With the LCR in flood last week I decided against returning to Salt Canyon. Instead decided on this and Upper Woods Canyon. With a lazy start due to the ease of this trip we blew four hours heading in. The water temps are perfect right now. This was the first time I had a chance to check out the hanging gardens in detail as last time there was a large group occupying the area.

Thunder started crackin' and the sky turned dark. I offered Janelle the option to either climb up the ridge of Meadow Canyon or backtrack. The ridge is straight up and kind of a cactus tip-toe. I did it four years ago. Without hesitation she choose to backtrack...

It was at this point I realized I was in the company of an Olympic Gold Medalist. With absolutely no upper body strength I tried to keep within a respectable hundred feet of JP Speed Boat. In a record hour and nineteen minutes we conquered the upstream return. It was another twenty five minutes to the top with a break in the middle for speed boat

Fabulous outing!