Deimos Death Valley Canyoneering Adventure

Deimos was the son of Ares and Aphrodite. He is the twin brother of Phobos and nephew of the goddess Enyo who accompanied her brother Ares into battle, as well as his father's attendants, Trembling, Fear, Dread and Panic. Deimos is more of a personification and an abstraction of the sheer terror that is brought by war and he never appeared as an actual character in any story in Greek Mythology. His Roman equivalent was Formido or Metus. Asaph Hall, who discovered the moons of Mars, named one Deimos, and the other Phobos - although the moons are very different and not twins like their namesakes.

Mike set up a trip to DV, and invited me along. Given the 18" of snow up here in Mt Carmel, escaping to the dry, warm Valley of Death seemed like a good idea. I suggested something fairly short without a car spot on Black Mountain, and Deimos it was. I was really thinking of Helios which I have also not done but... oh well! Abby offered me an actual bed at her house: BONUS!! Saturday's choice was Deimos-sneak route which did not require an early start. No one objected.

We breakfasted at the local overpriced buffet and headed out. The team for today was Mike Cressman and Ray Regaldo from Las Vegas, Abby from DV, Ashley Pipkin, Adam Brewster and myself. We drove a bit and parked. Crossed the fan. Climbed the hill (ugh!). Dropped over into the middle of Deimos, the sneak route. The lower half of the canyon provided plenty of sports action. We did some rapping and some downclimbing. It was good! Lacking a story arc, really. No drama.