DESTINATION Generic 177 Photosets
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| Canyoneering | 3.00 Miles |
1,500 AEG |
| | Canyoneering | 3.00 Miles | | | |
| 1,500 ft AEG | | | | |
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| | Intermediate Canyoneering - Difficult or dangerous; Tech Climb; rope reqd; descent anchor; exit technical; | | C - Strong current; wading/swimming; waterfalls; possible wet/dry suit | | III - Normally requires most of a day |
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| no partners | | Lower Angel Creek and Portland Creek on Sunday...Workshop all Day on Monday...And this Canyon on Tuesday....
This was going to be a Big Jump in Difficulty compared to Angel and Portland...I was going to get seriously Pounded by Water on this one and that's something I had not yet Experienced in a C Canyon...  There was also a fairly high Drop on this one, reported at 170 Feet and Water was going to be Pounding you pretty hard on the Bottom Third...To say I was a little Nervous is an Understatement, but if you want the Experience, you gotta just do it and I hoped that I would do it well and Enjoy it...
The Approach is a Huffer...They call this one of the "Easier" Approaches...1350 Feet in a Mile... (Oak Creek Trail) Nice Overlook on the Way too...Great Place for a Sucking Wind Stop and a couple of Photos...  And then, you're going down another Trail (Twin Peaks Trail) to the Creek. A Minimum of 5mm Wetsuits is recommended for most of these Canyons, but I didn't want to Invest in another Suit, so I went with what I had and it was Perfect...I never got Cold...3/2 Wetsuit with a 3mm Vest on Top and a Shell over that for Wind Blockage...And Gloves. I had 6mm for my Core and it was Fine.
1st Rappel was a Multi-Pitch 80 Footer and I got a pretty good Taste of what it's like to be Pounded by Water...It was Initially very Shocking and almost a Sense of Panic when it took my Breath away...  It became very Understandable how someone could Drown very quickly if something went wrong...I also now understood why some Canyoneers like to wear Baseball Caps under their Helmets...It gives you a bigger Pocket of Air around your Face...
That Rappel did 2 Things...It made me even more Nervous about the Big Rappel, but that "Initiation" also let me realize what to Expect and that was Important...I would rather have that Shock Factor for 20 Feet than Experience it with 60 Feet to go...
The Big Rappel was next. I decided to Dangle my Pack for this one and it was a good Decision...Totally Comfortable on the Rappel and when I got into the Water Course, even with the Pounding, there was no Panic, no Shock, just Sped up a little on Rope and then I was Down, staggering to get out of the Flow...  I'm not sure I have Words to Describe how I felt at that Moment...It was Total Exhilaration....  That Rappel was a Definite Confidence Builder. I had done it and done it well... 
And so, we all continued Downstream...7 Rappels in all and it was a Total Blast...a little Uphill to Reintersect the Approach Trail (Oak Creek Trail) and then Down to the Vehicles...
I was in Love with Canyons before, but now I'm Hopelessly Hooked...With my Love of Water and Canyons, it's a Match with no Equal. I see more Traveling in my Future to do more Class C Canyons...
I'll let the Photos finish the Details, although some of the Photos didn't turn out due to Water collecting on the Lens again...I still have to figure out how to really solve that...
Side Note: The Beta changed after we did this Canyon. Two more Rappels were Added to avoid Eroding the Banks and the Rappel Heights are supposed to now be slightly more Accurate than what is in the Ouray Canyoning Book....Check Ropewiki...The Big Drop is now Reported at 135 instead of 170... |
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Wildflowers Observation Isolated
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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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