersed our days at Crawdad with a full morning in the shade on the soft sandstone of Chuckwalla Wall just a mile or so along Rt. 18 out of St. George. There were three tens and a couple of elevens in our range along with several routes at higher grades. As with any sandstone area beware of climbing on the porous stone less than a couple of days after a hard rain. A hold exploded on Al as he topped out on one of the tens - the crux of the climb. It was a well chalked knob, one I had also relied on. We also sampled the limestone of the Utah Hills, aka, Santa Clara - a crag known as The Soul Asylum. It should have been called The Sole Asylum for what this sharp limestone can do to sticky rubber. This limestone is of the spiky, razor blade variety. The kind that clumsy climbers don't last very long on. If you tend to clonk your knees into every protrusion then stay away from this place. Most of the crag does not enter shade until mid afternoon.

Ciao