Lost Drybag in Spry

[Slot Machine]

I managed to leave my drybag somewhere in Spry today.

I got down to rap 6 or 7 before I noticed it was gone. It has my GPS and pretty much everything I've ever purchased for canyoneering.

Reward if found.

Bob

[dougr]

Wow, that's tough. Hoping someone on the board finds it.

[ratagonia]

I managed to leave my drybag somewhere in Spry today.

I got down to rap 6 or 7 before I noticed it was gone. It has my GPS and pretty much everything I've ever purchased for canyoneering.

Reward if found.

Bob

Did you leave a Lost and Found (well, in this case Lost) notice with the Backcountry Desk? If someone finds it, they are likely to leave it there.

Tom

[desotodave]

Will be going through tomorrow morning. I will look for it.

[desotodave]

BTW, how were the conditions in Spry?

[Deathcricket]

Wow a free rope and now some gear in Spry. Looks like a good time!

[Slot Machine]

BTW, how were the conditions in Spry?

Thanks in advance for looking for it. We were canyoneering/driving all day yesterday, hence the late reply.

Spry is full of water. If you are familiar with the canyon there is only one neck deep pool that is unavoidable, and a couple of swims if you don't know the tricks to get around them. There is a 15 ft tall log/mudjam that should be avoided, it is unstable and would be dangerous to rappel from. Use the social trail (RDC) to bypass the mudjam, then rappel into the dry section of slot. I did not wear a wetsuit and froze my butt off. Bring a shortie or a 3/2 full and you will be much happier.

I spoke with the park service about using the social trail in that spot, and they agree that it is a good idea at this time.

[ratagonia]

Thanks in advance for looking for it. We were canyoneering/driving all day yesterday, hence the late reply.

Spry is full of water. If you are familiar with the canyon there is only one neck deep pool that is unavoidable, and a couple of swims if you don't know the tricks to get around them. There is a 15 ft tall log/mudjam that should be avoided, it is unstable and would be dangerous to rappel from. Use the social trail (RDC) to bypass the mudjam, then rappel into the dry section of slot. I did not wear a wetsuit and froze my butt off. Bring a shortie or a 3/2 full and you will be much happier.

I spoke with the park service about using the social trail in that spot, and they agree that it is a good idea at this time.

Spry is much more fun if you wear a wetsuit, and stay in the canyon. The rappel around the arch/tunnel section is dirty and always seems longer than it looks - careful out there.

15 foot tall log/mudjam?

Huh, guess the canyon changes day to day, week to week, month to month. I am curious where this new feature is?

Tom

[Slot Machine]

Spry is much more fun if you wear a wetsuit, and stay in the canyon. The rappel around the arch/tunnel section is dirty and always seems longer than it looks - careful out there.

15 foot tall log/mudjam?

Huh, guess the canyon changes day to day, week to week, month to month. I am curious where this new feature is?

Tom

I did leave a lost notice at the Backcountry Desk, I'm trying to get ahold of them this morning to see if anybody turned anything in. Thanks for the advice.

As for the mudjam, I want to be sure we are thinking of the same place. From your beta, it is here:

"The second drop is tall, but yields easily to the "elevator" technique – staying back in the corner and using outward pressure to control one's slide. Or rappel off a tree. The last drop into a dark slot requires a rappel off the most solid of the abundant debris. The dark slot may require a little wading."

So, I elevatored down into the frigid, stinky water, yelping and swearing as I swam across. I climbed to the top of the mudjam and expected to downclimb down into the second pool (in a very interesting cavern). Here the mudjam was very overhung and unstable. It was about a 15-20 foot drop to the water, so I didn't even consider jumping. Couldn't downclimb because the slot bombays out beneath the mudjam. I decided to rappel off of the mudjam, but could not find a suitable anchor. I pulled 5-6 large loose logs off the top of the mudjam before I gave up. The mudjam was also acting as a dam between the first and second halves of the pool. There was water seeping through the mud; the surface of the upper pool was several feet above the surface of the second pool.

My buddy watched in amusement until I could not get down the mudjam. He then climbed up the social trail (RDC) and created an achor on the cliff above the mudjam, then lowered a rope to me. I rappelled into the second pool (more yelping and swearing), and waded out.

I stayed in the watercourse the entire way through Spry. Not fun without a wetsuit.

[ratagonia]

As for the mudjam, I want to be sure we are thinking of the same place. From your beta, it is here:

"The second drop is tall, but yields easily to the "elevator" technique – staying back in the corner and using outward pressure to control one's slide. Or rappel off a tree. The last drop into a dark slot requires a rappel off the most solid of the abundant debris. The dark slot may require a little wading."

So, I elevatored down into the frigid, stinky water, yelping and swearing as I swam across. I climbed to the top of the mudjam and expected to downclimb down into the second pool (in a very interesting cavern). Here the mudjam was very overhung and unstable. It was about a 15-20 foot drop to the water, so I didn't even consider jumping. Couldn't downclimb because the slot bombays out beneath the mudjam. I decided to rappel off of the mudjam, but could not find a suitable anchor. I pulled 5-6 large loose logs off the top of the mudjam before I gave up. The mudjam was also acting as a dam between the first and second halves of the pool. There was water seeping through the mud; the surface of the upper pool was several feet above the surface of the second pool.

My buddy watched in amusement until I could not get down the mudjam. He then climbed up the social trail (RDC) and created an achor on the cliff above the mudjam, then lowered a rope to me. I rappelled into the second pool (more yelping and swearing), and waded out.

I stayed in the watercourse the entire way through Spry. Not fun without a wetsuit.

HA! Good story.

Interesting - that log jam had not changed much in the last 10 years, and had a couple of well-jammed logs from which rappelling was clear and simple. Interesting that the jam has been refreshed with new, unstable debris. Good choice that your buddy had not come down yet!

Tom

[Slot Machine]

Someone was nice enough to haul my drybag out of Spry and return it to the Backcountry Desk!

THANK YOU!

If anybody knows who did this kind deed, please let me know so I can send them some gormet brownies.

http://www.dancingdeer.com/

[2065toyota]

Nice