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Thread: Hdh

  1. #1

    Hdh

    Thursday night, Pete and I headed out to Bullfrog Marina with the intention of doing HDH on Friday. We rolled out of Orem at 9:30ish p.m. We made the usual stops at Price to load up on victuals and headed south. We turned off at I-70 and passed a couple of mini-vans and a pick-up loaded to the nuts on U-95 at a very high rate of speed. All three of them turned off at the Roost intersection, so I assumed it was Ben and company or someone else? We got to the marina and dropped the car off and got in the suburban with the boat and launched at about 2:00ish. Kinda tricky getting over to the houseboat slips with nothing but a flashlight. We crashed on the houseboat at 3:00 and were up and at it by 8:00am Friday. We headed up the channel and quickly put on the windbreakers to ward off the 40 degree breeze. Finally we were up the east fork of Sevenmile around 10:00ish. We geared up and in our excitement to get going, we forgot two important things. 1st off we forgot to place anything and everything edible in the cooler. We left a loaf of bread, hotdog buns, hostess cupcakes, box of ritz crackers, and a bag of peanut M&M's under the windshield. When we returned 6 hours later, nothing but shredded cardboard and wrappers were left. Those black feathered bastards made off with even the tiniest crumb! 2nd mistake: after gaining the rim above Lake Powell, we stopped for a drink only to discover we had left the water bottles in the cooler. We rationalized that if we got thirsty enough, there would be water in the slot. Bad decision. By the time we even got to the drop in, we were dehydrated. Descending the canyon proved make matters worse due to our situation. That canyon is seriously unrelenting. It seemed like downclimb after down climb with no end in site. Half way through, all we could think about is water. I wasn't thirsty enough to risk the potholes, but Pete was. By the time he got to the boat, he had nearly soiled himself. All in all, it was a challenging canyon for me. The worst parts were not the down climbing, but the squeezing. I am fairly large framed at 205lbs. and there were a couple of areas that no amount of pushing or inhaling was going to get me through. One area in particular forced me on the ground sideways with elbows digging and Pete pulling to get through. Panic potential for that one SOLO is way high. I have soloed quite a few 3's, but this one would have been the ball breaker. It definitely made me think twice about going by myself into canyons I haven't done before. The canyon itself was remarkably DRY. Pete made it all the way through without touching water. I took the easier route and plunged through them. All the anchors were in good shape for the rappels. We got back to the boat in rough shape. I downed 64 ounces of water in about two minutes. Looking back, I think this canyon would have been much more enjoyable hydrated, but no water takes the energy right out of you and turns the canyon into a biznitch. Even with water (hydration) though, I think it is ten times more challenging that other 3 rated canyons like NMB or say Leprechaun's right fork. I'd even rate it above the middle fork of Lep, but that could be due to the dehydration factor. Pictures will follow. I had a helmet, but forgot it when we dropped the car off to get the boat.

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  3. #2
    Saturday we were going to hit a side canyon of Smith Fork, but Pete was having a bad time with the bowels from no doubt the pothole water in HDH. We went down to Lake Canyon and explored the Indian ruins instead. I guess it is a good thing, because of the late info given after we left about side canyons on Smith Fork. Not my ideal kind of canyons. Stemming is fine, just not 60 feet off the deck.

    Reedus

  4. #3
    Sounds like some of the adventures I've had in the desert on several occasions. Amazing how we take water for granted. So did Pete come down with anything from drinking pothole water? Actually I'd be surprised if he did. I've drank pothole water on numerous occasions (on purpose AND by accident), and never gotten sick.

    Anxiously awaiting the photos!!
    It's only "science" if it supports the narrative.

  5. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by rockgremlin
    Sounds like some of the adventures I've had in the desert on several occasions. Amazing how we take water for granted. So did Pete come down with anything from drinking pothole water? Actually I'd be surprised if he did. I've drank pothole water on numerous occasions (on purpose AND by accident), and never gotten sick.
    Nevermind, I just read your second post.
    It's only "science" if it supports the narrative.

  6. #5

    Re: TR - HDH

    Quote Originally Posted by Reedus
    All three of them turned off at the Roost intersection, so I assumed it was Ben and company or someone else?
    Well we left Provo around 9:00 so you may have caught up to us, but we were in a Black Chevy Pickup truck (definitely loaded to the nuts), a Ford Explorer, and a Honda Accord.

    Dehydration sucks. So do the runs. Last year I was on Powell canyoneering with some guys who had been drinking pothole water for several weeks straight (some kind of sick experiment?) and had either developed an immunity, or just gotten lucky because they hadn't gotten sick.
    Now I usually take one of these with me:

    http://www.backcountrygear.com/catal...ail.cfm/BOT100

    and pothole water has never let me down.


    Glad you made it through HDH ok (too bad you weren't able to enjoy it to the fullest extent) and didn't end up in Psycho D.

  7. #6
    That was definitely you we passed. The explorer looked like a mini-van going by at 95mph. We were in the silver Audi. Probably the only car that passed you between I-70 and Roost turn off. You have done HDH, how does it compare to Alcatraz?

  8. #7
    Ya got to keep a shape eye on those ratings..... Hard Day Harvey is actually rated 3A R..... My friends always joke.... "That R means it ain't no Pine Creek...."

    Actually ratings are probably the most difficult element in attempting to write an accurate guide. So many variables and canyon dynamics are so fluid.

    I would rate Alcatraz 1/2 as hard as HDH..... the reason is the tech section in HDH is twice as long...... YMMV


  9. #8
    Saturday we were going to hit a side canyon of Smith Fork
    Which one? Just curious.
    Utah is a very special and unique place. There is no where else like it on earth. Please take care of it and keep the remaining wild areas in pristine condition. The world will be a better place if you do.

  10. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Reedus
    That was definitely you we passed. The explorer looked like a mini-van going by at 95mph. We were in the silver Audi. Probably the only car that passed you between I-70 and Roost turn off. You have done HDH, how does it compare to Alcatraz?
    Oh yes, I remember you. Sparked some comment from me like "Oh back when I had my BMW. Those were the days."

  11. #10
    The one I had my eye on is now place marked on GE. Let me know if it isn't posted.

  12. #11

    Re: TR - HDH

    Quote Originally Posted by Reedus
    Looking back, I think this canyon would have been much more enjoyable hydrated, but no water takes the energy right out of you and turns the canyon into a biznitch. Even with water (hydration) though, I think it is ten times more challenging that other 3 rated canyons like NMB or say Leprechaun's right fork.
    Yea, you should probably go back when hydrated, HDH is high on my list of favorite canyons, it's really good. It is challenging though, lots of tricky downclimbs. You asked Ben how it compares to Alcatraz, I don't think Ben has actually done HDH yet, but I've done both now. HDH has more breaks, every time you hit a fault line canyon it opens up enough that you can rest if you want, where Alcatraz is non-stop action until it ends. HDH is definitely longer though like Shane said, Alcatraz is over in 2 or 3 hours. Good Day Jim is definitely worth doing too, it's "easier" in that it's not as narrow, but it has a great keeper pothole to escape, lots of good downclimbing, longer rappels, and is really pretty. I suggest doing both canyons if you haven't already, HDH is the better of the two, but GDJ is a great one too... just in a different way.

    Eric.

  13. #12
    I just assumed Ben had done HDH because it seems you two rarely do a canyoneering trip without the other. Funny after a couple of days have gone by, I look back and want to do it again whereas right after we got to the boat, I was sick of canyoneering. I just wish I didn't have to juggle canyoneering with 17 credit hours at UVSC.

    Reedus

  14. #13
    HDH is one tough canyon. Ram took me through there in February and we had an exciting time.
    I bet the place where you had to go down on your side was just after the rappel into the pothole, then the left hand turn to a very narrow wedge about 20 feet above the ground (that is where I went horizontal to the ground, almost going head down), then a sharp right turn?
    Great canyon but it tore up my shoes and my pack.

  15. #14
    Here are promised pictures from HDH and Lake Powell
    Attached Images Attached Images      

  16. #15
    A couple of hints for shooting good pics in canyons.....

    Lean against the canyon wall when possible to steady the camera. The dark slots require a slow shutter speed and anything you can do to steady the camera helps a bunch. Yeah I know.... a tripod is best.... but carrying a tripod through HDH would be extremely difficult and not many places to really set up since you are stemming a large portion of the time.

    Next hint..... shot pictures in portrait when in a canyon. This has several major advantages. It makes the canyon look deeper and narrower and you usually get more of the actual canyon in the photograph. The above pics of HDH would have been better and shown the extreme nature of a mae west if taken in portrait. Also , pics shot in landscape usually have the walls washed out if the flash goes off.

    And the Number 1 reason of all to shot in portrait is...... you can't make the cover a magazine with a landscape shot, covers are reserved for portrait shots.


  17. #16
    Here is a few more from the Powell trip
    Attached Images Attached Images          

  18. #17
    Thanks Shane!!!
    I had my camera switched to scenery during the entire time. What is the diff between scenery and portrait as far as from the camera's point of view? I assume it has to due with the field of focus, but does the shutter speed have anything to do with it. I seriously need to edumacate myself when it comes to photography. Canyons are fun descending, but looking back at pictures taken seems to enhance the fun of it.

  19. #18
    To the helmet Nazi's:
    The rest of the canyons I descend will be in company with a Petzl Elios thanks to Tom's screaming deal. This canyon actually put the fear into me. Lot of chockstones above you that make you wonder....

  20. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by Reedus
    I had my camera switched to scenery during the entire time. What is the diff between scenery and portrait as far as from the camera's point of view?
    You are getting your camera settings mixed up with camera terminology.

    Portrait means the height is taller then the width. This picture is shot in portrait.


    Landscape means the width is longer then the height. This picture is landscape.


    I'm guessing you are using a digital camera..... I just set mine on automatic and leave it unless I want to try getting artsy with a shot. The difference between portrait and scenery on your digital camera settings is they are using some preprogrammed settings.

    Just set your camera to auto for the best point and shoot pics.


  21. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by Reedus
    To the helmet Nazi's:
    The rest of the canyons I descend will be in company with a Petzl Elios thanks to Tom's screaming deal. This canyon actually put the fear into me. Lot of chockstones above you that make you wonder....
    We were setting eating lunch in a canyon a couple weeks ago and a big rock falls from the rim and splats next to us. I'm not sure if a helmet would have save your life or not because it was a bowling ball sized rock. But I'm positive you would be toast without a helmet in that situation.

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