price1869
01-14-2007, 05:39 PM
Well,
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/150/357616491_6c4508ab8e.jpg
I needed to get out, so it was okay that no one wanted to go. I drove through the crazy snow and blowing on Friday night. The weather was bad bad. Most everyone was driving about 25-40 mph. I made it to the Leprechaun trailhead in about 4 hours. :nod: AWD is awesome. The snow kept up until I was about 10 miles out of Hanksville. Then it was like someone pulled back the cloud curtain. Nothing but black sky and stars. It was beautiful . . and cold.
My new down bag from REI kept me nice and toasty, and I woke up ready to do some canyoneering the next morning. It was cold, but I managed to put my stuff together and hit the trail. I took a load of climbing gear, a sleeping bag, and pretty much everything that Aaron Ralston wishes he would have had. Big mistake. I also noticed about a half mile into the hike that I still had my wallet in my back pocket. The hike up to the drop in went well enough. *It's importatant to stay high on the ridge.
I descended Middle Leprechaun first. I started thinking that I had too much gear long before I even dropped in. I had no idea what I was in for. That canyon is TIGHT. Middle Lep is the tightest, most physically demanding canyon I've been down, especially with a 15-20 pound bag. It's brutal on your clothes and gear. It makes Alcatraz look like it's made of marshmallows.
A minute or two before the confluence of Left and Middle I reached back and noticed that my wallet was gone. One of those bastard leprechauns must have pulled my wallet out of that huge hole that had worn in my pocket. I hate those little guys.
Well, since I couldn't get home with out filling up, I had to go back and get my wallet. Leprechauns are good at going up canyon, but they can't descend for crap. I decided it would be best to start at the top and work my way down. Also, I didn't know how far up the little bastard was. I hurried through the dark part of the canyon* and headed back up the trail. This time I only took my camera, *25 feet of 1/2 inch webbing, my helmet, and a gatorade. I put a cliff bar in my other back pocket so I could try to trick the leprechaun.
Sure enough I found my wallet, and the walls of the canyon are now coverd in green leprechaun blood. It kind of felt good to kill a little creature that was less than half my size. He put all his money in a Capitol One savings account, so there was no pot of gold. They're getting sneakier and sneakier.
When I got to the confluence, I took out the beta (thanks Shane) and considered the "escape route" up the ridge between Middle and Left.* I wanted to finish of the Leprechaun canyons so up I went. Kinda scary. I can't think of any good reason to go up that ridge unless you're just trying to do both forks in one go.
Down the Left I went. It was fun enough. The 25 feet of webbing was plenty. Pretty fun little canyon, and nowhere near the brutality of the middle fork.
Now the goodies:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/163/357614114_9dd490596c.jpg
The solo canyoneer.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/160/357617775_d8a63a635e.jpg
Skinny Canyon
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/166/357618662_811461c058.jpg
I can't quite get one as good as my imlay shot, but this one is about as close as I've come.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/160/357621670_3b60560259.jpg
Those look like some abercrombie pants, but they're GAP. And they were not worn at all when entered the canyon.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/150/357616491_6c4508ab8e.jpg
I needed to get out, so it was okay that no one wanted to go. I drove through the crazy snow and blowing on Friday night. The weather was bad bad. Most everyone was driving about 25-40 mph. I made it to the Leprechaun trailhead in about 4 hours. :nod: AWD is awesome. The snow kept up until I was about 10 miles out of Hanksville. Then it was like someone pulled back the cloud curtain. Nothing but black sky and stars. It was beautiful . . and cold.
My new down bag from REI kept me nice and toasty, and I woke up ready to do some canyoneering the next morning. It was cold, but I managed to put my stuff together and hit the trail. I took a load of climbing gear, a sleeping bag, and pretty much everything that Aaron Ralston wishes he would have had. Big mistake. I also noticed about a half mile into the hike that I still had my wallet in my back pocket. The hike up to the drop in went well enough. *It's importatant to stay high on the ridge.
I descended Middle Leprechaun first. I started thinking that I had too much gear long before I even dropped in. I had no idea what I was in for. That canyon is TIGHT. Middle Lep is the tightest, most physically demanding canyon I've been down, especially with a 15-20 pound bag. It's brutal on your clothes and gear. It makes Alcatraz look like it's made of marshmallows.
A minute or two before the confluence of Left and Middle I reached back and noticed that my wallet was gone. One of those bastard leprechauns must have pulled my wallet out of that huge hole that had worn in my pocket. I hate those little guys.
Well, since I couldn't get home with out filling up, I had to go back and get my wallet. Leprechauns are good at going up canyon, but they can't descend for crap. I decided it would be best to start at the top and work my way down. Also, I didn't know how far up the little bastard was. I hurried through the dark part of the canyon* and headed back up the trail. This time I only took my camera, *25 feet of 1/2 inch webbing, my helmet, and a gatorade. I put a cliff bar in my other back pocket so I could try to trick the leprechaun.
Sure enough I found my wallet, and the walls of the canyon are now coverd in green leprechaun blood. It kind of felt good to kill a little creature that was less than half my size. He put all his money in a Capitol One savings account, so there was no pot of gold. They're getting sneakier and sneakier.
When I got to the confluence, I took out the beta (thanks Shane) and considered the "escape route" up the ridge between Middle and Left.* I wanted to finish of the Leprechaun canyons so up I went. Kinda scary. I can't think of any good reason to go up that ridge unless you're just trying to do both forks in one go.
Down the Left I went. It was fun enough. The 25 feet of webbing was plenty. Pretty fun little canyon, and nowhere near the brutality of the middle fork.
Now the goodies:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/163/357614114_9dd490596c.jpg
The solo canyoneer.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/160/357617775_d8a63a635e.jpg
Skinny Canyon
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/166/357618662_811461c058.jpg
I can't quite get one as good as my imlay shot, but this one is about as close as I've come.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/160/357621670_3b60560259.jpg
Those look like some abercrombie pants, but they're GAP. And they were not worn at all when entered the canyon.