6/8/13. Telephone Canyon & Lower Refrigerator

[2065toyota]

We had a few cancellations in our group so putting it out there to see if anybody wants to join us. Originally planned for a Telehunin but I messed up my days and got Telephone for Saturday and Behunin for Sunday. We just decided to make a it Telephone/Refrigerator trip instead.

[nelsonccc]

Just do Behunin too. How in the world would they ever know? I can't believe you got permits for either one of those canyons anyways. I know lots of people who do canyons quite regularly without permits up there. Jut be careful/observant on the hike out.

[nelsonccc]

I'll be in Orderville with my daughter that day or I'd join ya and yes since it's orderville we did get permits! Orderville, Mystery, and Pine are the only canyons I would ever get a permit for.

[WorkBad]

I'll be in Orderville with my daughter that day or I'd join ya and yes since it's orderville we did get permits! Orderville, Mystery, and Pine are the only canyons I would ever get a permit for.

I'll be in Engelstead the same day with my group of 4. We'll be hiking up and out instead of down this time, I'll keep an eye out for other people and say hello. Oh hey! Maybe you could leave a piece of webbing on the Orderville drop before Engelstead to make it easier for us to ascend:naughty:? Er whatever...

[ratagonia]

Just do Behunin too. How in the world would they ever know? I can't believe you got permits for either one of those canyons anyways. I know lots of people who do canyons quite regularly without permits up there. Jut be careful/observant on the hike out.

Ah yes. Advocating illegal activity on the InterWebs - sign that man up as a co-conspirator!

Tom

[nelsonccc]

Ah yes. Advocating illegal activity on the InterWebs - sign that man up as a co-conspirator!

Tom

Not advocating per se, but IMHO Telephone by itself is not worth the hike in and out. So rather than hike all that way to just do Telehone because of a silly thing like a permit is crazy talk! I'm not saying I would.....but people I know....would most definitely still do Behunin. I guess you're right, I am advocating illegal activity. Damn permit system!

[ratagonia]

Not advocating per se, but IMHO Telephone by itself is not worth the hike in and out. So rather than hike all that way to just do Telehone because of a silly thing like a permit is crazy talk! I'm not saying I would.....but people I know....would most definitely still do Behunin. I guess you're right, I am advocating illegal activity. Damn permit system!

Sorry Nelson, but don't say I didn't warn you. Saw that Air Force One just landed in Las Vegas, and (from what I read on the Interwebs) Obama and Holder are right now knocking on your door with your free Cuba vacation package. Have a good time down there, try not to get too sunburned!

Tom :moses:

[Scott P]

Jut be careful/observant on the hike out.

How would you be careful/observant in Behunin? You end up right at the Emerald Pools, it takes awhile to get down a big drop, and the Emerald Pools is a popular place for rangers to visit. From the top of the big rap, how could you really pick out which of the dozens of people (in summer Emerald Pools is popular) might be a ranger?

[mzamp]

I have to admit, I am disappointed I have never been asked to show my permit. I thought for sure there would be more enforcement during the Holiday weekend. Must be because of that sequestration business.
:naughty:

Don't forget to post a trip report for Telephone as I will be going through (with a permit) on the 29th.

[nelsonccc]

How would you be careful/observant in Behunin? You end up right at the Emerald Pools, it takes awhile to get down a big drop, and the Emerald Pools is a popular place for rangers to visit. From the top of the big rap, how could you really pick out which of the dozens of people (in summer Emerald Pools is popular) might be a ranger?

Typically you would be right, though I've never seen a ranger at the emerald pools. However, in their case they'll likely be touching down later in the evening having done both Telephone and Behunin and on a busy weekend when lots of groups are going through. If it was me.....I would make sure there was a group going down in front of me. I would observe whether anybody in a uniform started asking them questions. Also Behunin touches down behind the big rock up away from the pools themselves. So if you do happen to see a ranger there are a few options to 'slink' away before getting questioned since the rangers are not going to hike up and be sitting right at the bottom of the rope.

The first rule to poaching canyons is not to poach popular/roadside canyons and not to arrive at the bottom during a popular hour or so I've heard....I'm pretty sure that if we conducted a survey we would find that for the amount of canyons being done the encounters with rangers are less than 1% (roughly guessing). For me I've been asked for a permit at the Pine creek parking lot once (we didn't have one), once in Mystery when we overtook a couple of guys who turned out to be off duty rangers with walkies (we had a permit) and once at the grotto where the narrows meets the paved trail (after doing a canyon up above Imlay sans permit). That's three times from probably 50-60 canyoneering trips to Zion over the last 11 years.

I can tell you for a fact that it's very easy to do 1-2 canyons a month in Zion without ever getting a permit. You just have to be observant and patient. Like the time, a couple of guys I know, waited in the pools above the spry exit for 2 hours since a ranger truck was parked at the exit from Spry. Or the time someone I know did quite a hike to avoid a ranger at the top of the Subway exit, or the time someone hiked up out of orderville after englestead cause downhill hikers said they'd just been passed by a few rangers. Or the time someone began Pine near the spry start to avoid the ranger and the parking lot.