I COULDN'T go to Zion without doing a canyon. Luckily, an acquaintance (now friend) of mine just moved up there for a job. We made plans to do Keyhole, a short, easy canyon. We met at Deep Creek coffee for scones, and then Felicia surprised me by playing tour guide for my parents and their friend.
She took us to see petroglyphs and some other beautiful sites outside the main canyon. Finally, we stopped near our canyon and suited up. It's an easy canyon, but cold, so we needed dry suits. We got plenty of stares from the cars driving by, and I kept laughing as I thought about what people must be thinking. Maybe they thought we were escaped inmates, or perhaps that we were sent to clean up some biohazard.
Although this canyon was fun and easy, I learned three important things from Felicia:
1. Triple clove hitch
2. Pay attention to what you hear. After you rappel into a pool, if you hear the water sloshing over the side, investigate and see if it's another rappel before sending the last person down and pulling the ropes.
3. When swimming in a pool with ice, you have to be aware of how your movements are displacing the ice and how that is affecting your partners.
Felicia's a great teacher because she doesn't just tell you what to do, she lets you figure it out. (After doing this canyon with her, I'm trying to be more careful about that in my classroom.) She also believes that the person leading the canyon should be in back so the new people get to discover everything the canyon throws at you. What a change from the dynamic I'm used to! Not that I'm complaining about my usual partners, but it was fun to experience a canyon that way.
I got to set up some of the rappels, and I got to be the last person down. This may not sound exciting, but it's something I've been nervous about, so I was glad to try it for the first time in an easy canyon. The last person down doesn't have anyone checking to make sure they're doing everything right. They are also responsible for bringing down the other side of the rope or pull cord. People have died from rappelling off the wrong side of the rope, so this is kind of a big deal. I'm glad I got my first time out of the way and now feel more comfortable doing this!
Besides all the technical stuff, I really enjoyed seeing this pretty little canyon. I'm getting over my apprehension of swimming, so I was able to relax and enjoy the long swims through deep, dark, narrow hallways in this canyon. (You could touch both the walls with your hands.) It also helped that we were nice and warm in our drysuits! I would definitely do this canyon again, and I would even feel comfortable leading it.
We ended the day with dinner with my parents at Zion Pizza and Noodle. It was so sweet of Felicia to do a canyon with me AND hang out with my parents. I'm looking forward to doing more canyons with her in the future!
She took us to see petroglyphs and some other beautiful sites outside the main canyon. Finally, we stopped near our canyon and suited up. It's an easy canyon, but cold, so we needed dry suits. We got plenty of stares from the cars driving by, and I kept laughing as I thought about what people must be thinking. Maybe they thought we were escaped inmates, or perhaps that we were sent to clean up some biohazard.
Although this canyon was fun and easy, I learned three important things from Felicia:
1. Triple clove hitch
2. Pay attention to what you hear. After you rappel into a pool, if you hear the water sloshing over the side, investigate and see if it's another rappel before sending the last person down and pulling the ropes.
3. When swimming in a pool with ice, you have to be aware of how your movements are displacing the ice and how that is affecting your partners.
Felicia's a great teacher because she doesn't just tell you what to do, she lets you figure it out. (After doing this canyon with her, I'm trying to be more careful about that in my classroom.) She also believes that the person leading the canyon should be in back so the new people get to discover everything the canyon throws at you. What a change from the dynamic I'm used to! Not that I'm complaining about my usual partners, but it was fun to experience a canyon that way.
I got to set up some of the rappels, and I got to be the last person down. This may not sound exciting, but it's something I've been nervous about, so I was glad to try it for the first time in an easy canyon. The last person down doesn't have anyone checking to make sure they're doing everything right. They are also responsible for bringing down the other side of the rope or pull cord. People have died from rappelling off the wrong side of the rope, so this is kind of a big deal. I'm glad I got my first time out of the way and now feel more comfortable doing this!
Besides all the technical stuff, I really enjoyed seeing this pretty little canyon. I'm getting over my apprehension of swimming, so I was able to relax and enjoy the long swims through deep, dark, narrow hallways in this canyon. (You could touch both the walls with your hands.) It also helped that we were nice and warm in our drysuits! I would definitely do this canyon again, and I would even feel comfortable leading it.
We ended the day with dinner with my parents at Zion Pizza and Noodle. It was so sweet of Felicia to do a canyon with me AND hang out with my parents. I'm looking forward to doing more canyons with her in the future!
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