Found this little gem the other day out on the WY Coos Bay treefarm
Well, I apologize to our two viewers for being so irregular about posting pictures of our trips, so this one is going to be something of a photo onslaught. Hopefully you have a fast internet connection! Anyway, maybe all the photos will load while you waste your time reading the stories.
First off, about a month and a half ago the planets finally lined up and I got a chance to go snowmobiling with James from work. I'd seen the pictures and heard his adventurous stories so this is something I'd been looking forward to for a while. Ended up being nothing like the riding that I've done to date... By the end of the day we had covered about 75 miles, a significant portion of which was either steep, technical (for me), or loaded with trees. I'm still a little amazed that I didn't manage to crash your sled James, so thanks for having a little faith in me. I only got stuck once or twice, but I did get a little assistence on some of the steeper sidehills. Probably the coolest part about it was that within 15 minutes we had covered more ground than I could cover in a day of backcountry skiing, and the terrain out there was incredible. We hardly even saw sign of anyone else being out there. I want one.
View of Jefferson (background) with an easier than usual approach
Our crew (James is the one pointing). I was on the blueish in foreground.
Took a few tries and I got stuck once getting here
James with the cookie cutter approach!
Anyway, next bit I should probably mention is a trip up to Hood I took about a month ago. This was something of a success and something of a failure. I'd had my eye on a route called the devils kitchen headwall, a rarely climbed and somewhat techy ice gully on the south crater wall. I'd scoured the internet for info on the route and could only find 1 report, and given that I'd never seen another group on that route I expected to have it to myself. Anyway, I probably had my most efficient trip from 6000' to 10000', skinning most of the way up on firm snow. Just as it was getting light I couldn't belive what I was seeing: a party of two and then another party of three queing up underneath MY choosen route! Why today!? Anyway, I quickly caught up to them in the middle of their first belayed pitch... Party 1 was going way slow, and party 2 was getting impatient. As group 1 got higher chunks of ice and rock were being disloged with increasing frequency so I figured I'd at least anchor myself in. After an hour of bombardment without movement (no way to pass either of the groups in the 3' wide gulley) I finally decided to bail on the route and rapped out. Everthing got a lot less stressful quickly though, and I was on top within an hour. The ski down was incredible. Even with the waiting around it was probably my most efficient trip up the big hill.
Take-a-number below the DKH gulley
Summit ridge reflection
Peeking over the north east face down to the elliot glacier
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Now for the good stuff. Zion... What you came here to read! Melissa and I flew out of Eugene on Friday after work and were in the park by saturday morning. I could write a book about this trip but I won't cause I'll lose one of our two readers interest. Our plans to hit a number of canyons were somewhat foiled because the Virgin River was flooding, and many of the technical canyons still had snow and ice in them!!!
Saturday evening we blasted through Starfish canyon to warmup for the week's activity. This was a quick (hour and a half?) and reletively standard trip, except 2/3rds of the way down we caught up to a group consisting of 2 guys and 3 young children. I won't even try to explain how flawed their belay system was, but when we caught up to them a 10 year old girl was stemming just above a 200' swimming corridor wearing all cotton. Within a minute she had fallen in and was discovering why Mel and I were in full wetsuits (water temp ~40F?). We tried to help but they refused. Needless to say, those kids weren't very happy. She was lucky not to have been hurt.
On Sunday we decended Pine Creek Canyon, parts of which were our favorite thing on the whole trip. I won't waste time on the details, but it involved a number of long rappels, very cold water, and the most incredible canyon narrows I've ever seen. Look at the pictures and then imagine it being way better.
Monday we took a break from the cold water and hiked the east rim trail. A very mellow hike that eventually plunges into the main Zion Canyon through Echo canyon. The first 5 miles were only somewhat interesting, but the end was awesome. That night Mel's parents rolled into the park and graciously let us use their car (we had been thumbing rides before this) to get back to the east rim.
Tuesday all 4 of us set out on the west rim trail... Us with an undefined goal and Kathy and Jim heading towards (the famed) Angel's landing. This was some of the more spectacular hiking I've done. Pictures and words don't do it justice. On the way back we ended our hike with Angels Landing. It was a very good day.
Wednesday we got back into the water, decending the ultraclassic "subway" route. Again, words and even pics don't describe it. It was awesome (except for the hike out, which was a little tedious) but the water was cold until a number of warm springs began mixing with the snowmelt. Again, words and pics don't do it a lot of justice, but feel free to look at the pictures anyway!
Thursday was a bit of a curveball... We all went riding horses! I was a little skeptical until I met Leroy, a 30 foot tall mule that I got to ride. He was stone cold pimpin'. Mel's horse was funny too cause it would hang back and then run. Really pretty fun! I don't remember what else we did that day.
Friday was the only day that we left the park. In typical fasion, we probably covered 500 miles and saw a number of areas including Paria Canyon, Bryce, Cedar Breaks, and the Kolob Canyon area of Zion. Pretty cool, but things were really slowing down by this point.
Saturday we hiked up Hidden Canyon from the bottom, went swimming at some reservoir, and then headed back towards Vegas. If you are still reading this I apologize. Even I've lost interest.
Approach to Keyhole/Starfish
Canyon giddyness
Mel on the first downclimb
Cruising to the first rap in Keyhole
Hoodoos off of canyon overlook trail
Scoping out pine creek canyon
Pine creek slot from above
Pine creek slot again
Cool beetle that wanted to go canyoning with us
Extent of campsite activities (airline mag crossword)
First cold pool in pine creek
And again
Short rap in pine creek. Cant jump these because water may not be deep.
Great Cathedral rappel
Twin arches inside a slot canyon!
Ummm... Where to next?
Slab rappel in pine creek
The last freehanging rap in pine creek into a spring fed pool
Last rappel in Pine Creek Canyon
Happy little canyoneers!
Stormy view of the Sentinel
Looking downcanyon towards checkerboard mesa (from east rim trail)
Jolly Gulch! Looks neat!
East rim goofiness
Eventually the east rim trail drops into the east for of echo canyon
Me
Starting towards the main Zion canyon
Middle Echo Canyon slot
Mel and Kathy taking the easy route up the west rim trail
View (down) from the edge of the west rim trail
Looking back towards angels landing
West rim slickrock
The observant viewer will notice that I'm wearing a girl's backpack.
More of the west rim trail. This was really cool.
Looking back toward the canyon. Trail goes up and left!
Another view back downcanyon from a carved out west rim trail.
Looking towards the east temple from the west rim. We turned around here.
Our favorite slickrock basin
West Rim Panorama
Angel's Landing "Trail"
Mel on angels landing trail (48" wide, 1200' down)
More of the steep trail.
View towards the Virgin River Narrows from Angels Landing
Looking back towards the Angel's Landing Ridge
Great White Throne? Not sure...
Awesome sunrise on the way to the subway.
Subway approach
I take it back... This was our favorite slickrock basin.
More
Start of subway, end of Das Boot. Water was snowmelt here. Brrr.
Subway narrows
Mel swimming in the Subway
Swiming through an underwater arch
Mel on one of the short raps in Subway
I think this is why it's called the subway
Me
Famous "North Pole" log that everyone takes a picture of
Mellow rap in the subway
Cannonball!
Water was warm here from the springs (compared to snowmelt)
Fender (bender) and Mel
Leroy, with his 26 foot tall ears
Sweet
Cowgirl!
Moonrise over... (the Watchman?)
Some side canyon we explored outside of the park in the GSENM
Mel found a leg, and the trail log talked about cougars
Grosovners(sp?) arch
Eric, this one's for you buddy
Our rent a car (I wish!)
Some lake up by Cedar Breaks... Check out the snow!
Sunset in Kolob Canyon
Mel in Kolob
More of Kolob
Leprachaun arch? Inside Hidden canyon.
Scrambling around in Hidden canyon
More of Hidden
Petroglyphs in Zion (secret spot!)
I wouldn't mess with this guy
A word to our daily sponsor (Mango Passionfruit flavored... gross!)
