Pleasant Draw
See on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjUWImmZQ-0
ACA Canyon
Rating – 2B III
NEVER ENTER ANY
SLOT CANYON WHEN HEAVY RAIN IS IN THE FORCAST…!!!
A major tributary mid-way in Pleasant Draw
has a wonderful ¾ mile long “slot canyon” section. We call this Alabaster Canyon. It is mostly solid alabaster (gypsom).
The upper end of Alabaster Canyon (shown
below) closes in so narrow that the walls touch in places and we could hardly
squeeze thru...! ! !
Notice above how sunlight shows thru this
narrow slot from the other end
Below is this narrow slot as seen from the
other end
...not too far downstream from the narrow
slot above is this beautifully sculpted Alabaster Cave about 100 feet deep...
and up to 20 feet high
Below Darren stands in the cave entrance at
creek-bed level
Below is a 12 foot wide section of a
calcite wall in Alabaster Canyon... swirls of crystal. This marble is beautiful and very high
quality...! ! !
The main stream of Pleasant Creek normally
has some flowing water
Notice on the map below that Pleasant Draw
holds several slot canyons- the one shown in the photos below is a long one and
is the farther-most downstream
This slot runs for about ¾ of a mile
The white alabaster shines like a hallway
of ivory...! ! !
This last photo is of the slot canyon up on
the sandstone cliffs in the upper most reaches of Pleasant Draw above the falls
and pool - see map below-
beta facts:
name- Pleasant Draw
elevation- about 2700’ ele
GPS coordinates- ±34°48.439’N 101°26.915’W at mid-way
flow- intermittent
season to visit- ANY DRY TIME will have less mud…
NEVER ENTER ANY SLOT
CANYON WHEN HEAVY RAIN IS IN THE FORCAST…!!!
accommodations- NONE
ownership- private land
nearest town- Wayside, Tx
is about 5 miles west of here
Pleasant Draw
This canyon
is not open to the public...! ! !
-We
were invited here with special permission-
Enhanced USGS topo map
The Red Lines depict
sections of “slot canyons”
Back to New Mexico
Slot Canyons
Send questions and comments to dscott@themarblesculptor.com