Full Imlay July '17

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Just two days before the monster 18 hour rainstorm filled up the potholes, Bob (Slotmachine) his wife Stephanie, Tony (AbsoluteGravity) Anthony (UtahCanyoneer) and I went thru the full length of Imaly in one long day.

12 hours from my truck at Lava Point to the Narrows. The upper part of Imaly takes a considerable amount of time. I lost count of how many times I said "The Crossroads are just around that corner!". You see that big wall long before you get there.

Bob has a trip report with more pictures at his blog. Like he said, we were moving quick in the upper part so he didn't take any shots up there, but I got a few of the big raps to get into the canyon. The entry and about an hour or so before the Crossroads are the best part.

We could have done the whole thing without wetsuits, which is amazing to consider. It was also pretty neat to see all the hook holes those horrible G-picks had made...har, har!

Here's the pictures I took from the trip. Stephanie had it easy and hard at the same time because the boys carried all the ropes...but since she is so small and light, she had the job of hooking out of the pits and laying herself out as a meat anchor for the guys. She just cruised through like it was no big deal...Bob hit the wife lottery, big time.

Tony and Anthony were also very impressive with the stemming skills. They were ahead of the rest of us at one point without a rope and went down a chute that I figured was impossible to stem without dropping the last 3 feet or so into the pool, which I considered a bit reckless. Bob insisted that they stemmed all the way down. When we caught up with them, they declared that's exactly what they did. I lost a $10 bet to Bob with that one...he could have nicked me for a hundie but declared "I like making friends, not losing them". He said that to me as he scooped up the ten dollar bill. Bastard!

BTW, Anthony has a GoPro video of said event that I have yet to see. So...maybe I can get that ten bucks back after all? I'll take the boys word for it, but I'd love to see that video!

Speaking of Anthony...what an animal! He's built like a linebacker but moves like a pro gymnast. He was a last minute addition to the crew but such an asset because he's just 100% fun. Hey Anthony, sorry the pic I took of you came out so blurry, but I had to include it here because that tank top you were wearing was just so badass.

The helmet I'm wearing is a Black Diamond. I suggest you buy one...it's featherweight and very comfortable. Colorado sticker not included.

We hit Oscar's for a massive food inhale afterwards. Thanks guys, great trip.

[Utah Canyoneer]

That was a blast! I'll put up the video of the harder down climbs if that will calm your curiosity. I still need to edit the video. Byron complimented everyone else but himself because he's such a humble man. He is a fearless beast and I don't know what his shoes are made of but he sticks to rocks like a mountain goat. Thanks for posting the trip report!

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Byron complimented everyone else but himself because he's such a humble man.

OMG no!I've heard the "mountain goat" thing a lot...it comes from painting houses all my life, climbing ladders holding tools and scooping crap out of people's gutters. I'll hang a thousand feet in the air by one hand if what I'm holding onto is solid. The shoes, BTW...were a pair of now retired Merrell Moabs.

I'm surprised by how many people have a fear of heights. Virtually everyone I work for will NOT climb up an extension ladder, and when they do, it's sketchy as hell.

Yes, video indeed. I'm mostly interested in that one big chute.

[Utah Canyoneer]

Here you go Byron! I'll get the whole video edited one of these days....

https://youtu.be/xIKvgF5_H58

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Thanks Anthony...you guys made easy work of something I'd convinced myself was crazy, stupid hard.

Hey Tom, you'll be pleased to know I bought a brand, spanking new 200' Canyon Fire just for this hike. We had noticed a "booger of concern" on Bob's big rope the day before while doing Spry. Jeez...I think I'm pushing about $1500 worth of your gear now! I've got my own G-pick, though...courtesy of Mr. Kelsey.

[Utah Canyoneer]

you guys made easy work of something I'd convinced myself was crazy, stupid hard.

I was sad I didn't record myself doing it because it did look MUCH harder from the top. Also, Tony is a stud and made that look easy. top 15 feet was a straightforward chute but at the bottom the walls flared out to a very wide angle making it much more difficult for the bottom 5 feet. I looked twice before heading down it Byron!

[TommyBoy]

Best way to learn downclimbing is to watch someone else do it and see whats actually possible since a lot of it isn't always obvious at first glance.

[Iceaxe]

^^^That is actually some great advice.