Heaps Canyon - 24 May 2013

[Kuya]

Picture Album Can Be Found Here

WOW! yes I can still say that. It was my second time descending this beautiful canyon, and peering into this wonderful slot canyon continues inspire me with awe and wonder!


We got a late start on Thursday. Thanks to Dave's wonderful wife, we were dropped off at the Lava Point trailhead. It was about 11:30 when we were dropped off; in about 3 more hours we would finally be at the Phantom Valley lookout where we would bivvy for the night.


This go around, my bivvy experience wasn't so bad. I decided NOT to bring my hammock this time, and opted to sleep on the ground. We found a great spot under a pine tree where the pine needles provided a little extra "cush". I also packed some polypropylene thermal underwear to help keep me a tad bit warmer. Using the wetsuit as a pad inside my bivvy, I actually stayed KINDA warm. I was not comfortable by any means, but it was a better setup than my September 2012 bivvy experience in the same place.


Morning came quickly! The views of the Phantom Valley were STUNNING! I love the look out point that drops you into the canyon. It has gotta be one of my very favorite places in this world.


It didn't take long for us to get to the bottom of the Phantom Valley. before we knew it we were suiting up for the first set of narrows!! It took way to long to get that suit on over my thermal underwear, but I was so happy that I was wearing that extra thermal layer. that water was COLD! I had my 4/3 full wetsuit on with 5mm neo gloves and booties. The only things that didn't get cold was my feet and hands! I was better off than my friends though. Both Dave and Tyson were wearing 3mm wetsuits and they were freezing most of the time. I was uncomfortable at times, but never "freezing". THANK YOU POLYPRO!


The canyon was full of water and was just as pretty as I remember it. Actually, the canyon was easier this time than last. The cold water was the most difficult thing to deal with. We had one semi tricky pot hole escape, but it wasn't anything major.


The sandy corridors were BEAUTIFUL! and this time they weren't filled with quicksand. Everything was dry, hard, and easy to walk on.


The second set of narrows were, again, very very pretty. I LOVE the two logs that are resting in the form of an "X" on the entrance. it seems to me that nature is screaming "DO NOT ENTER." For the ill prepared that is very true!


The first two narrow sections don't really take much time to hike through when the water levels are full (I haven't yet done them dry yet). It is the 3rd set of narrows where you start to wonder if the canyon will ever end! It is also that section of the canyon where you find the most beauty! I can never get enough of the green, moss covered walls, or the orange iron mud streaking down the canyons cliffs. At times it feels like it is dusk inside the canyon, but really it is just after noon! The canyon is DEEP and HUGE and truly resembles the name it is given - HEAPS Canyon


After a few hours of rappelling, swimming in freezing water, and climbing up log jams (thankful the log soup area was dry this time) we came to the final rappel sequence. The warm breeze from the main canyon seemed to invigorate us with renewed energy. This was also the place where both Dave and Tyson began to cramp up really bad. While they were massaging their muscles, I headed up to the first rappel. It wasn't long before I had that rappel set up and we all were down resting near the tree rappel that would drop us onto the infamous "bird perch."


This rappel scares me SO BAD every time. 160' or so down there is a little ledge that I am suppose to land on. It can't be seen from where you stand, so it is a rappel of faith for the first timers. If the perch is missed, you will find yourself hanging 300' in mid air with only a few more feet of rope under you. your only alternative would be to ascend the rope!


Soon after Tyson landed with me on the perch, I was headed down the 300' rappel. That rap is SO HUGE and very beautiful! Soon Tyson was with me at the bottom and all was looking good!


It wasn't a few moments later when Dave radioed down informing us that as he began to pull the 200' rope from the previous rappel, that he had let the end of the rope pass him by with out untying the stopper from the end of it. This created a big problem. With out the 200' and 120' rope, it would be impossible to retrieve our 300' rope from the bottom of the rappel!


Dave spent the next 2 hours on the bird perch trying to troubleshoot the problems created. (stopper knots, rope retrieval, tangled 300' rope mess, getting headlamp out of the bottom of the pack, etc). In the end we all got safely down, and had to leave the ropes behind for others to hopefully drop and return.


Heaps was conquered again :D this time it was done with two other friends, and a wonderful time was had! yeah, She gobbled up some gear, but when it is all said and done, it all adds up to one AWESOME adventure!

[Jolly Green]

Glad to hear you got your ropes back. Great pics.

[spinesnaper]

Great trip report.

[Kuya]

Yes Huge thank you to @Bootboy and @summitseeker for working with me to get my ropes back!

[Iceaxe]

Yes Huge thank you to @Bootboy and @summitseeker for working with me to get my ropes back!

[Sombeech]

Great shots! From the GoPro in 1080 X 60 I assume?

[Slot Machine]

Great report Blake! Congrats on completing the route again!

Question: Did you carry the 300 footer through the canyon? If not, how did you retrieve your stashed rope while your 200 footer was stuck? *confused*

[Kuya]

Hey Slot Machine :)

I carried the 300' rope through the canyon. If not, we would really have been in a precarious situation! ;)

[Kuya]

Great shots! From the GoPro in 1080 X 60 I assume?

Yup, GoPro Hero 2. 1080 30 fps is all.

[Kuya]

Here is the video! :D Finally....

Enjoy! :D

[Doomedty]

Awesome video and thank you for not putting some horrible 80's rock song to the video. It made it so much more enjoyable to watch.

[Slot Machine]

Nice work Blake! Your editing skills just keep getting better and better. Awesome!

[Kuya]

Awesome video and thank you for not putting some horrible 80's rock song to the video. It made it so much more enjoyable to watch.

Thanks, I wanted what I felt was a beautiful song to highlight a beautiful canyon. Glad you liked it.

Nice work Blake! Your editing skills just keep getting better and better. Awesome!

Thanks! any tips on how to make it better?

[Slot Machine]

Thanks! any tips on how to make it better?

Heck no. It is very good.

Your editing matches your choice of music, which creates an excellent vibe. It's tough to get enough high quality shots to fill a 5 minute video, especially while you are working hard trying to get through a canyon like that. Shoot, you even kept the lens clean during most of the shots. What else could anyone ask for?