Unparalleled beauty.

Michael Kelsey writes that the upper slot of this canyon, while relatively easy, is one of the best on the entire Colorado Plateau. It's hard to disagree.

Hallway after hallway reveals stunning beauty, with rappels in total blackness, and an enormous temple-style chamber with debris pinched in the ceiling over a hundred feet high. The size of floods that have come through this slot are difficult to comprehend.

Upper Kaibeto Creek Canyon also has a middle narrows, with a 225-foot rappel, and a lower narrows, with several rappels in waterfalls. This section is rarely done. It's just too remote. Roads are entirely sand, and any exit is a serious undertaking.

We constructed several natural anchors on the upper slot, which will surely be washed away by floods. This is an advanced canyon. Heck, even the entry point to the upper slot is hard to find, and a pretty sketchy downclimb even by canyoneering standards. If you're a hiker, better think twice.

Though easy to reach, don't be tempted to poach this canyon. Your car is easily visible, as locals drive the banks several times daily looking for their sheep and cows, and you'll be reported almost immediately. Obey local regulations, please, and don't further jeopardize the relationship between canyoneers and the good people of the Navajo Nation.