Boundary Canyon with Waterfalls! Zion National Park, UT
Bailey: Hey Tom, we should go do a canyon together!
Tom: Yeah we should, and the summer is waning - let's set a date!
Bailey: I've got Thursdays off, how about Sept 2nd?
Tom: Cool. Round up a crew and we could go do, like, Boundary Canyon.
Another stunningly beautiful day up near Lava Point, feels more like the first of October than the first of September!
Magda, Bailey, Talia and Sarah – companions for the day.
We took the “normal approach”, which allowed me to consider a few revisions to the text for the 2nd edition.
A tad of bushwhackery toward the bottom. And – NO Colorado Columbine. Found the plants, but the flowers were long gone (for those who are keeping track).
Suiting up at the top of the canyon. Bailey psyching up for AGGRESSIVE CANYONEERING!!!
Boundary Canyon is a fine one. Lots of flow today, surprisingly more than we saw last time, in June.
We rapped down the watercourse, 90 feet to a pool with a small tree to use as an anchor for the next rappel. Sarah setting up the second rappel.
Talia enjoying her first ever running water (Class C) canyon rappel.
The (new) second rappel (90 feet) starts by a short drop to this pothole, then popping up on this peninsula and down to the bottom of the (old) first rappel.
Bailey on rappel, and setting up the pull cord.
Talia dancing down the 4th (new 5th) rappel.
Magda getting splashed and enjoying it on the 5th (new 6th) rappel.
Big smiles all around. Dry Suits keep people warm! Lots of splashing water. Fun fun fun!
As if there was any doubt as to why I rarely include pictures of myself…
Bailey getting started on the next rappel.
Top of the last rappel. Wonderful canyon, but, the stress of the constant loud pounding water means we were sated by the time we got here.
Sarah dancing down the last rap.
Talia and Bailey enjoying a moment-of-mirth before the last rap.
Talia’s getting the hang of a more-aggressive rappelling style, here in flowing-water canyons.
Talia dancing down the last rappel.
Bailey on the same…
… and the last few moves to the pool.
We twhacked our way down Boundary Canyon, some fabulous and interesting Delphinium delighting our eyes. Down to the “flat rock” at the intersection with Kolob.
Talia REALLY ENJOYED her first trip up the MIA Exit.
A section of fixed (waterski) rope near the top really helped with the last super-steep bit.
And then, just a short walk to the top... well, usually an hour or more, but in this case, as we were lounging at the pipe spring, a white pickup truck with three cute dogs in the back drove by.
Them: Want a ride? Us: Oh Yeah!!! Them: Hop on in!
So we did. A fine finish to a fine day. Boundary Canyon rocks! It's the new Kolob.