Forgotten / Upper Eardley / Crack

[yetigonecrazy]

Spring Break rolled around and it was time to go to the Swell, as per standard practice.

Thursday we went into Forgotten Canyon. This is a pretty sweet little gem that gets overlooked for being less than 10 miles from I-70. We used the entrance off the Moore Cutoff, parking at the top of the hill just west of Eagle Canyon. We dropped in, scrambled down the steep upper 2/3rd of the canyon wall, traversed and rapped in (~40') about halfway between the Eagle Canyon slot and the Forgotten Canyon mouth. Hiked up Forgotten Canyon, through a couple of bends and over some boulders, all the obstacles were dry, and there were no pools. Made it to the first side canyon coming in from the north, has anyone descended this one from the top? Took some pics and turned around Came out a slightly different way. Great narrows, while it never truly slots up, the canyon is deep, and the walls are smooth. A great canyon for those that love the Navajo.

http://inlinethumb32.webshots.com/50591/2255855550074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2255855550074839698jTlnFX)
Eagle Canyon wide, above Forgotten Canyon but below I-70
http://inlinethumb63.webshots.com/48830/2350195610074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2350195610074839698fsdjTp)
our route down
http://inlinethumb01.webshots.com/49088/2893827590074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2893827590074839698GreKKs)
building anchor with Eagle Canyon as a backdrop, our route went down the face in the background
http://inlinethumb42.webshots.com/4393/2827255010074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2827255010074839698oWazJb)
Jeremy rappelling the first drop with his dog Bob harnessed in
http://inlinethumb40.webshots.com/34791/2931763160074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2931763160074839698qtumth)
Tree just above our rappel
http://inlinethumb03.webshots.com/26434/2397473770074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2397473770074839698WZyqxb)
tall tree in Eagle Canyon
http://inlinethumb06.webshots.com/49861/2456901730074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2456901730074839698qewokm)
Slade rappelling
http://inlinethumb04.webshots.com/47747/2459743050074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2459743050074839698vfZcVv)
Forgotten Canyon
http://inlinethumb63.webshots.com/31230/2323821530074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2323821530074839698INTVHs)
Joe in the narrows
http://inlinethumb17.webshots.com/47952/2504531890074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2504531890074839698DoYgbZ)
more narrows
http://inlinethumb33.webshots.com/50272/2948062650074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2948062650074839698beuenr)
Joe again
http://inlinethumb43.webshots.com/50346/2444646980074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2444646980074839698hidNDK)
cool side slot
http://inlinethumb02.webshots.com/34753/2628723190074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2628723190074839698XElGoR)
Slade rappelling the small dryfall
http://inlinethumb41.webshots.com/8872/2627072490074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2627072490074839698VXUdjw)
Forgotten Canyon
http://inlinethumb28.webshots.com/44507/2234261140074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2234261140074839698uBTsYG)
roped-in Bob
http://inlinethumb47.webshots.com/25262/2893709740074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2893709740074839698CrXISD)
San Rafael Knob

(cont....)

[yetigonecrazy]

Upper Eardley
Friday found us guiding some beginner canyoneers into Upper Eardley. We drove in on the Red Draw Road, which actually goes two or so miles past the labeled end of the road on the NG/TI San Raf Map. The reservoir on the map that the road ends at was dry so we blasted down the road, checking out the wild burros en route. 20 minutes across the Kaibab Bench has us at the top of the canyon. Had some members do the first rappel (~40') and others use the 3rd class bypass on the left (LDC). Down boulders & ramps to the second rappel, where some of us dropped ~50' to the floor while some went around the 3rd class bypass on the right (LDC). Getting here with all the beginners took some time, so we made it through some narrows to the confluence with Hyde Draw and hiked back out. I'd like to come back solo and hike all the way down and back some day. This is a beautiful canyon. The texture is incredible.

http://inlinethumb61.webshots.com/49788/2762734580074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2762734580074839698bkPCFj)
Joe on the first rappel
http://inlinethumb20.webshots.com/50323/2249639000074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2249639000074839698EUrctf)
1st rappel bypass
http://inlinethumb02.webshots.com/50113/2142206800074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2142206800074839698MhziMl)
2nd dryfall
http://inlinethumb19.webshots.com/23250/2130948040074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2130948040074839698IHCRKQ)
Zach rappel 2
http://inlinethumb61.webshots.com/16700/2590355310074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2590355310074839698HRccoH)
narrows 1
http://inlinethumb48.webshots.com/10671/2053668350074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2053668350074839698jGFYNH)
sweet wall
http://inlinethumb61.webshots.com/46012/2498256110074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2498256110074839698gWvPRr)
narrows again
http://inlinethumb29.webshots.com/48732/2855725260074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2855725260074839698VsLzdt)
narrows again again
http://inlinethumb36.webshots.com/43107/2577831160074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2577831160074839698uNrhBL)
more narrows

(cont...)

[yetigonecrazy]

Saturday was Crack Canyon, a well known classic. Not much to say about this one. Third time in the canyon, and gets better every time.

http://inlinethumb37.webshots.com/47908/2154541940074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2154541940074839698lstNOc)
Zach in canyon
http://inlinethumb64.webshots.com/47487/2153918330074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2153918330074839698MrOKdp)
sweet angled narrows
http://inlinethumb25.webshots.com/48984/2180853000074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2180853000074839698GnRwzr)
Dave dropping down a drop
http://inlinethumb24.webshots.com/24855/2776052260074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2776052260074839698HdsbJp)
the Crack, more Navajo goodness
http://inlinethumb19.webshots.com/48274/2631330730074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2631330730074839698ZMIkJj)
Jeremy & Bob
http://inlinethumb20.webshots.com/49683/2366836960074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2366836960074839698nVyjtO)
slottin' it up
http://inlinethumb18.webshots.com/48337/2993375960074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2993375960074839698qwrRwm)
texture
http://inlinethumb53.webshots.com/37364/2995946670074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2995946670074839698HgUjCl)
pronghorn antelope
http://inlinethumb04.webshots.com/47171/2079820050074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2079820050074839698petPJr)
lower canyon
http://inlinethumb13.webshots.com/41868/2772024540074839698S600x600Q85.jpg (http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2772024540074839698zSBjrd)
sunset over Swasey's Beach, Green River

[PG Rob]

Gone Crazy,

Looks like a fun trip. I especially like seeing the dog, Bob, along for the adventure.


http://inlinethumb02.webshots.com/34753/2628723190074839698S600x600Q85.jpg
This thread may be useful: http://www.bogley.com/forum/showthread.php?62278-Rappelling-Rope-on-Webbing

[spinesnaper]

Love the dog harness!:nod:

[ratagonia]

Nice pics, thanks for the TR. Tom

[yetigonecrazy]

thanks for all the kind words.

yes, i'm aware the rope/webbing situation. it was actually quite comical; we spent 30 minutes discussing and rigging an anchor for what basically amounted to about an 18' rappel. it was easily bypassed, but since we brought the rope with us for our entrance rap, it was like, "well, we may as well do this for fun". after we got it figured out and set up we [five of us] were down in less than five minutes, we opted for the rope on webbing simply because of the lack of exposure or severe danger, and to ease the job of the person who scrambled back up. we didn't pull the rope from the bottom, rather the top guy undid our anchor and then simply let the rope drop to us. again, it was rather silly how much effort went into this rap, but in the end, we did it not out of ignorance, but after careful discussion and calculating. It wasnt the best system, no, but it worked for us.

Also, I got the rest of shots uploaded in my albums. You can find them here:
Forgotten Canyon (http://sports.webshots.com/album/582553561pHBKon)
Upper Eardley (http://sports.webshots.com/album/582552185zYlrGk)
Crack Canyon (http://sports.webshots.com/album/582552873UHNrpR)