The Adventures of Kinky Reggae: A Vagabond for Beauty

The goal for this canyon was to have a skills clinic. Debra wanted to learn how to set up rappels, we both wanted Katie to teach us how to ascend a rope, and we all wanted to practice spotting each other on downclimbs.  The three mile hike in was so boring that we were excited when we finally started seeing scenery like this: Luckily, I made some new playlists on Spotify, so that made the time pass more quickly. And then we just kept the music on, so we pretty much danced our way through the canyon.  Our first opportunity for downclimbing practice came at a 40 foot rappel. The first part felt exposed and scary, but the lower part had a nice crack that was easy to downclimb.  Debra got in position to spot me, and I got off rope and started downclimbing. Debra felt I was going too fast and literally started pushing me back up the crack. I don’t think this has EVER happened in a canyon before.   (Looking like dork-a-lorks) Also of significance is that this is the first rappel Debra set up

Seconds before we lost reception on our way to our campsite at Kodachrome, Debra's phone made that horrible Amber Alert noise. Except it wasn't an Amber Alert, it was a flash flood warning for the area we'd be canyoning in tomorrow. The trip was off to an interesting start!  We consulted a ranger at Kodachrome the next morning who felt that the roads would be impassable. I have learned the hard way that Skutumpah Road is no joke when it's wet. But we'd driven all this way for canyons, so we had to at least try. And we made it! The turnoff for our canyon came before the road got bad. We were so excited!  The approach hike was scenic and filled with cows, who we ended up herding by accident. There's something about this scenery in this particular area that really does it for me... I feel like it's an underrated part of Utah. (Although the campground at Kodachrome was full, and I overheard people talking about how it was their first time and they were going

Just four wannabe witches still waiting for their letters from Hogwarts... Erin, the short-legged but enthusiastic Hufflepuff Debra, the sassy Ravenclaw who was hexing EVERYTHING and managed to rock three Ravenclaw scrunchies Katie, the fearless Gryffindor who lead the group in Harry Potter trivia and had an atrocious British accent Ashley, the sweet Mormon girl who delighted in her role as Slytherin Sam, the muggle who was there to take our pictures As we journeyed through the Forbidden Forest (aka Hog Springs), Ashley got a little carried away with her Slytherin identity. "Avada Kedavra!" she yelled, pointing her wand at an innocent rock.  Throughout the approach hike, we stopped to answer Harry Potter trivia questions. You were not allowed to proceed until you answered a question correctly! When we gained the top of the ridge, Katie pulled out her map. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good," she recited. Confirming that we were in the correct