TommyBoy
07-08-2014, 11:32 AM
Trying to find something to do in the July heat we decided we'd see if anything was open in Ouray even though it was a little early in the season. We received reports that there were a few canyons that would be OK, although water levels were quite high. I had done this canyon last year at the rendezvous when the water was probably half or less than what we saw today and it was a completely different canyon this time around.
The approach hikes are a little different from what you see in southern Utah canyons
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-XmvX24UBvdM/U7rSYE4yI8I/AAAAAAAACD0/Oc_eb7btHN0/w880-h660-no/P1010760.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-y2A6u4xnMhI/U7rSbVZu30I/AAAAAAAACD8/vd5zRBag6IE/w1129-h847-no/P1010761.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-wn1PjBjDIY8/U7rSe-F77WI/AAAAAAAACEE/wZlecNWLFJk/w1129-h847-no/P1010762.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gcjZsHdMydI/U7rSkQGIlAI/AAAAAAAACEU/nJsEJqBaAoE/w1129-h847-no/P1010764.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-wnHk1O1k6l0/U7rSmBQAMVI/AAAAAAAACEc/6alt83T3Tnk/w1129-h847-no/P1010765.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-88CknrHQU4k/U7rSpI1wYJI/AAAAAAAACEk/89yzrEHUE-Q/w1129-h847-no/P1010766.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-3O-osrQJOGY/U7rSr9ETkqI/AAAAAAAACEs/GcvCnMftfvE/w1129-h847-no/P1010767.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-vbKCx17xrEY/U7rSvKQ5vNI/AAAAAAAACE0/_mlK7eYJOSA/w635-h847-no/P1010768.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-E0KZ7Mu9d8E/U7rSzJCK3jI/AAAAAAAACFE/erHxeZlls4g/w1129-h847-no/P1010770.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-i6Wb2_BrQKg/U7rTAanabtI/AAAAAAAACF0/La7nyfe_TX0/w635-h847-no/P1010776.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-HNa5saSzRLg/U7rTHLTosiI/AAAAAAAACGM/49tk0rW3-Qs/w1129-h847-no/P1010779.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-CM7NpNeObaY/U7rTLRO7dSI/AAAAAAAACGc/l_TfuroHX0A/w1129-h847-no/P1010781.JPG
Well I think we achieved our goal of getting away from the heat. :cold:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-q9d057g-5sg/U7rTYaM6OOI/AAAAAAAACHU/EMtNtqDCkZs/w1129-h847-no/P1010788.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-6weeTu7UZE4/U7rTaLopREI/AAAAAAAACHc/knlqRbuRRmE/w1129-h847-no/P1010789.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-R7jCVZ9HJ9s/U7rTdpkSdjI/AAAAAAAACHs/UlgeNkJnwi0/w635-h847-no/P1010791.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-a7Wdq59XG_c/U7rThoZyvOI/AAAAAAAACH8/bZPlWvU1LxM/w635-h847-no/P1010793.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-S5xUppspdVA/U7rTn8aKLOI/AAAAAAAACIU/EG_XWoUrMic/w635-h847-no/P1010796.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-I_bDTGRSEno/U7rTrZN01VI/AAAAAAAACIk/Fq-Reot8-2g/w635-h847-no/P1010798.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-G_sLKupgWVw/U7rTzlXN88I/AAAAAAAACJE/J0eaC4nOBPk/w1231-h499-no/P1010802.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-rM9D18iZcIw/U7rT9C9DSPI/AAAAAAAACJs/D9wf10XyJWw/w635-h847-no/P1010807.JPG
This was the final rappel in the middle fork of oak creek. Half of our group was tired and decided they wanted to take the exit and I would continue with one other guy. So we start hiking down canyon looking for the exit and about the time the says the book says it takes we find a faint trail coming in canyon right which is where the exit is supposed to be. The two leaving say, "are you sure this is it?" to which I respond, "I don't know I've never taken the exit before, but the book says its easy to miss, which this is, and its been about the right amount of time hiking." So off they go up this steep trail and we continue on and about 2-3 minutes later come upon the correct exit trail, which looks much easier.:roflol: They made it back safe and sound though so all was good.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-_yRAYKWh6Hg/U7rT-rqiHuI/AAAAAAAACJ0/PnoENob-rBk/w635-h847-no/P1010808.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-PAMhaR-YCO0/U7rT_4QRZRI/AAAAAAAACJ8/dU2mHgYcTHo/w1129-h847-no/P1010809.JPG
This next pic is of the drop where the anchor failed on me and I fell. I typed up a report under the near miss section of cc if you want more details.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7_MJpP-XTUE/U7rUC-XKZ5I/AAAAAAAACKE/VrnsscK3a3Y/w1129-h847-no/P1010810.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XH8nudcICyU/U7rUEBkWb4I/AAAAAAAACKM/n68nxe4oRgI/w635-h847-no/P1010811.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hrYg1uIYUkY/U7rUF8E7kjI/AAAAAAAACKU/nF0xb99851Q/w635-h847-no/P1010812.JPG
I didn't take any pictures after this one since it was near the end and I was in a lot of pain from the anchor failure and was focused mainly on getting out. The upper two sections are my favorite of the 3, but Lower Oak still has some pretty scenery and is not to be missed if you have the time. Besides you're already there so either you descend the canyon or you hike up and then out. I know what my choice will be every time.
The approach hikes are a little different from what you see in southern Utah canyons
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-XmvX24UBvdM/U7rSYE4yI8I/AAAAAAAACD0/Oc_eb7btHN0/w880-h660-no/P1010760.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-y2A6u4xnMhI/U7rSbVZu30I/AAAAAAAACD8/vd5zRBag6IE/w1129-h847-no/P1010761.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-wn1PjBjDIY8/U7rSe-F77WI/AAAAAAAACEE/wZlecNWLFJk/w1129-h847-no/P1010762.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gcjZsHdMydI/U7rSkQGIlAI/AAAAAAAACEU/nJsEJqBaAoE/w1129-h847-no/P1010764.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-wnHk1O1k6l0/U7rSmBQAMVI/AAAAAAAACEc/6alt83T3Tnk/w1129-h847-no/P1010765.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-88CknrHQU4k/U7rSpI1wYJI/AAAAAAAACEk/89yzrEHUE-Q/w1129-h847-no/P1010766.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-3O-osrQJOGY/U7rSr9ETkqI/AAAAAAAACEs/GcvCnMftfvE/w1129-h847-no/P1010767.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-vbKCx17xrEY/U7rSvKQ5vNI/AAAAAAAACE0/_mlK7eYJOSA/w635-h847-no/P1010768.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-E0KZ7Mu9d8E/U7rSzJCK3jI/AAAAAAAACFE/erHxeZlls4g/w1129-h847-no/P1010770.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-i6Wb2_BrQKg/U7rTAanabtI/AAAAAAAACF0/La7nyfe_TX0/w635-h847-no/P1010776.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-HNa5saSzRLg/U7rTHLTosiI/AAAAAAAACGM/49tk0rW3-Qs/w1129-h847-no/P1010779.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-CM7NpNeObaY/U7rTLRO7dSI/AAAAAAAACGc/l_TfuroHX0A/w1129-h847-no/P1010781.JPG
Well I think we achieved our goal of getting away from the heat. :cold:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-q9d057g-5sg/U7rTYaM6OOI/AAAAAAAACHU/EMtNtqDCkZs/w1129-h847-no/P1010788.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-6weeTu7UZE4/U7rTaLopREI/AAAAAAAACHc/knlqRbuRRmE/w1129-h847-no/P1010789.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-R7jCVZ9HJ9s/U7rTdpkSdjI/AAAAAAAACHs/UlgeNkJnwi0/w635-h847-no/P1010791.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-a7Wdq59XG_c/U7rThoZyvOI/AAAAAAAACH8/bZPlWvU1LxM/w635-h847-no/P1010793.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-S5xUppspdVA/U7rTn8aKLOI/AAAAAAAACIU/EG_XWoUrMic/w635-h847-no/P1010796.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-I_bDTGRSEno/U7rTrZN01VI/AAAAAAAACIk/Fq-Reot8-2g/w635-h847-no/P1010798.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-G_sLKupgWVw/U7rTzlXN88I/AAAAAAAACJE/J0eaC4nOBPk/w1231-h499-no/P1010802.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-rM9D18iZcIw/U7rT9C9DSPI/AAAAAAAACJs/D9wf10XyJWw/w635-h847-no/P1010807.JPG
This was the final rappel in the middle fork of oak creek. Half of our group was tired and decided they wanted to take the exit and I would continue with one other guy. So we start hiking down canyon looking for the exit and about the time the says the book says it takes we find a faint trail coming in canyon right which is where the exit is supposed to be. The two leaving say, "are you sure this is it?" to which I respond, "I don't know I've never taken the exit before, but the book says its easy to miss, which this is, and its been about the right amount of time hiking." So off they go up this steep trail and we continue on and about 2-3 minutes later come upon the correct exit trail, which looks much easier.:roflol: They made it back safe and sound though so all was good.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-_yRAYKWh6Hg/U7rT-rqiHuI/AAAAAAAACJ0/PnoENob-rBk/w635-h847-no/P1010808.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-PAMhaR-YCO0/U7rT_4QRZRI/AAAAAAAACJ8/dU2mHgYcTHo/w1129-h847-no/P1010809.JPG
This next pic is of the drop where the anchor failed on me and I fell. I typed up a report under the near miss section of cc if you want more details.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7_MJpP-XTUE/U7rUC-XKZ5I/AAAAAAAACKE/VrnsscK3a3Y/w1129-h847-no/P1010810.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XH8nudcICyU/U7rUEBkWb4I/AAAAAAAACKM/n68nxe4oRgI/w635-h847-no/P1010811.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hrYg1uIYUkY/U7rUF8E7kjI/AAAAAAAACKU/nF0xb99851Q/w635-h847-no/P1010812.JPG
I didn't take any pictures after this one since it was near the end and I was in a lot of pain from the anchor failure and was focused mainly on getting out. The upper two sections are my favorite of the 3, but Lower Oak still has some pretty scenery and is not to be missed if you have the time. Besides you're already there so either you descend the canyon or you hike up and then out. I know what my choice will be every time.