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Big Canyon, Little Colorado Canyoneering – March 2013

I hurt. For me, hurting and the Grand Canyon go together like ham and cheese. In this case I hurt in many places: bruised feet, stiff quads, funky shoulder, left ankle a bit odd, and the lower back – of course. Unfortunately, this was BEFORE we headed into the Big Ditch, having spent three days with the Unbreakable Ram and Jenny the previous week. But it was Alicia’s spring break and she was a bundle of enthusiasm, so off to the Grand Canyon we go....

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Johnson Arch Canyon – An “Urban” Canyoneering Adventure in St George – March 2013

Kody invited me over for a lap down Johnson Arch Canyon in St George, and said the magic words: “no need for an early start”. I’m in! This sweet half-day canyon is just north of St George in Snow Canyon State Park, and has great views of the recently-developed California-style housing developments that crowd the valley floor south of Snow Canyon. The Canyon is closed from mid-march to mid-september for raptor nesting, so it is good to get a lap in before it closes. All...

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Pine Creek on Ice – Zion National Park – Feb 2013

Finally, a storm brought moisture upon us, first time since New Years. Not the best timing, however, as Ram was just blowing into town. Kip had proposed snowmobiling up to Chamberlain’s Ranch and descending The Narrows as his final Zion blast before he moves his family to The Big Apple for a few years, but a bit of snow made that untenable. They did Englestead Canyon instead, and it was divine, but kinda long in the snow and cold and short days of February. I...

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Sundance Film Festival 2013 (Part 1)

SUNDANCE Sundance is divine. Sundance is my chance to see real movies on real screens, in rooms with every seat filled with excited, interested, intelligent people. Essentially, my opportunity for Culture, for the year. I LOVE Sundance. It is a very good thing. This year was my best Sundance ever! Of 14 movies, one was good (but sad), three totally knocked my socks off, and the rest were at least very good. I tend to see Documentaries, though I get a few Dramas too (though...

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Freeze Fest XI – The Black Hole Jan 1, 2013 – Tradition!

Freezefest is an annual gathering of hearty (ie, foolish) canyoneers for canyoneering at the turn of the year. Camping out in single-digit temperatures may not seem like it would be fun, but with proper preparation, plus lots of firewood, fine spirits and good friends, it works out to be one of the funnest events of the year. Freezefest happens in central Utah, near Hanksville, in North Wash and the surrounding area, canyons within an hour’s drive. North Wash has the best weather in Utah, tucked in the storm-shadow of the...

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The Subway, Zion National Park – A Christmas Canyoneering Decent – 2012

The last couple years, Ramoo has put together a wondrous start to Freezefest doing a BIG canyon on Christmas Day – our contribution to the War on Christmas, I suppose. 2010 was Choprock, which I missed, being sick as a dog. 2011 was Imlay (Sneak), which I missed, being broken. This year we were gunning for Heaps (via Gunsight), but a major winter storm came in a week before Christmas, interrupting the warm, dry winter beginning. We looked for other possibilities. Something challenging, but not...

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The Stinger! A first, oops, second descent in the heart of Zion – Nov 2012

Mike casually mentioned he had his eye on a certain canyon, a painfully obvious one, in the heart of Zion. “No way”, I said. “I’ve been looking at that for 5 years!” Plans were made.  Matt was coming down from SLC to lead the hard pitch.  The approach was no chump, and the last drop looked rather big. I went up and took some pictures, did some algebra, and calculated the height at 290 feet. Hmmm. Better cut a rope somewhat longer than the usual...

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Pandora’s Box, Capitol Reef’s BESTest Canyon – Oct 2012

Though Utah’s Capitol Reef National Park has a big handful of good canyoneering, Pandora’s Box is clearly the BESTest!  I hooked up with Ram and Brendan Busch (plus Jonathan Zambella, and Dirk and Nancy Tyler) for a few days out there, and we chose Pandora as the best canyon to show Dirk and Nancy, who had not been on the canyoning program for a couple of years. Ram and I realized we had not been to Pandora’s Box for about 5 years.  In dry years,...

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Anchor Work in The Subway, October 2012

Zion’s Subway is a wonderful, beautiful canyon, enjoyed by many people in several different ways. I made a run through on a recent weekend to re-locate the first anchor, bolted this spring but not in the best place (from my point of view). I also wanted a look at the last drop with a thought to what happens if the logs crossing the watercourse wash out next winter or spring. I ended up placing four new bolts and removing one, and coming to an appreciation...

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The Squeeze & Quandary Canyons, San Rafael Swell – Sept 2012

Some good canyons can be found at the south end of the San Rafael Swell. They are especially good, especially fun when full of water – as we expected to find them, thanks to storms tracking across Utah these last two months. But, as the late, great canyoneer Tip O’Neil stated succinctly – “All Canyoneering weather is local.” At this end of the Swell, the catch-basins are small, and storms need to make a direct hit to fill them up – and sometimes they fill...