Snowmobiles, Mount Hood, and Zion

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



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