6 in 5

[Bootboy]

Just got back from a 7 day road trip with my girlfriend. Canyons was the theme and we did 6 wet Zion canyons in 5 consecutive days. Our trip started in Ogden on Wednesday afternoon after work. We drove to joes valley and dirt bagged it for a night and climbed our brains out on Thursday. We spent Thursday night at the Ponderosa where the GM is a personal friend. Friday we did Mystery canyon and had it all to ourselves, or so it seemed. We swam down the narrows inasmuch as the water would allow, much to the amusement of the hoards of gaper tourists with their ZAC sticks. Saturday we did Pine Creek and Keyhole. We opted to do Pine Creek first due to the threat of inclement weather that afternoon, then keyhole once the threat was more easily ascertained. Both canyons were full and stink free. That night we drive up to the terrace and camped just outside the park on the side of the road. We woke up Sunday morning and did Kolob and were back to the Ponderosa in time for a soak in the hot tub. On Monday, reeling from the day before, we did echo. The water was only about 10 days old but the place smelled like a port-a-potty. Our enthusiasm for echo was dampened by our physical state plus the smell. We found ourselves wishing we had just planned a rest day and saved echo for a day that we could rig a rope from below the trail, above weeping rock, to ascend out of lower echo to get the full meal deal.

A side note here: I think it's stupid that you can't rap out of lower echo, even if you rapped the watercourse, you're not close enough over the trail to be any threat to the hikers below, as the rock over hangs significantly here. If you went north of the water course you could easily rig a 2 stage rap on blocks in the corner and pose zero threat to the gapers below.

We digress...

Anyway, on Monday night we dirtbagged it in dalton wash, woke up, packed, and drove up to left fork to rendezvous with a friend who joined us for das boot and the subway. Much of the subway below das boot is full of fresh sand from the recent floods, but still clear, flowing, and pretty as ever.

One more night at the Ponderosa and then home on Wednesday in time to get to work at 3. We stopped at Big Rock Candy Mountain to fish for an hour with little success, but a nice break from the dank car and stinky gear.

Definitely lived the good life this last week. We did the whole trip for about $200 a piece. Not a bad deal for an incredible week spent with incredible company:)

Cheers

[Jolly Green]

Bootboy, thanks again for the romp through Das Boot and the Subway. I still can't believe how much sand and tree debris there is in the Subway. I wonder if that German group ever made it out before sundown. Hopefully, the smell in your car was tolerable for the ride home.