Ding and Dang Canyons

 On October 31, 2020, we took a fun lap through Ding and Dang Canyons.  This route seemed easy after doing Middle Leprechaun the day before.  It was an excellent way to social distance on Halloween Day.

High five Mom!!

Middle Leprechaun Canyon

On October 30th, 2020, Steph, John, Drew, and I ventured through the North Wash classic, Middle Leprechaun Canyon.  This was Drew's first real big-boy canyoneering experience, and he did great!

On this day, Drew was 6 years old and John was 9.  John had already been through this canyon when he was 6, almost exactly three years earlier.  It was interesting from a parent's perspective to compare how each boy handled this slot.  It was also interesting to see how contagious their reactions were.  When one boy got scared, the other immediately freaked out as well.

Even though John was much stronger than his 6 year-old self, he seemed to have more difficulty getting through due to his increased size.  He also carried his own pack, which added to the challenge.  He completed his first solo rappels on this day, which made his Mom and Dad very proud.  He was also a tough and helpful teammate, moving packs through tight spaces whenever it was required.

Moonshine Wash

We had a serious case of cabin fever after staying at home for several months while avoiding the COVID-19 virus, so we decided to get out and stretch our legs.  We were very excited for our one and only family trip for 2020!  Plus it was clearly time to introduce a six-year-old Drew to canyoneering.

So, on October 29th, 2020, Steph, John, Drew, and I headed to Moonshine Wash.

We started our trip with Moonshine Wash because it is a straightforward and beautiful canyon.  We hiked down to the junction with the West Fork, found that it was blocked by a deep pool, then simply went back the way we came.  It was a great canyoneering introduction for Drew, and we all had a great day together.

Big brother / little brother partner assist.  With style!

Note the sheep bridge high above.