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| Canyoneering | 3.00 Miles |
600 AEG |
| | Canyoneering | 3.00 Miles | 5 Hrs | | 0.60 mph |
| 600 ft AEG | | | | |
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| partners | | Well, this was a new experience...
After spending most of my days in Arizona seeking her summits and high places, it was time to explore what all this canyoneering fuss was about. Look what I was missing all this time! Although I learned a good lesson: invest in a wetsuit before doing more of this! 
Ken organized a trip for this weekend, hoping to take our time through Bear on Saturday, then moving to Sundance for Sunday. He was the only one in our crew with any canyoneering experience, but we all had some rappelling and anchor-building background. His friend Mike joined us, and of course, Tanya was along!
The trailhead was busy on Saturday (and late Friday night, for that matter), but after we left the parking lot and began the bushwhack into Bear, things got much more quiet. Before entering the Narrows, a boy scout troop flew past us while we were setting up a rappel over a tricky chockstone. They jumped down a ledge a few yards off to our left, and we never saw them again.
The narrows were absolutely spectacular! Upon reaching the first swimmer, Ken went across to set up the rappel on the other side, which I would descend first. Being pretty warm and not knowing any better, I charged into the pool with neopyhte gusto....and promptly had the air sucked out of my lungs by frigid water! I clumsily swam across as Ken laughed, and he helped me get set up to descend. I rappelled down and made a bee-line for a nearby spot of sunlight. Mike and Tanya followed, also shivering, but smiling. He got to watch everyone's similar reactions as they entered and swam towards him. Everyone got down the main rappel in good style and we regrouped to warm up.
As we set up the next rappel, I was shivering from the cold while messing with some webbing...on a day when 95% of this state was broiling. After dropping into the water after the rappel, I pulled the rope and joined the crew on the other side. There was a bat hopping around on a log inside this pool and I thankfully avoided stepping on the poor guy.
One last swim and we were into the open and sunny canyon. Live and learn: it wasn't the rappels or technical parts that got me: it was the frigid pools. With Sundance and its pools looming, I knew I should at least bring dry, warm clothes for the big rappel. |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
