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| Canyoneering | 1.00 Miles |
250 AEG |
| | Canyoneering | 1.00 Miles | | | |
| 250 ft AEG | | | | |
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| | Intermediate Canyoneering - Difficult or dangerous; Tech Climb; rope reqd; descent anchor; exit technical; | | B - Up to light current; wading/swimming; possible wet/dry suit | | I - Short 1-2 hours |
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| no partners | | It was Time to see if I could do any Canyons during the Zion Canyoneering Rendezvous. Keyhole is very very Short and considered a Beginner Canyon, so it would be my Test...I felt better having the Rib wrapped, so Stacie wrapped me again Friday Morning and we took off for Zion. We met 4 Others and headed for the TH. There ended up being a Wildlife Jam at the TH Parking, as people were slowing and stopping for a Herd of Bighorn Sheep. Stacie was Driving, so I did a Drive-by Shooting of the Herd as we went Past. We ended up having to Pass the Parking Area and turn around and come back to it.
Short, Sweet Approach, then we Dropped in. After Gearing up where the Narrows started, we proceeded in. This Canyon Narrows up right away and it doesn't mess around. All the Way through the Canyon, there were Times when I would Look at the Towering Walls, and Experience the Dark, Dark Recesses and think about how Terrible it must have been for 7 People earlier in this Week. There would have only been 1 Place to Escape about Midway through and that's it. It would have been Impossible to Escape anywhere else in that Canyon...Somber Thoughts at Times... 
This Canyon does an "S" Curve of sorts, similar to a Highway. The Walls were so Narrow in Spots that it was hard to even Walk on the Bottom as the Walls Pinched at the Floor. So it took Stemming or just Dragging yourself along one of the Walls to keep moving Forward. In the Beginning you were Leaning Right and then the Canyon Bent Left at the End, so you were Leaning Left...  It took some pretty good Exertion in Places. Lots of Downclimbs too. All of that wore on me and took it's Toll. I was fine on the Rappels, but everything else eventually caught up to me. With 1/4 of the Canyon left, I was really starting to hurt. By the Time we were walking out the very Short Exit back to the Vehicles, it hurt to even Exist, much less try to Breathe or Move. That's when I knew there would be no more Canyons for me for quite awhile...
When we got to the Vehicles, the Rest of the Crew took off to go do Pine Creek, while I Entertained the Tourists for about 20 Painful Minutes trying to get my Wetsuit Off.... Then it was Back to Camp and some Painkillers...
I'm glad I got a Chance to see this Canyon. It was quite Remarkable even as Short as it was. A little Bittersweet this Time as it was not only a little Physically Painful, but also Mentally, knowing what had happened in there so Recently... I'm glad that we did it in the Time Frame we did for Reasons that I will not say...Such a Terrible Shame....
Photos: There were Areas in there that were so Dark that my Camera hated it. I had to Lighten some of these Photos up. Although it has taken some Good Photos, I have Buyer's Regret with this Camera, as I have very little Control of the Settings. When this one bites the Dust, I will not be getting it again...  |
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Wildflowers Observation Isolated
Some Shrubs were still Blooming.... |
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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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Route Editor
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