Pine Creek

[Iceaxe]

We went through Pine Creek last weekend and here are the current conditions..... the water is really freakin' cold!!!! I have never seen it this cold. The canyon has a lot of water and a lot of swimming at the moment.

FWIW: If you go into the VC at 5:30pm and ask for a Pine Creek permit the rangerette will give you a bunch of crap about it's too late to get a permit and you will never finish and you will die......

Anyhoo..... here are a couple of pics that I thought turned out really good.

[Scott Card]

Those photos prove my theory that the best light for Pine creek is late in the day. Nice.

[Sombeech]

FWIW: If you go into the VC at 5:30pm and ask for a Pine Creek permit the rangerette will give you a bunch of crap about it's too late to get a permit and you will never finish and you will die......

It would be nice if they weren't so condescending. We appreciate the warnings, but not the scoldings. They are welcome to say "Here are the conditions, and you may want to wait for better conditions to arrive."

"Oh, and thank you for giving us your money after sitting through a lecture."

[Iceaxe]

Actually the evening start was primo. We had the entire canyon to our selves. No waiting in lines at the rappels and no boy scouts tossing rocks on your head, which was my Pine Creek experience last year.

Also, the canyon light is totally different. Not better or worse..... just different. Things I have never been able to photograph well turned out nice. Other places that usually yield good shots had poor lighting.

[jumar]

Just went through Pine Creek myself this last weekend. 37 degree water, and a lot of it. Air temp was warm, so 3mm was all that was needed.

One party in there with us didn't have a long enough rope for the last rap, so we let them use ours.

There was one fewer rappels than the last time I descended it. There's only 5 rappels currently.

[Iceaxe]

I wore my drysuit and was nice and toasty..... but my feet got really cold. In fact they got so cold they hurt when they began to warm. Everyone else said the same thing about their feet....... if it was 37 degree water I now know why my feet went numb.



And of the 5 rappels..... number two can currently be jumped and number 4 has always been optional with a bypass route avaiable.

.

[hesse15]

I wore my drysuit and was nice and toasty..... but my feet got really cold. In fact they got so cold they hurt when they began to warm. Everyone else said the same thing about their feet....... if it was 37 degree water I now know why my feet went numb.



And of the 5 rappels..... number two can currently be jumped and number 4 has always been optional with a bypass route avaiable.

.

when i get there for having pictures at the end of march i had the same problem i was ok up but my feet were cold
i will miss you at the fest
i have to go to italy so i am going one weekend before
let me know next time you get into a canyon i will behave promise!!!

[Iceaxe]

Oh mann...... we are going to miss you at the feast. And I only go canyoneering with those who promise not to behave

[Ryebrye]

Has anyone ever done Pine Creek by moonlight / headlamp? I've always been tempted to get a permit and then do it at night...

Yes - the danger level increases a great deal... I'm well aware of that.

Anyone done it though? was it any fun?

[Iceaxe]

The answers to your questions are: Yes, yes and yes.

[stefan]

Okay this is interesting to me....

I have never thought about doing a dark wet slot canyon at night.

I have skied many a slope, including face-shot deep powder by full moon, and hiked many an open space, but never have i thought to do a slot in the dark.


i suppose it makes more of a caving experience?

[Udink]

I have never thought about doing a dark wet slot canyon at night.

I dream about it often...

[Iceaxe]

I can promise ya'll one thing as certain as death and taxes......

If you keep doing canyons eventually you will end up descending one in the dark.

Usually....... without water, without proper headlamps, without enough clothing to stay warm...... it's all part of the price of admission.

Actaully one of the better canyons to test your night stalker abilities is Keyhole..... for the same reasons its a good noobie canyon its a good canyon to try descending in the dark. A night descent of Keyhole was actually one of the more popular items on the menu at one of the early festival type get-2-gethers.

[Scott P]

If you keep doing canyons eventually you will end up descending one in the dark.

Sometimes even in the middle of the day!

[Ryebrye]

That's good to know... maybe we'll try Keyhole out...

Also - does anyone have a Zion permit handy? If I remember correctly, the permit only covers one trip from start to finish of the canyon - but any time of the day issued...

The only reason I ask is beause I was thinking of doing Pine Creek Friday early afternoon and then again at dusk / nightfall... Of course - the answer may not impact my decision much - I was just wondering for the sake of wondering...

[stefan]

well, alrighty then, i guess i'll have to put it down on the list


i suppose it's technically legal to do in zion, right?

[Iceaxe]

I think the Zion permit at night falls in the "Don't ask, don't tell" catagory. If I were planning a night descent I would pick up the proper permit, and then just not mention the "at night" part of the plan to the rangerette at the desk.

Gosh, last week getting a Pine Creek permit at 5:30 pm for an evening descent was a major pain in the ass....

[jumar]

Haven't done PC, but some other canyons in the dark. I agree keyhole is a fun one. I recommend it!

[Scott Card]

Just complete the canyon before midnight or you will get dinged for not having two permits - one for each day.

[Iceaxe]

Actually..... last time I did Keyhole at night we picked up a permit in the afternoon for the next day and began at midnight.