“We all want to get through this safely.” Ram’s cinematic voice rang through my head as I stuffed my helmet into my pack. “Figure out your system: ask around.” I slipped on my second pair of neoprene socks...
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On the final day of the year 2017, Rachel and I had the pleasure of playing through Euphrates canyon with Tom, Ram and Jenny. It’s always a treat to canyoneer with some of the sport’s beloved micro-celebrities.
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The anticipation of it all was next level on this trip. My first
Grand trip was scheduled in January but life had a different
plan for me. The same weekend as my trip, I ended up fighting
for my life in emergency surgery instead. Surprise!
Friends from ZAC, Robby and Hayley, had descended a way-backcountry newly found canyon near Zion, and said it was really cool...
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The Right Fork is a wonderful Zion canyon, protected from popularity (for all but the swiftest) by requiring two or three days, thus being a ‘backpacking trip’, which canyoneers don’t do so much. As I looked back through my canyoneering diary, I realized it had been 10 years since I had Right Forked...
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How much do ropes shrink as we use them? There is no standard test for this, so it becomes very hard to say. I think/guess/observe/no-really-it-is-a-guess about 5% in the first few trips, and not much past that. For my Imlay Canyon Gear ropes that are 100% polyester, sheath and core, thus perhaps more resistant to shrinkage than other ropes. But what is really true? Could we actually collect some data and find out?
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Shall we give Jacob a visit again? The weather was temperate, but soon would be too hot for this south-facing canyon – yes. One ‘benefit’ of working on the guidebook (Zion, 2nd Edition) which I “have been” for about 5 years (Bullwinkle: “This time for sure!”) is that I feel like certain things need to be ‘fixed’...
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What a difference 10 days make. Beautiful temperate weather here in Zion, and the flowers are out in the Main Zions Canyon. Not exactly a superbloom, but better than the last Flowerwalk for sure. Cassy Brown joined me and we followed the same route, more or less, as 10 days prior - hitting the Emerald Pools are first, then over to Weeping Rock to check on the hidden riparian area, and get some better shots with the better light of a bright spring day. By Emerald Pools, in addition to what was found last time...
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Kind of a crazy spring, here in Zionland. First very warm. Then cooler and rainy, as in very rainy. Went down to the main canyon to see if anything was out in the lower elevations, taking the Kayenta trail to the Middle Emerald Pool, then near Weeping Rock went to one of my favorite riparian nooks. Not all that many things out, but many of the usual suspects were getting going. Also some species new to me, or at least that I had not carefully photographed previously...
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My knees still hurt. But this is not unusual. I do one hiking trip each spring to the Grand Canyon, carrying the BIG PACK (camping, canyoneering, pool toying) and it wrecks me. Then it takes a year for me to forget. This year, the crew included two oldsters with more years than me...but they also seemed to be more durable. (Sigh)...
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Sunday's adventure was to be my fourth canyon in the Princess Bride Range, the Pit of Despair. Fun little canyons over here, in a steep but not too high limestone mountain range. We drove out that way, parked the car on the berm, hiked up the fan. It is a bit of a walk over to the base of the mountain, a slow trudge up the alluvium. But the temps were nice so, trudge we did. Today's team included...
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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...
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Guest Canyoneering Rave by Nicolas Barth Presented with a three-day weekend at the end of a solid bout of rain in southern California I figured I could spare one day to be out and about. I had never been to Great Falls of the Fox, said to be one of the standout canyons in the San Gabriels for its narrow bedrock canyon and rapid-fire waterfalls, so thought this would be as good a time as any to check it out...
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It's a small canyon. One rappel. Some nice narrows. I've done it twice now, and both times did not get much in the way of pictures. And stuck the rope, both times. My niece Rylin was in town, and we wanted to do something, something short. It was broiling hot. Shelf Canyon seemed like a good idea, though the scenic approach would be a bit on the toasty side, so we took the Upper Pine Creek approach...
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We went to Heaps... Heaps would be my favorite canyon in Zion, except that it is physically demanding a bit past my usual fitness level. Meaning, before a Heaps I have to bear down for two weeks, drink a bit less beer, do a few more runs or training hikes. So when Kip messages me on Tuesday "doing a Heaps this Saturday, you coming?" I briefly hesitate...
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Back to Zion National Park's Not-Imlay Canyon. Rumor had it someone left a bunch of ropes hanging, so we organized a trip to go in and retrieve these things. The dangling rope was swung on by the numerous Narrows hikers... until it broke. Emergency over, but cleanup still required...
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It's hot down here. Anyone notice? I've been doing a lot of canyons, but my energy level is tanking. So how about something kinda short? Walker has been on the list to do for the new guidebook, and I had made an attempt a couple years ago in the fall, when we went down the East Fork only to discover that the East Fork does not get you to the cool big rap that is the big event in this canyon...(sigh)...
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Cassidy Arch Canyon has gotten rather popular, of late. The Park has become concerned about the wear and tear in the canyon, including on the tree used for the first anchor. We had been telling people to use a retrievable anchor system so as not to leave a sling for the hiking visitors to fret over, but... With increased traffic, slings left on the tree were a regular thing...
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