New Year's Canyoneering 2018 / 2019

On December 28th, 2018 - January 1st, 2019, Steph, Tony, Byron, Nipun, Jared, Molly, and I braved the cold and did a few canyons.  It snowed about 2 inches on the evening of the 27th, making things a bit more treacherous than we had expected.  We were hungry for a challenge because we hadn't been canyoneering in 14 months, so we opted to descend Middle Leprechaun Canyon.

The morning temperature was 5 degrees.  Getting into Middle Lep was dicey because the snow on sandstone was about as grippy as polished ice.  Gusting winds filled the slot with fresh snow which was a foot deep in places.  It wasn't bad until we got to the skinniest sections which were full of slush.  Slush covered boots were very difficult to stem in, so getting up and over pinches was far more difficult than we had expected.

At some point I realized that a broken ankle in the slushy skinnies would have been a disaster.  It was difficult to remain warm when we were working hard.  If someone had been seriously injured, hypothermia/frostbite/death would have been real possibilities in those temperatures while awaiting rescue.  We had a great time, but the risk was extraordinarily high for the reward.  Please don't copy what we did in Middle Leprechaun.

Much of the snow blew off during the following days.  We did Hogwarts, Boss Hog, Razorback and East Blarney.  All were excellent choices given the conditions.

Jared and Molly (who is expecting) joined us on the 31st.  They are both new to canyoneering.  We made an attempt at Slideanide, but the fresh snow made getting in/out far too risky.  We tried to visit Arsenic Arch, but even that was too risky with the snow.  Nevertheless, we had a good hike and enjoyed the views.

On January 1st, we descended East Leprechaun which was a fine choice given the conditions.  It was great to see Jared and Molly experience their first skinny slot.

We ended up doing six canyons in 5 days.  So satisfying!  It was another great adventure with friends new and old.

On our way to Middle Lep it warmed up to 7 degrees.

The highway was covered with ice.

We contemplated postponing the trip until the weather got cold enough to be taken seriously.

This is at the 12 foot rap/downclimb in Middle Leprechaun Canyon. 

Gusts of wind funneled huge amounts of fresh snow down on top of us from the canyon rim above. 

This gust dropped about 1/2 inch of snow in 30 seconds.

Luckily it was dry at the end of the canyon.

On this day going under the rockfall was easy, a first for me.

Three shots of the bridge in Hogwarts... heck, why not?

Boss Hog

Razorback

A nice stroll out of Hog Springs

We seem to always run into Tom Jones in the North Wash.

It was fun to catch up with him.

Skunked at Poison Springs...

... but having a great time anyway.

East Leprechaun

Hogwarts

On New Year's Day, 2013, Steph and I took a leisurely hike through Hogwarts.

At the first rappel we were greeted with an obnoxious blue anchor. It appears that the group that built it did so in order to keep their feet dry, because it bypasses a water-filled pothole at the head of the drop. After that group used their anchor, they left a rope groove, and subsequent groups have as well (see the lower left corner in photo #1 & #2). I cut out the blue anchor and we began looking for a better spot.

The problem with trying to bypass the pothole is that starting the rappel can be very awkward/dangerous if your anchor is extended over the edge. If you leave your anchor short, you simply can't avoid grooving the lip around the first drop.

Steph selected a nice rock at the top of the drainage and we put a green sling around it. The rock is above a very convenient shelf and makes starting the rappel very simple. However, there is the aforementioned pothole below. I saw that the pothole below was frozen, and hoped that it would hold my weight. It held about half of my weight, but it wasn't a big deal; my shoes and ankles got wet. I was able to gallantly get Steph across without her suffering the same fate. The pull was very easy and clean. Moral of the story: Do your best to prevent rope grooves, even if it means getting your feet wet.

The arch in Hogwarts is possibly my favorite feature in all of the North Wash. It is spectacular!

If you look closely, Steph is at the top of the rappel.

Afterwards, there is an interesting keeper pothole in the middle of the canyon. I mentioned to Steph that people sometimes stem over the pothole. She looked across the pothole at eye level and said "Not possible". I pointed higher, at the only possible route, some 20 feet above the mud in the bottom. You should have seen the look on her face- pure disbelief.

Since neither one of us like wheelchairs, we tossed a pack across. I didn't load much into my pack, so the rope only provided about 6 or 8 pounds of tension. I hooked ascenders and aiders to the rope, but the foot loops were useless because the rope wouldn't hold my weight. I'd step in and pull the rope back towards me and slide to the bottom of the pothole. I eventually just climbed out and used the 8 lbs of rope tension and top ascender to the best of my advantage. (yes, I could have redone the whole damn thing, but didn't want to.) The final move was a mantle starting with the entire underside of my left arm on top of the exit lip of the pothole. Tough for me, but I'm a crappy climber.

Thumbs up if you didn't fall backwards into the mud.

In my opinion, Hogwarts is a North Wash Classic. It is in pristine condition. The rope pulls can be tricky- be a good canyon steward and take some time to think about your setup and pull. If you leave a groove in there, you're simply not paying attention.