Hard Day Harvey

[Mountaineer]

I suppose having doing Good Day Jim the previous day wasn't enough. Last week, Tyler and I were up for some more punishment. Where one East branch of Sevenmile has pothole challenges, this other East branch: Hard Day Harvey, is narrower and tighter.

I will even dare say there are spots that are more narrow than Shenanigans. A couple of times I had

to exhale and push with everything I had with a crawl. And going high is challenging, especially toward the end where it is tight and bells out above you.

Not too hot (60F temps), a few chilly swims, and lots of squeezing and scraping proved that wet suits were welcome.

We took the West return. Easy to navigate, although it can be long and a bit physical at times.


Fantastic day! This one will not disappoint.

[Slot Machine]

I will even dare say there are spots that are more narrow than Shenanigans. A couple of times I had

to exhale and push with everything I had with a crawl. And going high is challenging, especially toward the end where it is tight and bells out above you.

Is it possible to go extra high over the ultra tight stuff? Like the strategy that has been used in Shenanigans?

Nice report. Thanks for sharing Mark!

[oldno7]

Is it possible to go extra high over the ultra tight stuff? Like the strategy that has been used in Shenanigans?

Nice report. Thanks for sharing Mark!

Yes

[ratagonia]

Is it possible to go extra high over the ultra tight stuff? Like the strategy that has been used in Shenanigans?

Nice report. Thanks for sharing Mark!

Shenanigans: uh, this is not a good description of a possible route over the last section of Shennany. Just as the low route in Shenanigans is characterized by its length and continuity, the high route has the same characteristics.

One has to decide fairly early if you are going UP in Shenanigans. If you go low and fail, there are very few places to go up once you are on the low route. Actually, only one that I know of, and it is a quite difficult up-climb. If you go low and fail, really, you best option is to shimmy back the last section (one hundred yards or more) to get to the start of the up-route.

The uproute is not easy, either. R plus seems to be the consensus grade, and kinda an endurance R plus at that.

In most narrow-slot type canyons, if you don't fit through, you can climb up with difficulty, climb over the top and be down on the other side in 5 minutes, 10 at the most. This is not the case in Shenanigans. The up-route takes 20 to 30 minutes to complete, for experienced R-canyon canyoneers.

Tom

[oldno7]

Is it possible to go extra high over the ultra tight stuff? !

Yes

[Mountaineer]

Is it possible to go extra high over the ultra tight stuff? Like the strategy that has been used in Shenanigans?

Nice report. Thanks for sharing Mark!

Thanks Bob.

It is, although I thought this canyon would be hard in one spot near the end. The canyon takes a sharp right turn, and at that turn it gets very narrow and also bells up wide at the corner. It would be a bit tricky to navigate high, but I believe doable (I didn't attempt that route).

[xxnitsuaxx]

In most narrow-slot type canyons, if you don't fit through, you can climb up with difficulty, climb over the top and be down on the other side in 5 minutes, 10 at the most. This is not the case in Shenanigans. The up-route takes 20 to 30 minutes to complete, for experienced R-canyon canyoneers.

Tom

I've only been through Shenanigans 3 times and I'll typically defer to Tom's canyon-knowledge, but I've done the high route all 3 times and I never really felt that it was either that difficult or that dangerous. I'm no high-stemming badass; I've done Sandthrax and Shenanigans and plenty of the trade routes down there but I wouldn't consider myself experienced with the hard stemming stuff. Do most people feel that going high is both difficult and R-rated? Have I just forgotten how it felt being up there? (It has been a couple of years)

[ratagonia]

I've only been through Shenanigans 3 times and I'll typically defer to Tom's canyon-knowledge, but I've done the high route all 3 times and I never really felt that it was either that difficult or that dangerous. I'm no high-stemming badass; I've done Sandthrax and Shenanigans and plenty of the trade routes down there but I wouldn't consider myself experienced with the hard stemming stuff. Do most people feel that going high is both difficult and R-rated? Have I just forgotten how it felt being up there? (It has been a couple of years)

My memory is that it is not all that hard (PG+ or R-), but experienced people I have sent up there have found it considerably more difficult than that. And while most of it is fairly straightforward, a couple places near the beginning are both difficult and highish.

"I'm no high-stemming badass; I've done Sandthrax..."

What does one have to do these days to be a high-stemming badass? Sandthrax no longer counts?

In a way, I know how you feel. I've only done a couple X canyons, and generally think that the X canyons I have NOT done look like they are really hard, whereas the ones I have done, not so bad.

[Iceaxe]

I my book a successful completion of Sandthrax qualifies a canyoneer to proudly wear the bad ass title.

YMMV

Tap'n on my Galaxy G3

[xxnitsuaxx]

If both Tom and Shane agree, I won't argue. I'm off to get my "Canyon Badass" tattoo!

[TommyBoy]

I've noticed that the "hard" canyons you hear about are never as hard as the stories make them sound. I haven't done that many and sandthrax isn't one of the ones I've done, but the stories seem to exaggerate the difficulties. I'm not saying the ones I've done were easy, just not as hard as I was expecting from the stories I'd read.

[ratagonia]

I've noticed that the "hard" canyons you hear about are never as hard as the stories make them sound. I haven't done that many and sandthrax isn't one of the ones I've done, but the stories seem to exaggerate the difficulties. I'm not saying the ones I've done were easy, just not as hard as I was expecting from the stories I'd read.

and the interwebs is replete with people saying: "heck, if fat old grumpy canyoneers like Ram and Tom can do it, how hard can it be" - and then epiccing in SandThrax.

and then blaming it on their partner... (at least in one case).

Once your skill and experience level comes up, those canyons are not all that hard. The problem is when people without much skills, (say athletic-ish young people who have not done a canyon before) go into a canyon that is fairly difficult (like, say, Chambers).

Kinda like flying a helicopter. It's not all that hard, if you know how to fly a helicopter.

Tom

[Taylor]

Very cool, Mark. Harvey was one of my favorite canyons, even on a 105 degree day in June. We had a nearly epic day there a couple of years ago. I loved those right angle turns in both Jim and Harvey and distinctly remember that spot you referred to. I went high while my wife and another friend in our party went low there. FWIW, Laura calls that canyon Hell Day Harvey, and I will share more of the story if you're interested.

[Mountaineer]

Very cool, Mark. Harvey was one of my favorite canyons, even on a 105 degree day in June. We had a nearly epic day there a couple of years ago. I loved those right angle turns in both Jim and Harvey and distinctly remember that spot you referred to. I went high while my wife and another friend in our party went low there. FWIW, Laura calls that canyon Hell Day Harvey, and I will share more of the story if you're interested.

Nice job! Doing that high angle stem was tricky, I'm sure. Would love to hear about your story in there. It is a really fun canyon. I agree with you, one of the best.


As far as some stories being written harder than the canyons really are; there is some truth to that. I find it mostly mental for me. Do I commit to that jump with a 15' penalty fall? Can I make that 1" ledge 6' down over that cliff and over? You make the move OK, and everything works fine. Until it doesn't...