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Aug 31, 2017 — South Guardian Angel is a remote peak in Zion's Kolob Terrace, and the ridiculously visually stunning east ridge approach has had me excited to get there since I laid eyes on it. The standard route route crosses through the Left Fork of North Creek (aka The Subway), so I thought the best route would be to take the standard Subway route, but take a detour to find South Guardian Angel. I haven't done the standard Subway approach yet, so this seemed like it would be a pretty great outing. Somehow I was able to score two Subway permits, so clearly it was meant to be.
From the Wildcat Canyon Trailhead, head down into the Left Fork of North Creek on an easy-to-follow trail. The last few hundred feet has some Class 2 that spits you into the canyon. Follow the canyon downstream (you'll likely see other people en route to the Subway) until you get to the first narrow section after a full swimmer, where you have to pay close attention to the south side of the canyon to find a natural arch marking the gully up and out the canyon. A Class 4 move is followed by a steep slope to the mesa. Continue along a sandy wash to the base of South Guardian Angel and find a route up the slickrock to gain the ridge. The very summit has a really easy Class 4 move on some crumbly slab, but it's short-lived. After summiting, continue back into the Subway and follow the standard route, ending at the Left Fork Trailhead.
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