Three Canyon Green River 12/07/2008

[french_de]

Sunday December 07, 2008 found the Science and Environment Adventure Club (SEAC), a group membered with teachers and students from the Salt Lake City, Utah based Highland High School, in Three Canyon, a western side drainage of the Green River. This is a great place to do an early winter hike. The outlet to this canyon was named Trin-Alcove Bend by J.W. Powell when he and his party floated the Green River in July of 1869. With Climb-Utah’s and M. Kelsey’s beta in hand, we started the day off by dropping a thick 200 foot rope down the steeply sloped exit ridge, rigged from a couple of old cowboy bolts placed at the rim a little ways up canyon of one of the lower micro slots named Northwest Fork (M. Kelsey) aka The Sneak or Sneak Canyon (BLM Ranger via Scott Patterson). From there we headed off to the top of the three mile long, north flowing main canyon. The day turned out to be perfect with temps in the low 50’s. The plan was to finish off the main and then make a run thru one of the two micro slots at the end of the canyon. Our hike started with a short walk into a wash which very quickly comes to the 85 foot entrance rappel, the one and only drop in the main canyon. When we did the canyon 3 years ago, this drop was handled with a two stage, into a pothole half way down, rappel anchored from a couple of bolts that had been placed on the right side LDC. This time we discovered another set of bolts placed across canyon. There is by the way plenty of places and material in the area to build any kind of natural anchor. That being said, the newest drop zone is a nice place to rappel with an easy ledge start and a smooth wall down. Once in the canyon it is a beautiful hike thru soaring Carmel capped Navajo sandstone walls. Winter’s hiatus does little to impede this canyon’s charm. The canyon bottom contains numerous trickles of spring fed water cascading across ledges, down thru narrow channels and out into reed and grass gardens. Various native, invasive and pioneer plant species litter the canyon. Juncos flittered and Ravens cawed. In places, the canyon bottom reminds me of the White Roost. It is a great place for a science club visit; nature had a very appreciative audience. Once finished with the main canyon, we scrambled a ways up the Northwest fork to the earlier placed, cowboy bolt anchored rope and pulled our way back up to the ridge. We then descended the Northwest fork micro slot from the top. This slot has some fun down climbs over and around some sculptured potholes and pools. There is one 60 foot rappel in the middle of the slot. There is a very recent, very large rock fall right after the first rappel. The big and final thrill in this slot is the elevator down climb of the 70 foot crack just below the big rock fall. It can be rappelled but with a little body wedging we easily descended it. We snuck out of the bottom of the canyon again using the previously placed rope. We did the main canyon in 5 hours and the micro slot in about an hour.

[Jaxx]

Very cool. we were down in the roost area as well this weekend. Beautiful temps in the day. Looks like a fun canyon.

[DWayne27]

You guys have been out a TON this year. I am jealous but I do enjoy your TR's.

[Sombeech]

Excellent report as always.

[french_de]

You guys have been out a TON this year. I am jealous but I do enjoy your TR's. :

Excellent report as always.

Thank You.. It is always fun

[SLCmntjunkie]

I couldn't help notice the death triangle rigged on the newer pair of bolts. Did you fix it or rappel off of it?

[trackrunner]

I couldn't help notice the death triangle rigged on the newer pair of bolts. Did you fix it or rappel off of it?

Exactly what I was wondering.

[french_de]

I couldn't help notice the death triangle rigged on the newer pair of bolts. Did you fix it or rappel off of it?

Wow! we did not notice this. This picture was taken before the rappel was rigged. We extended the webbing toward the edge. I had to research this concept. It is somewhat counterintuitive: I found this at a climbing site. "The geometry here multiplies the force on the anchor points. As the rope pulls downward, it's obvious that the sling exerts downward force on the bolts. But less obviously, the tightening of the sling also pulls the bolts toward each other. Depending on the angle between the bolts and the power point, this inward force can be more than three times as great as the downward force". Thanks for pointing this out.

[Felicia]

Very nice trip report. Everyone has a big smile on their face.

[Scott Card]

What a bunch of lucky kids. Nice job.

[ratagonia]

I couldn't help notice the death triangle rigged on the newer pair of bolts. Did you fix it or rappel off of it?

Exactly what I was wondering.

O runner of track, where did you get the nice diagram from?

Tom

[Scott P]

Not to get off topic, but I think the best photo of a classic American Death Triangle is on the bottom photo, pg. 94 of the book Canyon Hiking Guide to the Colorado Pleateau, 4th Edition. If you have the book, check it out. Anyone ever noticed the ADT in the photo?