Zion Permits - Part 5

[cookiecutter]

(This is quite a bit off topic sorry!) but RAM, I think I'm finally putting two and two together - - you didn't happen to be in Zion in the end of May/early June and give a good speech at the permit window just before you were "going to do echo with an ice axe and crampons"??

And to bring it back on topic, I wish I could make it but I can't talk my group into heading to Moab, they are dead set on getting Mystery and Spry canyon that same weekend in Zion.

[RAM]

(This is quite a bit off topic sorry!) but RAM, I think I'm finally putting two and two together - - you didn't happen to be in Zion in the end of May/early June and give a good speech at the permit window just before you were "going to do echo with an ice axe and crampons"??

And to bring it back on topic, I wish I could make it but I can't talk my group into heading to Moab, they are dead set on getting Mystery and Spry canyon that same weekend in Zion.

Oh my! You in here? Did my dying camera get you?
http://picasaweb.google.com/aramv14/...59110738789650
It was May and Courtney and I did Echo in the AM and Aires Butte in the PM. I don't think Ranger Annette was too happy with me? How did my impromptu stump speech against the permit system come off? Do you think I may have made any converts. Any one or set of points I tied to make, resonate with you in particular? Or did I come off as a nut case!?!? One wants to be effective. I mean it was a beautiful morning, headed toward getting hot and there were over 3 dozen people standing there waiting and waiting and waiting.
R

[Iceaxe]

Guys, I split this into it's own topic so as not to hijack the Bogley fest thread.

[cookiecutter]

Guys, I split this into it's own topic so as not to hijack the Bogley fest thread.

No problemo

[CarpeyBiggs]

just wait till you see what he does to the fiery furnace rangers on thursday...

[Iceaxe]

just wait till you see what he does to the fiery furnace rangers on thursday...

You have obviously missed Rock Gremlin in action.... this is how you pull a fast one on the ranger....

[cookiecutter]

Oh my! You in here? Did my dying camera get you?
http://picasaweb.google.com/aramv14/...59110738789650
It was May and Courtney and I did Echo in the AM and Aires Butte in the PM. I don't think Ranger Annette was too happy with me? How did my impromptu stump speech against the permit system come off? Do you think I may have made any converts. Any one or set of points I tied to make, resonate with you in particular? Or did I come off as a nut case!?!? One wants to be effective. I mean it was a beautiful morning, headed toward getting hot and there were over 3 dozen people standing there waiting and waiting and waiting.
R

look at that! yep, my friend is the one in the white hat sitting under the guy standing up towards the front of the line. I'm sitting somewhere near him, but covered up. RAM your a legend as far as my group sees it! We really dug listening to you. It was our first canyoneering trip ever, so this was our first permit window experience. We were there at 5 am and didn't get permits for the Subway. But, answer your questions:

Yes Ranger Annette looked as though she wouldn't have minded you leaving and not coming back for a while ha..

Most people were left talking about what you had said, so I think some converts were made - you convinced our group at least. Since this was our first experience with the permit window we really didn't have anything against permits, we never knew anything different, but hearing your points kinda made us think, "hey, this guy has a point." The point that really stood out to us was when you said, and I'll do my best to quote you, "I mean come on, its a beautiful morning and all of you should be out enjoying the cool weather hiking to your canyon head before it gets hot out." If it was a chapel I think I would have given you a solid Amen. It was a hot day, and our group (4 of us) shortly realized we would've much rather started the actual canyon as the sun was rising rather than starting the trail head after the sun had been up for a while.

You might have come of a little nutty but only at the very beginning. once you started giving us info that applied to us personally for that very day we really listened in. I heard your words echo in my mind as we sat at 4:15 am later that week waiting for Mystery canyon permits only to be beat out by someone who was there much earlier. Thats a little ridiculous. All that early waking up made us, on our very last canyon day, sleep though 3 alarms. We are in no way lazy, we slept through 3 blaring alarms and with that our last day turned into an early drive home.

So we really appreciate what you had to say! and its really cool to actually "meet" you - even if it is only over the internet. Maybe I'll have the chance to go through a canyon with you some day.

Just to quickly explain how I put two and two together, my buddy and I (the one in your picture) were watching the recent trip report video of your trip through Smiling Cricket & Happy Dog when we saw you talking in the end and thought, "what a minute, wait a minute...thats him!" we were both pretty excited to see you pop up again, anyway thats that.

Hope your canyoneering trips since that May morning have been excellent!

[Ryebrye]

FWIW, the express permit system does make things a little bit more tolerable.

But yes, the permit system sucks.

<insert>

[trackrunner]

Labor Day weekend there was a hudge line at the window in the morning and no progress was being made. The system was completely down. It all had to be done by hand. Took hours from the opening to move people in the line. Best place to spend early hours of a long canyon day.

[ratagonia]

Labor Day weekend there was a hudge line at the window in the morning and no progress was being made. The system was completely down. It all had to be done by hand. Took hours from the opening to move people in the line. Best place to spend early hours of a long canyon day.

Complaints can be sent to:

Superintendent
Zion National Park
Sprinddale UT 84767