11/09/14 - Zion - Mystery Canyon

[jman]

After completing the Subway the day before, we finally would be able to do our prize canyon this trip - Mystery Canyon.

Much has been said about Mystery for better or for worse, but for me, this will always be a "gem".

It has a simple approach (from the East Mesa Trailhead), a fun and intense down-climb section through Death Gulch, narrows that are interspersed throughout the journey, a handful of fun and beautiful rappels (can't remember exactly, but 10+, maybe?), a seasonal lake (which I have never been able to witness until this trip), a gorgeous riparian section at the last 1/4 mile, and fun and entertaining final rappel into the narrows. For this trip, my brother and I were taking 3 noobs through and 1 seasoned-friend for a second time.

We started this trip around 10:30am from the East Mesa Trailhead and reached the shuttle at 4:30pm.

Mystery in the fall can't be beat! If you have never done it, I would highly recommend it! The fall colors are incredible. There is only 1 swimmer (Mystery Springs rap), currently, but it can turn into a waist deep one if you can find the "secret" under-water ledge. And the down-climb after that rap, turned into a chest-deep pool compared to years of past. The lake when we did it was only waist deep, by hugging the right side of the canyon.

Without further ado, onto the pics!

[Rob L]

That's a lot of pitchers.

Glad you had a good trip; it's a great canyon!

[climb.on]

Did you guys REALLY scratch those notes in the rocks? Hopefully you just came across this graffiti and posted to report the issue though I don't see your note stating so. Hopefully whomever caused this will get caught!

[jman]

Did you guys REALLY scratch those notes in the rocks? Hopefully you just came across this graffiti and posted to report the issue though I don't see your note stating so. Hopefully whomever caused this will get caught!

That's a good eye. I was wondering who was gonna notice it first (yes rob, there was a lot of pics posted!!).

The graffiti was at the 3rd to last rappel in Mystery. Just prior to the Mystery Spring rap.

We reported it when we got done but I haven't seen follow ups since.

The graffiti looks to be French in nature. Anybody here speak French?? So..... I'd imagine....that a ranger could go through the permit history and look for possible French names and go from there?? I mean we didn't catch anybody red headed so it would all be speculation until somebody admitted to it.

[townsend]

That's a good eye. I was wondering who was gonna notice it first (yes rob, there was a lot of pics posted!!).

The graffiti was at the 3rd to last rappel in Mystery. Just prior to the Mystery Spring rap.

We reported it when we got done but I haven't seen follow ups since.

The graffiti looks to be French in nature. Anybody here speak French?? So..... I'd imagine....that a ranger could go through the permit history and look for possible French names and go from there?? I mean we didn't catch anybody red headed so it would all be speculation until somebody admitted to it.

Why do you ID the graffiti as French? Is it because in French, Je is the first person pronoun? I think it's too brief to know . . . maybe Je was the first letters of another word ("....Je[...] = ...Je[nny?]) that was incompletely written, or an abbreviation of sorts. But agreed, this is disgraceful, whoever did it and regardless of language of origin.

[Absolute Gravity]

The graffiti looks to be French in nature. Anybody here speak French?? So..... I'd imagine....that a ranger could go through the permit history and look for possible French names and go from there?? I mean we didn't catch anybody red headed so it would all be speculation until somebody admitted to it.

I found it a little intriguing, and after a little google translate sleuthing came up with Czech as a possibility. One person wrote 'Je Zima', or 'It's cold', and another wrote 'Byl jsem zde', 'I was here'. Sound like the words of a jack ass to me.

[ratagonia]

Did you guys not find the well-defined trail at the start of the Death Gully?

ps. as far as I know, no one has died there, but the Tedious and Scary Gully just does not have the same ring to it!

Tom

[Bo_Beck]

I also like Mystery Canyon. As you said....casual yet intense! Great chronological picture TR! Picture #15 caught my eye! Several years ago I hiked Mystery with a couple friends, my boss and his 2 children. There were 2 fellows at the TH at East Mesa loading up their Imlay packs when we arrived. They had SD plates on their vehicle. They asked what we were hiking and we explained that we intended to hike Mystery. They too were prepping for the same and said that they'd take off so they didn't need to pass us later. As we got down the Death Gully about to your pic. # 12 or so, one of the fellows came running back up and reported that his brother had just broken pretty severely his ankle! Yep.....right where the friend of yours in blue shirt in pic. #15 sat the brother! I stayed with the injured and asked the brother to run back up and call dispatch (ZNP), and sent the rest of my party to go have fun in Mystery. A couple hours later the brother returned and stated that Dispatch had been notified. About 4 to 5 hours from the original discovery of injured I heard rocks tumbling from above.......Yes! The SAR Team is arriving! The team consisted of Annette, and Kelsey!!!!!! No pulleys, just some carabiners, and an extra harness! Why just you two I asked? (not to say they aren't capable). Well....there were 3 other SAR's happenning simultaneously! A fellow had a broken ankle at the crossroads in Imlay; A young woman had clipped the wrong side of a blocked rope at the last rappel in Imaly and had fallen, and a fellow had tweaked his knee above Imlay exit in The Narrows. Phew.....needless to say it was a grind getting our patient back up the Death Gully ! So yes....I remember this photo #15 well :-)

[ratagonia]

Great story Bo. This pic?

[flatiron]

Did you guys not find the well-defined trail at the start of the Death Gully?

ps. as far as I know, no one has died there, but the Tedious and Scary Gully just does not have the same ring to it!

Tom

That was my thought looking at the pics? I have not done M for several years but it used to be a very obvious and not so bad trail. Unless after rain storm.

[Bo_Beck]

Great story Bo. This pic?

Yes! We had a 200' rope, and I'd hike up 200', basket hitch a tree or bush, clip into the rope and walk back down. Kelsey and Annette would stabalize his leg (we had a harness on him backwards) and they'd go up as I came back down! After maybe 10-15 resets we had him on top where the Emer. Chopper landed, and hauled him away! I got to hike that Death Gully many times up and down that day!

[jman]

I found it a little intriguing, and after a little google translate sleuthing came up with Czech as a possibility. One person wrote 'Je Zima', or 'It's cold', and another wrote 'Byl jsem zde', 'I was here'. Sound like the words of a jack ass to me.

Nice sleuthing! Btw, I was thinking it was French because of the "je" but was corrected. Croatian. Thankfully, those "scratches" were not carved in to deep - more like superficial scratches - so it should be easier to remove?? To those who are lurking and reading it - shame on you! And no, kiddies, - writing your names or messages in rocks isn't cool. Even if "everyone else in California is doing it"...(as my friend remarked one time in regards to spray-paint graffiti in a local hiking canyon)

Did you guys not find the well-defined trail at the start of the Death Gully?

We found a half-dozen trails in that area. The one in my pics was pretty well-defined (and probably a new one, based off of your reply) but it joined up with a few other trails into the main one about 200 yards down. And it wasn't too bad actually!

I also like Mystery Canyon. As you said....casual yet intense! Great chronological picture TR! Picture #15 caught my eye! Several years ago I hiked Mystery with a couple friends, my boss and his 2 children. There were 2 fellows at the TH at East Mesa loading up their Imlay packs when we arrived. They had SD plates on their vehicle. They asked what we were hiking and we explained that we intended to hike Mystery. They too were prepping for the same and said that they'd take off so they didn't need to pass us later. As we got down the Death Gully about to your pic. # 12 or so, one of the fellows came running back up and reported that his brother had just broken pretty severely his ankle! Yep.....right where the friend of yours in blue shirt in pic. #15 sat the brother! I stayed with the injured and asked the brother to run back up and call dispatch (ZNP), and sent the rest of my party to go have fun in Mystery. A couple hours later the brother returned and stated that Dispatch had been notified. About 4 to 5 hours from the original discovery of injured I heard rocks tumbling from above.......Yes! The SAR Team is arriving! The team consisted of Annette, and Kelsey!!!!!! No pulleys, just some carabiners, and an extra harness! Why just you two I asked? (not to say they aren't capable). Well....there were 3 other SAR's happenning simultaneously! A fellow had a broken ankle at the crossroads in Imlay; A young woman had clipped the wrong side of a blocked rope at the last rappel in Imaly and had fallen, and a fellow had tweaked his knee above Imlay exit in The Narrows. Phew.....needless to say it was a grind getting our patient back up the Death Gully ! So yes....I remember this photo #15 well :-)

That's a pretty cool story Bo. Very forunate to have you around! Ugh...that reminds me...we once descended Mystery a few years back and it started to rain VERY hard just before the first rappel and everyone's thoughts were "let's turn back". Thankfully it stopped about 5 mins later. But we were thinking, boy this would suck hiking back up!! I can't imagaine doing that few times...

[tanya]

That's a great photo show.