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| no partners | | 6th Annual Ouray Canyoneering Festival and 13th Annual International Canyoning Rendezvous, being held in the U.S. this Year in conjunction with the Ouray Festival. Knew about this Event for 6 Months and wasn't going to go, but after Researching it again a few Weeks ago and having the Budget, I decided to go for it...I wanted some Serious Class C Canyon Experience and they were going to be holding Workshops as well, which was the Deciding Factor...A little Nervous about it, Ouray has some Big Water, but they were Gearing some things towards People like me, with little Class C Experience, so it seemed like it would be Good...And it was.... 
10 Days including 2 Days of Travel Time...Making the Decision late in the Game was not Ideal for finding a Place to Camp, but it worked out...Everything that could be Reserved was Booked Solid, so I would have to find a First Come First Serve at a Campground or find a place to Disperse Camp. I left a Day Early, hoping for the Best. The Festival ran from Sunday to Saturday.
Day 1: Strictly Travel with a 1 Hour Stop to say hello to my Aunt in Cortez. I only stopped once on the Entire Drive for Photos, as I was in a little bit of a hurry to get there and find a Campsite. It Rained Solid from Durango all the Way up to Ouray and that Night one of the Canyons actually Flash Flooded pretty hard...Canyoneers were Posting Photos of Vehicles and Debris in that Canyon later in the Week. Friday Afternoon and finding a Camping Site was even more Difficult than I feared. There was a Race that Weekend and also an Arts and Crafts Festival in Ridgeway, so Ouray was absolutely Packed already, including any Available Dispersed Camping...I was beginning to think I was either going to have to get out of Town quite a ways, or spend the Night in a Parking Lot...  I finally cornered a FS Volunteer and he gave me a couple of Suggestions. One of them worked out. Not the Best Spot, but it worked for a few Days until another Canyoneer was gracious enough to Offer to Share her Tent Site in an RV Park in Town. Was much more Convenient since everything was Happening in Town and the RV Park had Hot Showers...  Normally I would rather Disperse Camp, but this Trip was a little Different....
Day 2: Setting up a better Camp since I didn't get there until Dark the Day before. Then I was off to Explore Ouray and get to know where Everything was and where Everything was going to be. I haven't been to Ouray since I was 15...I'd say I was way Overdue...They don't call it the Switzerland of America for nothing...Just Beautiful Country...  Spent some Time at the Visitor Center too, picking up some Maps and Checking out some Hikes.
Day 3: The Festival wasn't going to start until the Afternoon, but 15 of us did a couple of Short "Beginner" type Canyons...(Separate Triplog)It was a Good Start and I was comfortable in both Canyons. Started Meeting some of the People too...The Faces became Familiar and I actually knew a couple from the Arizona Rendezvous back in April. Names were difficult though, as there were over 100 People attending the Festival, including some from Overseas. The Netherlands, Italy, France, Spain and Japan, along with a few others were well Represented...After the Canyons, went back into the Heart of Ouray to Fellin Park, where a bunch of us attended an Orientation, Welcome and Safety Meeting...We also started signing up there for more Canyons. Fellin Park became the Meet Up Spot every Morning and the Rest of the Activities would be at the Local Community Center.
Day 4: American Canyoneering Techniques Workshop...Great Workshop. Followed that Evening by a Movie at the Community Center.
Day 5: Canyon (Separate Triplog) Movie at Community Center
Day 6: Canyon (Separate Triplog) Packrafting Workshop Movie at Community Center
Day 7: Day Off from Canyons...The Escape was starting funny and I was pretty sure I knew why...Luckily there was a small Mechanic Shop in Town. Two bad Cells on my Battery. Wasn't too Surprised. After 4 1/2 Years on the Original Battery, I was already on Borrowed Time. They had to order the Battery though, so it would be the next Day before it would get put in...I was also a little Beat up from the Canyons and irritated an Old Injury pretty badly in the last two days, so I needed to Dial things down some for a bit. Had to Drive to Ridgeway to find a Pharmacy that sold Wrist Braces... And then I went Exploring some more...I also hit Box Canyon which I'll do a Separate Log for... There was supposed to be a First Aid Workshop in the Afternoon, but the Gal who was giving it had to Cancel as she was part of the Ouray Mountain Rescue Crew and was out on Rescue for one of our Guys in a Canyon...The Guy from Japan was Downclimbing a small Fall, slipped and broke his Leg when he hit a Rock at the Bottom...Broke the Leg at 1:15 in the Afternoon and they were loading him in the Ambulance at 1:00 A.M. They did not use a Helicopter, otherwise he would probably have had to spend the whole Night out there...  There was a Movie at the Community Center that Night, but people were a little Distracted and we were all getting Updates on the Rescue....
Day 8: Had to get the Battery put in and the Hand was still pretty blown up, so I skipped Canyons again and took a Hike...(Separate Triplog) Great Banquet Dinner put on at the Community Center that Night, and then there was a large Raffle, benefiting the Ouray Mountain Rescue Organization. Needless to say, the Raffle had an Extra Special Meaning on this Night...The Canyoneer that broke his Leg was able to attend. It was good to see, although he will have to have Surgery when he gets back to Japan...They basically just threw a Cast on him, gave him some Drugs and sent him back to Ouray...
Day 9: French Canyoning Techniques Workshop...Very Interesting Stuff! The Europeans are all about Class C Canyons...This was the Official End of the Festival and Rendezvous...A lot of People started to leave Town to head Home. A bunch of us went over to Fellin Park in the Afternoon for the 1st Annual Ouray Mountainaire Music Festival. Some Good Music and Good Margaritas with Good Company....
Day 10: The Hand was finally a little Better. So when some of the Arizona Guys invited me to do a short Narrows Section of Creek down by Durango, I was in. It was on the way back to Phoenix for us all, and it sounded Fun, so we did it. (Separate Triplog) And then, the long Drive Home...I really didn't want to leave...Guess you guys have had quite the Heat Wave. I felt it even in Flagstaff and when I came down the Hill into Black Canyon City, the Heat was pretty evident...109 at 7:30 was a bit of a Wake Up Call...I was ready to turn around.... 
I am so glad I did this Trip! I had Reservations about it, but it went much better than I would have expected...With the Exception of the Battery and the Hand Issue, it was Perfect and I had a Blast...You all know how much I love Water and being able to Rappel Waterfalls was just Icing on the Cake! Looking forward now to doing some more Class C Canyons...Not only are they Gorgeous, but now I get to Experience a little Adrenalin too, as a Bonus!
More Triplogs to Come... |
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| 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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