Sunday, September 19, 2010

BAPTIST DRAW/LOWER CHUTE CANYON REVISITED

We FINALLY got our 4th year hike/high adventure activity out of the way. We have had to cancel 4 times since June because of weather, but we finally got our perfect day.
This hike always starts out so deceptively innocent- hiking through the warm, dry desert...

...but pretty quickly you are into the cool, skinny slots- diving under log jams and 'choke stones.' It is an AMAZING place to be.

Next up are a couple of rappels. The first one is about 15 feet. Here I am (left) with two other YW leaders (J and J) awaiting our turn to go down.

Second rappel is much longer at round 75-80 feet. (See the little, tiny person at the top)?

Here I am at the bottom, holding the rope, pretending to do something important.

Here are our guides/sherpas. My honey, Big C, and J-- You guys are the best!

Here it is- the piece de resistance- HELL Hole. There is just no other way to describe it. It is the foulest, coldest, most disgusting water I have ever been in. I came through first and it was SCARY! I had my camera in my pack over my head and the water was so deep I literally had to swim! J came next with a rope to help everyone else through. Wish I'd been smart enough to wait! It is long too, you just can't see past the choke stone.

Then they all started coming through. Here are S and S...

... and here are the amazing Young Women that were with us! They did such a great job! No whining or complaining, just lots of enthusiasm. We briefly discussed the similarities between the rope and the iron rod...

Afterwards, we hurried through the slots until we found some sunshine so we could warm and dry a bit and put on our shoes.

Little did we know we still had MORE water! Chute canyon was basically a water/mud hole!

Look at this! And be glad you can't smell! We REEKED! A nice concoction somewhere between the essences of dairy farm, dead carcasses, and old slime.

Even as muddy, cold and smelly as we were, however, you just had to be amazed at the beauty around you.

I have never seen sights like these except here. You just have to take the bad with the good.

2 comments:

Sandra said...

Great pictures. I think the one of C and J is pretty cool, the wall is totally lit up behind them! Well they were all great! And just looking at them I can still smell the stench! :)

Hoontah said...

Great trip. Great pics. Thanks for such a great weekend. And Sandra, you're not alone. I can still smell it too.

In spite of the stank, if you asked me to do it again, I'd do it in a second.