Zion: Spry Canyon

[ratagonia]

Awesome pictures.
I noticed in one of your pics on the rappel at the end where you have to swim that you guys went down the left side of the tongue. When I saw this pic it reminded me of a question I wanted to ask about Spry. When my son and I did spry a few weeks ago. On the above mentioned rappel, before you rappel, out towards the mouth of the slot there is some webbing tied through a arch. There is alot of exposure to get to it and after i got to the bottom (we rappelled off the right side of the tongue to miss the pool) I didn't see what would really be gained by rappeling off of the webbing in the arch? You still have to swim through that last slot? Is the webbing just there to add a little zip to the canyon or did I miss something?
Mark

I've gone out there and rapped off it once. We were hoping we could miss the pool that way - no such luck. So, no, I don't think you're missing much.

Remember #3 of Tom's Tenets of Canyon Descent: Just as hikers that are lost build cairns, canyoneers who make poor choices leave slings around anchors.

Tom

[moab mark]

Talking about the swim at the end. Kasey thought it was a bit nippy.
Mark

[moab mark]

Here is a pic of the webbing. I wasn't walking out there.
Mark

[tanya]

Yeah, like Tom says. Bo and I did it once. You do miss that first pool, but most of us, once we were right above the pool, still on the rope were able to get ourselves over the pool and onto a dry area, but then there is still no way to avoid that next pool. Here are some photos of when we did that arch rappel. The ledge to get there is



That lip you have to go over on this one too is not so comfortable in shorts. It's sharp!



The ledge to walk



Still can't avoid this pool.

The photos from that trip where we did that one.
http://www.zionnational-park.com/ima...ms/index65.htm

[tanya]

Talking about the swim at the end. Kasey thought it was a bit nippy.
Mark

I must be getting use to this stuff! I remembered that swim being so COLD!!!!!! -- and we did it mid-summer. This time it was a cool day and the pool was not bad at all?

[moab mark]

What's interesting is when we were there the end of April the webbing was black (I thought) but your pics show it is red. CLimbing out there up higher where you did would not be as bad as walking out there lower where I contemplated it for about one second. In April it was CCOOOLLLDDD.

[tanya]

What's interesting is when we were there the end of April the webbing was black (I thought) but your pics show it is red. CLimbing out there up higher where you did would not be as bad as walking out there lower where I contemplated it for about one second. In April it was CCOOOLLLDDD.

Yeah that ledge is scary. Bo rigged a rope to do it, but it would have still been bad if we slipped. That photo is from a couple of years ago, so someone must like to use that anchor since they replace the webbing.

[hank moon]

Great photos, Tanya! The toe-frog is wonderful (as are most frog-related visuals) and the rap shot with paintbrush is my favorite.

Way-out webbing: I went out there once and discovered (as have others) that it just ain't worth it. That webbing needs removal - it's an attractive nuisance!

There's another rap point a little further out and higher - it might avoid the water altogether, but that water's pretty refreshing in the right weather...

Great TR!

[tanya]

Thanks Hank... I laid down and waiting for everyone in the group and caught them with the paintbrush! I have not had time to get to the photos but I think there are some really good ones. I am so use to just Bo and I going. A big group is much slower and it allows time for a lot of photography!


I have never thought of water in the slots as refreshing.

I did get some good frog shots since they were collecting them.

[Allystair]

Posting cause Tanya is awsome and I really enjoyed having her along!
Thanks for taking the pics

[tanya]

You are pretty awesome yourself! Thanks for dinner too! I had to do hours on the treadmill to work off that Oscars Garlic Burger --- but it was so good!!!

[tanya]

Posting cause Tanya is awsome and I really enjoyed having her along!
Thanks for taking the pics

Hanging with you Allystair actually made me want to be a biology student again and that interest was long long ago....

You are the coolest teacher!

[accadacca]

Very cool report. I just saw this featured on the homepage and clicked through.