West Canyon 2017 - Return to Tiger

On on the chilly morning of April 2nd, 2017, we set out to complete Tiger, a canyon that we had to cut short due to a thunderstorm back in 2016.

PHOTOS BY ERIK BERNHOFT AND DEANPAUL RUSSELL

CLICK TO VIEW IN HIGH RESOLUTION

STEPHANIE ALLAN SMILING LIKE A BOSS

TONY LONG HIKING LIKE A BOSS

We hiked to the top. The view was phenomenal. The entry sequence looked very tall. Would we have enough rope? We should... right? There was only one way to find out.

We ventured in and found a long series of wide downclimbs.  By the end of 20+ of them we were ready for a change of scenery.

SAM GOODHUE SETTING AN ANCHOR LIKE A BOSS

We passed a wide open section of canyon, did a rap from the water anchor, then arrived at a riparian section.  We knew that we were close to the main event.

SAM LEE RESTING BETWEEN JOKES LIKE A BOSS

ERIK BERNHOFT CASTING A SHADOW LIKE A BOSS

The large keeper pothole before the triple bridge room was completely full.  The year previous it was 10 feet deep and required a pretty good boost to escape from.  We swam across.

The triple bridge room was also full.  There was a two inch gap of light peeking from between the water and the bottom of the lowest bridge.  Each of us were forced to push our packs under the bridge, then swim under after it.  Swimming under that bridge in freezing water was a surreal experience.

Tom jumped like a boss.  We took a few photos, then we moved forward.

TOM COLLINS JUMPING LIKE A BOSS

The huge menacing pothole was also full.  It seemed TINY compared to the year previous, when it was empty.  It seemed like anyone could throw a potshot across it.  How did we have such a hard time last year?  We all laughed at how strange it seemed.

I began to realize that I did not bring enough neoprene.  The air was about 55 degrees and the water was about 45 degrees.  I was freezing in my 4/3.  We still had a ways to go.

We arrived at the Lion/Tiger junction, which is a 40 foot rappel.  The water anchor was our only option, and the placement was not very good because there was too much water in the pothole.

As per usual, folks rap off of meat while the anchors are set.  I went first on this rap, hoping to set the rap in Lion to speed up the pace.  I rapped down and stood in the marvelous red swirly slot of Lion.  The rest of the group decided to displace some water in the pothole high above.  They all jumped in and started sloshing around.  Soon a waterfall was flowing into Lion and laughter reverberated.  It was a joy to watch.  They displaced enough water for the anchor, then got it set.  I soon had company in Lion.

The air in Lion was shockingly cold, much colder than the air in Tiger.  I had to keep moving to avoid hypothermia.  I set the only rap in Lion, then went down.  The canyon was completely full.  I remember the water not feeling nearly as cold as the air.  As I swam down the hallways I would exhale and watch my breath travel ahead of me, floating over the water like a ghost.  I was stunned at how far it would go before it dissipated, I looked like I was smoking an e-cigarette.

I swam across the bolt & chain pothole, then did the downclimb with the crappy webbing off of the scary bolt.  I waded down the incredible hallway before the cathedral.  I was freezing, but I didn't care.

The cathedral is a magical place.  This was my third visit, each one a different experience with its own story.  I sat at the end, shaking uncontrollably.  It had been some time since I could feel my hands or feet.

Nonetheless, I wanted to stay there forever.

West Canyon 2016 - Tiger Route

The night before we descended Tiger Canyon, Jim Clery shared his story about passing the group of seven canyoneers that was killed in Keyhole Canyon by a flash flood this past summer. 

Jim and his group were the last people to see the Keyhole Seven alive.

It was sobering to hear his account. 

It planted nervous seeds in all of our minds as dark menacing clouds passed overhead.

___________

On April 15th, 2016, Tom Collins, Mark Burnham, Steph and I completed an exploration of what we call the Tiger Route. Sam Goodhue and Tony Long were the rim team. Jim had to leave a day early, so he did not join us on this day.

When morning arrived the weather was windy and cold. Black clouds loomed in the distance. I was feeling antsy, eager to do an exploration after sitting on the sidelines the day previous.

Each of us seemed nervous and hesitant. We did not want the rim team to suffer excessively in the cold, so we all agreed that the upper reaches of Tiger were overkill. We thoroughly scouted the lower section of the drainage, looking for X-rated stemming or any signs of enormous potholes. The canyon looked reasonably friendly from above.

Steph, Tom and I rapped into the drainage and immediately donned wetsuits. We splashed down a section of easy obstacles, communicating with the rim team above about the weather. Soon, Tom, Steph and I reached a deep keeper pothole.

Tom went in first, followed by Steph. I stayed out in case we needed to reverse. Then Tom boosted Steph out, in fine form:

On the far side of the pothole was an overhung 30 foot rappel into a water filled chamber. I farmed some sand for the Sandtrap, crossed the pothole, then rapped off Steph into the chamber. Steph and Tom set up a hanging Sandtrap on the exit wall of the pothole, then Tom rapped into the chamber with me. Steph came down last while giving me precise instructions to dump the sand out of the Trap while she unweighted it. It worked like magic, a symphony of technique, and Steph was the conductor.

The inside of the chamber was amazing. Three large bridges crossed the span within, impossible to photograph all at once. The sounds of our awestruck voices tortured the rim team above. The sun momentarily showed its face, prodding Mark to join us, so he rapped in just below the chamber then hiked upstream to get a peek.

Then we headed downstream and turned a corner to behold the biggest keeper pothole, by double, that I’ve ever seen. My first and only thought was, “That pothole is going to stop us. Thank God we have a rim team.”

Tom and Mark instantly went into Potshot throwing mode. The entry side of the keeper was somewhat similar to the Pit of Despair, so they already had a plan for this. They took turns bracing and throwing half-full potshots. Each came up short, but not for lack of effort or technique. I’m certain they could have made the throws with one-third full potshots.

After a few throws, Mark went into the pothole to retrieve a potshot and rope that had fallen in. He soon discovered that the water was not quite as deep as it looked. He grabbed the wet potshot and gave it a throw. Missed. Again. Made it! Then he threw another and it stuck! Whew!!

Once Mark was certain the Potshots would hold, he batmanned up the overhung lip holding just two lines!! WHOA!!! Victory! We rapped into the monster pothole off of a Sandtrap then overcame the exit lip using various non-batmannish methods. We shouted to the rim team that we had conquered the pothole. They said they were going to head back to camp because they could no longer traverse the top of the canyon above us. This sounded agreeable to all of us.

We headed down another drop, then stuck a Sandtrap. Mark upclimbed the drop and heroically retrieved it, then downclimbed the drop (amazing!). We were feeling pretty good about what we had just accomplished. We were at the Lion/Tiger junction, faced with a straightforward 40 foot rappel from a Sandtrap into the familiar narrows of Lion.

Then it began to rain.

Adrenalin surged as we all kicked into a higher gear. I rapped off Tom into Lion, then he threw down a 100 footer for me to rig at a bolted rappel downcanyon. I set the rope at the bolts and was down the rope in an instant. There I waited.

Then it began to rain hard. Then rain then turned to sleet.

Ten minutes was a very long time to stay put while staring the Grim Reaper in the eye. That same ten minute span was a very short time to set up a Sandtrap, send three people, then retrieve the Trap. I’m impressed and thankful they were so damn fast.

The next 350 yards of canyon was a blur of teamwork, panic and speed. What took an hour during the first visit flew by in about ten minutes. We bombed down slides and downclimbs without regard to limb, only regard to life. There was a moment when the canyon channeled each of us through a shower of rainwater that streamed disconcertingly from the top of the slot onto the narrow floor below. It was truly the stuff of nightmares.

The cathedral was an evil place compared to the first visit. Water trickled in from high above, so there was no time to marvel at its beauty. We ran through and jumped the last drop. We had survived the Tiger route. WHEW!

Soon we were all back at camp. All of the aches and pains from the trip were temporarily numbed by adrenalin. We were (and are) quite happy to be alive.

Rough beta:

We entered the canyon here, rapping from meat: 36 55 47 N 111 02 30 W
There are two big keeper potholes in this canyon. Both must be handled with care.
A rim team is suggested for this route. If the biggest keeper were ¾ full, it could easily stop a group.
One Sandtrap is required.
3 Potshots are recommended.
The longest rap is about 40 feet, but you will need a couple of longer ropes for conquering the potholes. A couple of 100 footers and a short rope should work well.
The rappel after the biggest keeper can be downclimbed by the highly skilled.
Tiger joins Lion just before the bolted anchor in Lion.

Enjoy!

-Bob