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Schellbach Butte
A remote interior butte on Buddha Temple's shared saddle
About
Schellbach Butte is a remote formation deep in the canyon's central interior, rising on a shared saddle with the much better-known Buddha Temple. It sits well off any maintained trail, in rugged country above Phantom Creek and Utah Flats, and is visited almost exclusively by experienced canyoneers and scramblers making their way to Buddha Temple rather than as a destination on its own.
What's up there
Climbers who've made the cross-country approach report a small memorial and summit register on top, placed for a Preston Schellbach — accounts describe him only as possibly a park ranger, and there's no clear public record tying the butte's name to a specific, well-documented figure. Reaching the saddle involves scrambling through a break in the Redwall limestone between Schellbach and Buddha Temple, exposed terrain that is not beginner territory.
- No maintained trail reaches Schellbach Butte; access is cross-country scrambling from the Phantom Creek/Utah Flats area
- Best known as the neighboring formation to Buddha Temple, sharing its approach saddle
- Suited only to experienced off-trail canyon travelers with route-finding and scrambling skills
Best Time to Attempt It
Given the exposed, off-trail terrain, cooler shoulder-season months are considerably safer than summer heat on this approach.
Trail Tips
- Climbers who've made the cross-country approach report a small memorial and summit register on top, placed for a Preston Schellbach, though there's no clear public record tying the butte's name to a specific, well-documented figure.
- Best known as the neighboring formation to Buddha Temple, sharing its approach saddle.
- Suited only to experienced off-trail canyon travelers with route-finding and scrambling skills.
Reaching Schellbach Butte
No maintained trail reaches Schellbach Butte; access is cross-country scrambling from the Phantom Creek/Utah Flats area. Reaching the saddle involves scrambling through a break in the Redwall limestone between Schellbach and Buddha Temple.
What to Expect at Schellbach Butte
Schellbach Butte is a remote formation deep in the canyon's central interior, rising on a shared saddle with the much better-known Buddha Temple. It sits well off any maintained trail, in rugged country above Phantom Creek and Utah Flats, and is visited almost exclusively by experienced canyoneers and scramblers making their way to Buddha Temple rather than as a destination on its own.
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