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| Canyoneering | 3.50 Miles |
600 AEG |
| | Canyoneering | 3.50 Miles | | | |
| 600 ft AEG | | | | |
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| partners | | This first part is going to feel more like a Blog than a Triplog, but bear with me….I had a lot of time to think about this Trip beforehand, and wanted to share my thoughts…If you don’t want to wade through the “mush” then skip it to the Triplog itself below….
I am in Love with Canyons….I think I always have been, but ever since I joined HAZ and saw the Photosets of Vaporman, nonot, toddak and other Canyoneers, it became even more evident, and I dreamed about being able to go where they go….Canyons remind me of the Ocean in so many ways…I have a deep Love for the Ocean…To stand on the Beach and look onto the endless Horizon of Water, hear the Roar of the Surf and marvel at the incredible Ecosystems that lay beneath, takes your breath away….You feel small, your Life insignificant in the Grand Scheme of things, and yet you are in a state of Awe that brings only Peace and Calm to your thoughts….Canyons are like that, in a different way….I have had the good fortune to visit a few Canyons, accessible without technical aid, and to stand in the middle of a narrow Canyon and marvel at Nature, baring her very Soul…Millions of Years, visible through Nature’s work of Time, Water, Wind and Sand, and with her Easel, painting a Wonderful Kaleidoscope of Colors and Layers…I crane my neck to admire the Towering Walls above and feel that same, small, insignificance that I experience at the Beach…And yet, I am in Awe of it all, as I am but a microscopic speck in the vast Drama of Chronology that becomes a Canyon...I have only begun the scratch the Surface of the magnificence that only Technical Canyoneering can bring…The Big Canyons have remained beyond my grasp, as only the few souls that can put total Trust in a Rope, some Hardware, and competent Partners can attain these incredible areas…
I’ve been wanting to change that, for awhile now…The Dream has been there, the Timing has not, until now….The Dream is starting to become a Reality and things have been set in motion….I’m at the age now where I feel that Time is against me…I only have a few years left, before these battered old knees will give in completely…Time will only tell what potential will be, once I have Metal instead of Bone….And I’m not willing to bet the odds….It has become a Race against Time to do the hard, physical Trips that I still Dream about….
Thanks to a fellow HAZer, I am on my way…Ken invited me to do Bear Canyon, knowing full well that I did not have one ounce of Education or Experience behind me. But he was willing to start from scratch and I trusted his judgement…How could I possibly turn this down??? The Rappels are straightforward and basically small, in the big world of Canyoneering, but it’s a start, and the huge step that I have been yearning for….I would be a fool to pass up this Opportunity and I have had my share of being a fool…So, this time, when Ken offered up that Brass Ring, I grabbed on with both hands and held on tight!!! I am fighting to shed the Self-doubt, Anxiety and lack of Confidence just long enough to get my feet wet…And if I’m successful, that Momentum and Confidence will allow me to push forward and carry on…So it’s time to Just Do It!!!!
Finally after a month of extremely heightened Anticipation, the day arrived...The four of us met up and Ken drove us on up to the "TH"...I met a fellow HAZer, Scott, for the first time...(sbkelley aka Mr. Denali) It was pretty cool hearing about his Trip on the drive up...Also met a "T-Rex" named Mike who occasionally lurks on HAZ...Needless to say, the three guys provided constant entertainment... 
Got the Gear ready and then it was time for the "Canyoneering 101" lesson...Ken was nice enough to lend me the Equipment for the Trip, so I didn't have to lay out a bunch of funds right off the bat...Thanks Ken!!! They rigged up an Anchor around a Tree with some flat ground and I practiced a bit, just to get a feel for how it was going to be and take in those ever important safety lessons...  And then we were off and descending down to the Canyon...
Get to the Canyon and start Boulder Hopping down it...About 1/4 mile, I turn that pesky left ankle and go down...  No sympathy from the guys, I was informed that since I was the first to land on my a**, I had to buy the shots afterward...  Walked it off within 100 feet, but the confidence with the Boulder Hopping took a hit and I knew that the odds of rolling it again were good, so I had to be extra careful and really concentrate on foot placement after that...Strange, but I still wasn't worried about the Rappels though, which was good... 
Took a little break and then the Canyon started to narrow and we were at the first Rappel...This is probably optional for most people, but it was a really good one to practice on, before the 30 footer further down...Ken went first and belayed me...A little awkward as you have to duck under a Boulder before straightening out and I hadn't figured out comfortable foot placement yet to get the "balance" down, but it was good!!! Perfect Practice Round... 
And then we were at the Narrows and the cold, cold, swim awaited...According to Ken, the Water was down quite a bit from last year at this time and the Swim almost had a Keeper Pothole look, but we were able to find a Bite of Rock underwater and get out...Ah, first time immersing in Canyon Stew...  The Water was cold, but the Swim was quick so it wasn't toooo bad... The 30 foot Rappel is immediately after the Swim so Ken went first and got the Rappel set up...Scott rappelled first and set up the Belay for me...And then I went...Ken got a couple of pictures... It was Awesome....  With the Guys coaching from top and bottom, the form and stance improved... High fives and thumbs up at the bottom!!!
Ken and Mike came down and then we were off into some more narrows...Came to the last Rappel and albeit shorter, it turned out to be the hardest...Tough, awkward start and it looked like we were going to have to disconnect in Water over our head...Ken went first into the deep, cold Water, trying both to find a spot to Belay, and also to see if we could avoid the awkward disconnect...He found a tight ledge to squeeze into for the Belay, but it was determined that the Water Disconnect was going to have to happen...  I went next with a totally awkward start and then I was in the Water...Couldn't find any footholds to get me shallower, so with Ken's help, I managed to disconnect rather quickly...Cold Water is a great Motivator... Swam to the other side of the Pool and headed for the Sun, with Ken right behind me...He had to be even colder... Scott came down and then Mike brought up the rear, pulling the Rope...Dam, did that Sun feel good... Really sweet little spot too, with incredibly lush ferns carpeting the area...
And the Rappelling was done...It was a blast!!! Waded through some more Pools and Boulder Hopped our way down towards West Clear Creek...The Pace seemed to pick up a bit after the Rappels, as I think the guys could almost taste the Beer at this point...
In the weeks before this Trip, all I could think about was the Rappelling...That was a blessing, because it kept me from worrying about how I was going to "keep up" with 3 guys that were dam near half my age... I did my best to keep up and managed to keep at least one guy in sight, although most of the time, being the nice guys they are, one of them would bring up the rear...But these guys are all Mountain Goats and what they were jumping down from, I felt like I had to be a little more careful, so I was a little slower...Got into an awkward position at one point and probably bent the left knee in a way it wasn't used to and "tweaked" it some...Now slightly weak left ankle and sore left knee...Confidence took another hit...I get to a spot that Ken and Mike had already gotten down from and I had a real confidence hesitation...I made Scott go so I could see how he did it, but it didn't help...I hated it, but I finally had to accept the generous assistance of Ken and Scott to get down...Thanks for the patience and support guys...It just proves that when you're with good people, he who hesitates, isn't always lost... 
Started running into people, had more than a few laughs and got to West Clear Creek...New area of WCC for me and it was sweet!!! The Water was crystal clear and warm... Ken had a spot in mind for a Lunch/Beer break so we bypassed the exit and went upstream a little further...I think Ken had another motive to hit this spot as well... He may have been thinking that Bear Canyon may not have been enough to get me addicted to Rappelling, so he took us to the bottom of the 180 foot Rappel at the base of Sundance Canyon...Oh...His "addiction plan" wasn't really necessary, but it certainly sealed the deal for me...Wow!!! What an incredible area!!! Towering Cliffs encircled you for 340 degrees...It was amAZing!!! Perfect spot to crack open some Brews, do a toast to the fact that I didn't "break a leg" and just enjoy!!! Ok Ken, you probably blew it, as now I'm going to be bugging you to go back and take me down Sundance...
After a great Break, it was time to go and we headed back downstream to the exit...The Exit was pretty steep and I had more trouble than I would have liked...It wasn't just a steep uphill, it was big steps which really made me suck Wind...Ken and Mr. Denali sprinted up ahead and Mike kept me company...Probably harder too, since this was the first strenuous uphill I've really done since I got over my Cold...But I managed to get up without resorting to a crawl, so it was all good... Got back to "Base!" and relaxed for a bit before the drive home.
Wow!!! What else can I possibly say about this Trip??? Very cool Canyon that I never could have seen without the aid of some gear and an incredible Team...Ken, Scott, Mike, thank you for all of your support, patience, skilled instruction, and last, but not least, the laughs that never quit, not even on the drive home... Hopefully this will not be my last Technical Canyon, but it will certainly stay at the top of the list as the most memorable...You guys made this so easy and comfortable it was almost surreal...Ken, thank you so much for taking a chance on me and allowing me to realize this Dream of mine, you ROCK!!!
Need a Waterproof Camera badly...The Old Camera is on it's last legs...Tons of use and a near Drowning have pretty much done it in.... 
And now, the Rappelling Gear gets inserted into the Budget as well...It's Official, I'm addicted... |
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Wildflowers Observation Light
Columbine is blooming as well as a few other species.... |
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Bear Canyon |
Pools to trickle |
Pools to trickle |
| | | Mostly Dry with just a few Pools, including 2 Swimmers... | | _____________________
| Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty & well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out & proclaiming, "Wow What a Ride!" |
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