The trip begins with a hike up a trail that gains 2,000 feet of elevation in about two miles. Jason insisted on carrying the 400 feet of rope and all his own gear. He is a beast.
We brought wetsuits (in my case, a dry suit) because Jason remembered there being a few pools. But I only got wet up to my knees in one pool and managed to avoid the rest. I was still happy to have the dry suit, though; the canyon was chilly and it kept me warm, with the added bonus of making me feel like I was a Ghostbuster.
This canyon was SO beautiful. It's only a quarter mile long and has 10 or 11 rappels. I got to be first down on most of them, which is so fun because you have no idea what you're getting into, and then you get to advise and encourage the rest of the people in your group. Perhaps it's the teacher in me that enjoys that.
On the second to last rappel, Rachel went flying and slammed into the rock and hurt her elbow pretty bad. I was so impressed with how she handled herself after that. She barely complained on the exit. And oh, what an exit it was. I took on some extra weight to help Jason, and my pack was so heavy I felt like I was going to tip over backwards while hiking 1,000 feet up a very steep ridge. By the time we got back to the trail, it was dark, so we hiked 2 miles down a rocky trail back to our car without headlamps.
All in all, it was a fabulous day. I told a friend about it, and he said, "You guys do that for fun? You're crazy!" Yes, it is hard work, but it's how you see some of the most beautiful places in the world. And for someone like me, who struggles with anxiety, it's the perfect cure. When I'm in a canyon, I am only thinking about the task in front of me. The only other place I can pull that off is yoga. Anyway, I would love to do this canyon again!
The only pool in which I actually got wet
Stuffing the rope
Really beautiful rappel... The water at the bottom was clear and had golden leaves floating in it. But I was still glad when I was able to avoid it.
Belaying Rachel after she hurt her arm.
Downclimbing the massive boulders
View from the approach
The third rappel was my favorite... It's hard to tell from the picture, but it's a 160 foot drop. There were really amazing acoustics at the bottom, and I belted some Les Mis.
We brought wetsuits (in my case, a dry suit) because Jason remembered there being a few pools. But I only got wet up to my knees in one pool and managed to avoid the rest. I was still happy to have the dry suit, though; the canyon was chilly and it kept me warm, with the added bonus of making me feel like I was a Ghostbuster.
This canyon was SO beautiful. It's only a quarter mile long and has 10 or 11 rappels. I got to be first down on most of them, which is so fun because you have no idea what you're getting into, and then you get to advise and encourage the rest of the people in your group. Perhaps it's the teacher in me that enjoys that.
On the second to last rappel, Rachel went flying and slammed into the rock and hurt her elbow pretty bad. I was so impressed with how she handled herself after that. She barely complained on the exit. And oh, what an exit it was. I took on some extra weight to help Jason, and my pack was so heavy I felt like I was going to tip over backwards while hiking 1,000 feet up a very steep ridge. By the time we got back to the trail, it was dark, so we hiked 2 miles down a rocky trail back to our car without headlamps.
All in all, it was a fabulous day. I told a friend about it, and he said, "You guys do that for fun? You're crazy!" Yes, it is hard work, but it's how you see some of the most beautiful places in the world. And for someone like me, who struggles with anxiety, it's the perfect cure. When I'm in a canyon, I am only thinking about the task in front of me. The only other place I can pull that off is yoga. Anyway, I would love to do this canyon again!
The geology of this canyon is so interesting... Jagged layers of rock protruding from the earth
*All photos courtesy of Jason Marshall- www.inthecanyons.com*
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