First Creek Slabs 

Trying a different method from whomever chopped the Lotta Balls descent anchors, I'm putting my actions out there in the name of safety and owing up to it so we can have an actual dialogue if need be. That said, I removed the natural thread rap station for the slabs descent. The webbing and quicklink were directly in the path of water and debris runoff and looked a little suspect. Leaving it felt like more of a potential risk than removing it. I found the station very unnecessary as a single 70m rap will get you to a reasonable place to scramble over to the tree on skiers right. Downclimbing/scrambling to the next set of bolts while pulling your line isn't bad either. I'd expect to see the station pop back up in wet or icy conditions, otherwise the webbing just doesn't seem to last. I still have the webbing and quicklink (now brown) should anyone want to examine it, I do not, however, know how long that particular set had been there.

When many of the first creeks slabs routes were going up the descent used the walk-off/rappels listed in this comment. Now the canyon appears to have sprung bolted descent anchors (read other user comments below). The descent description listed here still works but may not be the easiest way down.

To descend - walk to a low spot on the ledge system looking for a large red offwidth crack next the start of Celtic Cracks. The noticeable Shamrock Roof on Celtic Cracks can be seen above.

Gigette's pic.

Looking back from the start of the First Creek Slabs Descent Gully. Head down this gully, and you'll soon see the rap station (small tree) on skiers right. Submitted By: Dirty Gri Gri, or is it GiGi? on Mar 26, 2008

The second rappel off the first creek slabs. This is a natural formation that allows for a cool threaded rappel station. Submitted By: Karsten on Mar 26, 2008

Thanks for the rap stations, Karsten; Great job!

Info: We got down with a single 60 meter, with some fun, easy scrambling, and short sections of manageable downclimbing in between raps.

If I remember correctly, those orange slings appear to be where there previously was some exciting down climbing. Getting down was harder than anything on Hot Flash.

Thanks for the anchors and description, Karsten. The downclimbing is exposed but pretty easy - however I think we did a few extra raps that Karsten downclimbs. We did 7 raps total with a single 60m rope. After the 2 that Karsten mentions, we downclimbed quite a ways and then rapped off a piece of perlon pinched under a large block, then moved east for a short rap off three small trees. This brings you down to the "large" tree which begins the Rising Moons descent (2 long plus one very short rap from trees).

If a lot of people start using this descent, the trees may suffer. Some of them are not very big!

Yes, Gigi and I were up there in May, and we were surprised to see bolts on the standard First Creek Slabs descent. I don't remember how many.

I did this descent yesterday. As noted, there are new bolts that appeared sometime since April. Anyways, here's how it goes.

1. Rap 30m from bolts just below the spindly pine tree. Tie knots. Ends at bolts on left wall.
2. Rap 60' to the cool thread.
3. Rap 100' down gully, then downclimb class 3 to more bolts. Can skip thread if you have two ropes.
4. Rap from bolts another 30m to an alcove, then down climb skiers right (cairn, low 5th class past a bush) to the big ledge. Alternately a double rope rap gets you to the ledge and bolts near the pine tree.
5. Two more raps with one rope (tie knots) or one with two ropes leads to the base.

Someone has replaced and added many rappel stations:
The first rappel (that was on the pine tree) is now 10' to skier's left with two nice bolts(no chains on any of these - may need slings). Still single 60m rope.
They also added a couple of unnecessary stations that bypass cl.3 downclimbing.
I did it the old way - 2nd rappel from the slung 'handle' and lots of scrambling down the gullies. But it looks like you could do a 2-rope rap from the new station (about 30' above the old slung handle). There are several more new stations below this - I'm guessing these are double rope raps - but I did the cl.3 down climbs. Anybody used the new stations?
Near the bottom, there is also a new station just below the tree that is the standard descent from Rising Moons. (This gets rid of the ugly tat that usually surrounded that tree and makes it easier/safer to get to the midway tree for those doing single rope raps)

as nice and easy as those bolts may be, they were placed illegally and may jeopardize climbers ability to bolt in red rock in the future- please be respectful of the bolting ban here!

Dave- it depends on the situation. Probably the biggest reason locals don't remove the bolts is that starting a bolting war (so to speak) is not in anyone's interest. There's also the question of the effort/equipment to go up there and chop 'em- that's 1000' of climbing and quite a bit of weight both up and down. And time- folks are busy here- some with work, some with FA's, and these bolts are pretty new. Will they survive the fall season here? Dunno. Maybe. Maybe not. Who's to say?

Is it legal to remove bolts- as far as I know, yes. IMHO, it comes down to the local tribe's feeling about such bolts.

Tribe. Bolt war. Silly words.

The bolted stations aren't strictly necessary on a lot of the gully terrain, for sure. If you're going down this in the dark, they will be appreciated for sure.

I didn't see anything wrong with the bolting job done, and I've seen a LOT of bad Red Rock bolts over the last few years. The hardware's out of the water flow line, the bolts and hangers are both non-stainless, which means galvanic corrosion won't be an issue-as to the lack of chain, I think chain's uglier by a mile than the slings that are in place, and would probably get jacked anyway.

Those not familiar with low-strength "aid tape" sling material might want to bring a few feet of 9/16" webbing to replace the black webbing at the last bolted station before the Rising Moons raps-aid tape is 500 lbs strength when brand new, it's gotten a sunburn at this point, and needs replacement.

Due to several inquiries: here is my best descent beta:
The big gully (between the slabs & upper tier) is straightforward - a few cairns.
At the big pine tree (@ a low point in the gully) scramble down 20' until you find rap anchors. Single rope rap - 100'.
At this point you have a choice - if you have two ropes, I would do a double rope rap from the new anchors (right where the first rap ends); or - with a single rope- you scramble down about 50' (skiers left) to the old rap station which is a sling through a rock slot.
At the end of either of these raps ignore the bolts/rap station and just scramble down the gully. Cross over to the (skier's) right gully about 40 feet below this ridiculous station (at a tree) and continue down (class 2, at worst).
Keep scrambling more or less straight down past an open section until you see another rap station. Again - you have a choice: I have never used this station - but it is clearly a 2 rope rap. I have always crossed to the gully on the (skier's) left just above the rap bolts - it is an awkward step to get established. Then more downclimbing/scrambling including a slither past a tree. Never hard.
Coming out of this gully - trend skier's right to the tree. There is a rap station about 10' below this tree (this is the Rising Moons descent).
Either a double rope rap to the bottom, or two single rope raps using the second (not the first!) tree as the second station.
Then straight downhill to the ledge system you start from.
Out of curiosity, I timed it: 40 & 45 minutes from the top of Lady Luck/Sunset Slab to the ledge for two relatively scaredy cat scramblers (using the one rope; 4 rap version).

Descent description by Karl K is right on in terms of locations, and it was a huge help in locating/following the descent. Thanks Karl!

We didn't scramble everywhere he did so it took us about 1:20 from the top of Sunset Slab.

At one point about halfway down he describes traversing to a gully on skiers left to avoid a double rope rappel. It is a fairly exposed move to enter the gully, but it can be easily protected by placing a #2 camalot in a crack, attaching it to a cows tail/daisy, and then reaching back to remove it once you're in the gully.

In general I'd say the scrambles are easier than they look from above, and they do save time over rappelling. Given the low angle, the ropes tend to bunch up and get stuck on the pull. We made the first 3 rappels and the last double rope rappel. In hind sight we should of scrambled the 3rd rappel as it is really quite sloping.