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One of Rick's highlights for September 2006 was attending one of Tom's Canyon Festivals in Zion National Park, Utah for a few days of exploring the Zion (and vicinity) technical canyons. Carol did not make the trip.
One thing I should note is that photography in the slot canyons is very challenging - the light is low, so the "shutter" wants to remain open for a while leading to lots of opportunity for motion blur either from the subjects moving or from the photographer moving the camera. A tripod is ideal, but few of us usually carry one. Some asked about my waterproof camera - it's a Pentax Optio W10 - there's a new model called the W20 already - apart from more megapixels, it (W20) appeared to work the same from a UI point of view. Great for canyons - waterproof, sandproof, slimeproof, no external moving parts. As someone pointed out before I took it out on the ocean, it does NOT float. Also, as I learned earlier this year, if you drop your pack on its head and the camera is there in the top of the pack - not so good either. If you want to learn how to get the most out of your digital (or film) camera, go here, buy the tutorial - and read it... Photographs linked to by this TR courtesy of Rick, Jim, Gene, Randy, Fred, Steve - thanks! Also, thanks to Jim for getting us together early - and to Tom for sparking this off by holding another excellent TCF. Please show your support and help Tom out by visiting his gear store and/or using his canyon guide... 09/21 Thursday - Finish packing the truck, take off about 8:30 am PDT headed for Zion. As usual, the most dangerous part of the whole trip was driving to and from. On I-5 I saw a single-car accident where the car had rolled more than once and one victim was being strapped onto a stretcher. Worse yet, on Highway 58, I came up on an 18-wheeler / RV accident that was horrific - the front of the RV had essentially ceased to exist - as had the driver and any passengers. Got into Zion about 11:30 pm MDT, found Jim's assigned campsite and hit the hay. Jim and Joe arrived sometime in the middle of the night after a LONG DAY... 09/22 Friday - Got the group together (Rick, Jim, Joe, Gene, Fred, Randy) and headed for Pine Creek canyon. We were "fortunate" enough to arrive while the NPS was working on improvements at the east end of the Zion tunnel that included peeling the rock cliffs and some explosive work. As a result we had to enter the canyon about 1/4 mile further up the road than we were used to and got to swim a nice slimy pool before getting into Pine Creek canyon proper. The day went off mostly without a hitch, 'tho we failed to find the high exit (which had been closed anyway) - and Rick and Jim went for extra credit and climbed out to the third switchback... Pine Creek: Click me for pics (best to right-click and "open new window")... 09/23 Saturday - The rest of the early group went to Behunin canyon - I stayed in camp and rested. Everyone that went out came back, so it was a successful day... Behunin: Click me for pics (best to right-click and "open new window")... 09/24 Sunday - Spry Canyon with the usual suspects (Rick, Jim, Joe, Gene, Fred, Randy). Randy biffed the ring finger on his right hand yesterday in Behunin - it's taped to a splint - so he's rapping left handed today - adding to the DOD. Spry is fun with a not-too-difficult approach, challenging down climbing and awkward rappels - a real hat trick. Also, someone bolted a rap so you have to stand on a downward slanted spot and reach across the crevasse to clip in - nice! Somewhere along the way Randy slipped while boulder hopping and injured his ankle - adding this to his sprained finger. Guess this canyoneering gig is too easy for some people without adding some extra spice... Spry: Click me for pics (best to right-click and "open new window")... 09/25 Monday - Mystery Canyon, again with the usual suspects (Rick, Jim, Joe, Gene, Fred) except for Randy, who has bailed out due to his ankle not feeling real spiffy this morning. We wimped out and did the shuttle thing to the top of the canyon instead of doing Mystery "from the deck" per the cool new canyoneering lingo I learned. Joe has a flight to catch this evening, so the day is pretty much about seeing how fast we can blow through the canyon. As we entered the "Death Gulch", I did point out the use trail to the right that, while it really, really sucks, doesn't suck as much as assaulting the canyon right down the drainage as I (and apparently Jim) had done in the past. I think Carol and I spent 2-3 hours on the "direct approach" the first time we did Mystery. Out in plenty of time, retrieve the car shuttles, load Joe up and off for Vegas - I ride along with Jim / Joe - it'll be late on return; I'll keep Jim awake. As it turns out, the Vegas airport is just confusing enough that it's good to have a navigator plus a pilot in the car. Mystery: Click me for pics (best to right-click and "open new window")... 09/26 Tuesday - Off day (mostly); went out to the "practice rock" to practice passing knots on descent / ascent. Most of us managed to make it look painful, but Gene made it look like passing a kidney stone. He had a fancy ascending rig with a rope walker that he ascended right into the knot so tight he had to take it mostly apart and untie the knot to free it. Hmm, guess I won't be carrying one of those any time soon. Everyone survived, and some went off to fill in the afternoon with a hike ("Northgate?") - I went back to town for lunch and then off to camp. 09/27 Wednesday - Most of the group went off to the Subway - I took another off day as Carol wants to do the Subway with me the first time I do it. Works for me. Subway: Click me for pics (best to right-click and "open new window")... 09/28 Thursday - Birch Hollow - Rick, Jim, Bob, Gene, Fred, Carol, Walt, Randy - early start and Rick/Jim set up a shuttle car in Orderville canyon. Rick and Jim want to do the shuttle just to prove they can - ha! Off into the drainage - wow, there's a canyon here, right? The night before, The Emperor had tried to explain to us the "alternate entrance" that bypasses the first cliff with the crappy hike around - however, Rick and Jim consider there were (a few) beers involved, it was dark, and we'd already gotten off the track in Birch Hollow before - so we stuck with the sure thing. Many raps, a beautiful slot, and we're out into Orderville. THEN, we found the Orderville exit, found the spotted car, made our way out and got the other car, picked everyone up and it's off to the CG. Nice long wait at the Zion tunnel with Randy serenading us with burps (he had digestive issues to go with the sprained finger and ankle), then back at camp, cervezas fresca and a good evening. Birch Hollow: Click me for pics (best to right-click and "open new window")... 09/29 Friday - Englestead Canyon - on my hit list for this trip - I've never done a 300' rappel before - yeehawww. Actually, this turned out to be just a warm up for Tom's pioneering trip through Hidden Canyon and the 450' rappel at the end - but I digress. Steve was our leader and the crew included Rick, Jim, Carol P., Bob and Jeff. We did the shuttle thing and had a nice cold walk in (for me). I put my wetsuit on at the top of the canyon, and never took it off - enduring much (friendly) abuse as a result. Hey, nobody wants to rescue me with hypothermia - or hyperthermia, or regularthermia for that matter - so back off, already. "Crash Test" Bob led us off; Rick went next followed by Jeff - "nobody told me what to bring or how we were getting out!" - then Carol who had set too much friction and had a bear of a time getting down. Steve came last, leaving the 300' rope for brother Mark to pull up and cart out for us - what a guy. I got a foreshadowing for the Hidden Canyon trip - my Pirana got really warm on the 300' rappel - I used it for a hand warmer... On down canyon, lots of raps, lots of fun, then a downclimb into Orderville. Break for lunch, off down Orderville. I discover the downside of forgetting a dry sack - after the first few pools in Orderville, everything in my pack is soaked (especially the 200' pull cord I was carrying that we NEVER USED) and the pack weighs about 35 lbs. Not good for the Narrows "greased ball bearing" walk out. One plus is everyone leaves me behind and I get to focus on taking photos - good lighting and subject matter. Englestead: Click me for pics (best to right-click and "open new window")... 09/30 Saturday - another day off for me. Hang around in camp, take the Pine Creek gang to the top of the tunnel and bring the car back so they don't have to do the Zion tunnel shuffle. Listen to Steve's iPod. Prep for Potluck. Lots of good food, much alcohol, many lies told... I figured since I annoyed so many people taking flash pics in the dark, I should post some of them... Potluck: Click me for pics (best to right-click and "open new window")... 10/01 Sunday - Hidden Canyon "stunt rappel" led by Tom Jones. Hoo boy... No beta for this one! Fearless Leader ("The Emperor") snags the permit then off with Rick, Bob, Steve, Roger, Jane, Jeff, Randy in tow (our man Pitney stayed on the ground with radio to help "does the rope reach the ground?"; important 'cause Fearless Leader doesn't know how long the last rappel is...) off and up into Hidden Canyon. Just past the tourist chains, up canyon goes left, we go right. Set a retrievable anchor off a tree, lower Fearless Leader and Roger into the void; they keep asking for more and more rope "we're out of rope!", tie on another rope and finally they're somewhere safe. The rest of us (Rick, Bob, Steve, Jane, Jeff) work our way down toward them; there's not a lot of room at the top of the final rap, so we wait in a pothole while people are staged over the cliff. I was a little concerned about using my Pirana for a 450' rap - Tom had handed me a Petzl Stop to try out - I tried it on one of the smaller raps and didn't like it at all, so the Pirana is my tool. Roger goes first, then Steve, Jane, Jeff. My turn. I have a discussion with Fearless Leader about single strand of 1/2" webbing we're all doing a 450' rap from. I don't like it, but I figure if it held Roger, it should hold me. Plus, you only die once. Off I go, all goes smoothly until about 300' down I notice the rope is starting to sizzle as it goes through the Pirana - what this means to me is it's really hot, and damned if I'm going to stop for pictures or adjust friction and have the Pirana melt through the rope. I'm going faster and I'm watching Pitney (below me ready to do a fireman's belay) thinking "for God's sake, Pitney, don't stop me!!!". I can actually feel the heat from the Pirana. Down on the deck, derigging, the Pirana burns a blister on my chest through my shirt AND a blister on my hand - through my gloves. But since I'm standing on the ground, no biggie... Randy, Bob, then Tom. Tom hits the ground; was using his Petzl Stop, says "I wasn't that impressed" or something to that effect. Meanwhile, I'm thinking "and you gave me one to try out for the first time on the longest rappel of my life - thanks!!!???". Pull the 450'+ of rope (plus the 450' of pull cords), pack up and out we go. Later, I find that as I was descending, Randy and Bob were having the 1/2" webbing discussion with Tom, watching it stretch as I went. THEY all got another piece of webbing. I'm glad to be alive, plus if I ever do a rap that long again, I'll find a different rappel device... Plus, on my next trip with TJ, I'll be sure and remind him it's probably bad for business to splat current and/or future customers... And, note that despite all the flippin' whining, I do know the only person responsible for my safety in a canyon is - me. And when you are in a canyon, the person responsible for your safety is - you - hope that's obvious... Hidden Canyon: Click me for pics (best to right-click and "open new window")... 10/02 Monday - Mystery Canyon - Rick, Bob and Randy. Off the shuttle at Weeping Rock, 9:40 am. Randy has checked the weather, "50% chance of showers" so we're kinda watching the sky. Hike up to the Mystery entrance, do the crappy downclimb into the canyon, off we go. When we get to the slot part, we get a few drops of rain - but the slot is short, and we judge we'll be OK. Continues to sprinkle on and off. Great lighting for photography - diffuse light, clouds, etc. We scramble to the top of the dry fall and it's magic - windy, rain droplets, clouds - and a fabulous view. I didn't want to leave. On down canyon, 3 more raps, and we're out in the Narrows. Love the last rap through the water and moss / algae slope. Slog our way to the Riverwalk, detog and take a river bathe - the tourists appear to think we're more nuts for getting in the cold water than for "rock climbing" - I'm not disinclined to agree... Mystery Canyon: Click me for pics (best to right-click and "open new window")... 10/03 Tuesday - Bob, Randy and Rick are camped out at the BLM - we're wakened by an early morning thunderstorm. I'm just snuggling in in the back of my truck, but Randy in the tent seems more concerned and has camp broken before I get up. Lots of wind, rain, lightning, pretty good stuff. Off to Springdale for breakfast, a few route recommendations for the trip home to Alabama for Randy. After a little shopping (per a request from home), Bob and Rick are now headed for Vegas. Get to LV, find Steve's store (GO THERE: Desert Rock Sports, 8221 W. Charleston Blvd, Suite 106, Las Vegas, NV 89117 702-254-1143 - you'll be glad you did!) and Steve attempts to hook me up with some rock climbing shoes. After a couple misfires (OUCH!), Steve finally asks his guy "what's the biggest rock climbing shoe we carry?", which turns out to be THE ONE (well, the pair, to be specific). Yay! Steve joins us (Rick, Bob) in the evening and we head for Red Rock Canyon to do some rock climbing. Lots of fun, great scenery, hike out in the moonlight - nice. Later on, after I tell them about our trip to Wild Wild West for a burger, Steve says "but - you passed an In-n-Out Burger joint right there"; Rick says "yeah, I pointed that out at at one point"; long story short it's off to In-n-Out for burgers then off to Coldstone Creamery for a coma-inducing dessert. Why, oh why, can't I say the word "small"? 10/04 Wednesday - Up at COD, off to Red Rock again, Steve has to cut it short for a business meeting, Rick and Bob do a couple more climbs. Some exploring, lunch, a little rest, dinner with Steve. Sad goodbyes to Steve, Bob, Noodle "the Schnoodle" and Miko; Rick's off toward home - spent the night in the desert near Afton Canyon. Red Rock Canyon: Click me for pics (best to right-click and "open new window")... 10/05 Thursday - Up at COD, home around 2 pm. Unload truck, collapse into a chair for a few days. Life is good... |
