Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Sad Cow Disease

A few months ago, I found a slot on Google Earth. It looked like it good one.

On April 16th, 2013, Tony and I went and checked it out. It was our first exploration. The journey was thrilling and unforgettable; the sense of adventure was palpable. We didn't know if our ropes would reach, and couldn't tell if we would get trapped. Around every corner was a surprise.

It was scary and awesome. And ohhh... such a beautiful canyon!

It didn't take long for us to start prattling on about what we should name our newfound treasure. Tony, the creative half of our duo quickly conjured a name- Melancholy Bovine Syndrome? Our brows furrowed as we tried to think of a better name.

Much to our disbelief, we found footprints within! Awww man!! No first decent. Whoever hiked through there left it totally clean. Looked like a small group with some mad skills. Hmm...

We were elated when we finally arrived at the end of the canyon! It was a new and awesome feeling of joy and relief. Adventure at it's finest? We don't know. But it's about as good as anything we've ever experienced.












The Beta:

3AIII Fun for intermediate canyoneers or better.

Park at the Little Death Hollow trailhead. Hike for about an hour to: 37 45 17 N 111 13 04 W Head up the slickrock. The climb up is a difficult 4th class scramble with some exposure. Be very careful about the route you choose, retreating down the slope would be difficult. Belay required for the inexperienced. Having a climber in your group is a good idea.

Make your way around the bare shelf of slickrock to the top of the canyon: 37 45 31 N 111 13 28 W

1st Rappel: 70 feet. There is a shelf 20 feet from the top of the rappel where you can stop and enjoy the view. To prevent rope grooves, a two anchor system should be set up for the last man down. Bring enough webbing to extend the top anchor down to the shelf's edge, which will prevent grooves and simplify the rope pull. Don\'t get sloppy on that rap station, that rappel is pristine and could be kept that way with a little effort and ingenuity.

2nd Rappel: 20 feet. Downclimbable by the highly skilled. Easily ghosted with a little thought. You will encounter couple of challenging chimneys and a long wet hallway, up to waist deep (possibly a swimmer at times). The hallway can be stemmed over by the strong and skilled. Bigger fellas (200 lbs+) will have a tough time in one narrow chimney. It's very similar to the width of Middle Leprechaun through that section.

Hike back to your car for 90 minutes then exchange high-fives.

Expect a car-to-car time of about 6 hours.

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