Ten years ago today, I drove from Colorado to start a 14 day canyon trip……The maps hinted of a short slot down into Smith Fork. Perhaps perfect for our entry day on the 8th………..NOT…memories
http://www.canyoneeringusa.com/rave/a-night-to-remember-apr-2005/
hiac
I am reading the post written 10 years ago, I can’t say anything but admiring you all.
Phillip
I haven’t written a lot about that experience (nor contributed much to CC as I don’t canyoneer much anymore) as the narrative doesn’t fit cleanly into the “canyoneering” box when your entire experience is bailing on the descent and sleeping in a motorboat overnight. Nonetheless, a life changing experience in what was overall a life changing year.
You never forget doing a hasty body search for your friends’ bodies in the flotsam (still never seen anything like that rainstorm and debris on Powell that night) after what was a lengthy rain storm and flood. I still have sharp memories of turning on my headlamp every hour or so and searching the shoreline and water for everybody. There is an empty feeling beyond description when you call out for your buddies and no one responds. Camping has never been uncomfortable after a night of sleeping without a bag or warm clothes underneath a megamid draped around your body on a motorboat (though its fair to say no one slept well that night, or slept at all). Nor is there any relief compared to the call coming in at the NPS headquarters that everyone walked out minutes after they fired up the helicopter.
I appreciate the experiences that add to the richness of life but I would just assume never struggle through a night like that again.
Phillip, the canyoneer formerly known as “Youth”
Ram
Oh and I must get on the soap box for this. While a ton of questionable judgments were made, the injury was a broken bone in the ankle and was cause by that nemesis…not finishing the move statically. The slide in was only about 2 feet and Doug was young and a strong athlete. The nasty ledge was less than a foot below the water line and it set in motion (Or continued the momentum) a series of events, toward the precipice. This is a prime example of one thing compounding the next . Dynamic moves to the ground cause injuries a lot.
Ram
Well I am trying to get ready to get out tomorrow to find more trouble, but i will answer some of this
We were not mentally equipped to finish the canyon I think. Too many hours, not enough food, water and we were damaged too.We also had an obligation to notify others that we were OK
I tried a week later with a different and less qualified group. Got a bit further.
The following month, I put a very strong team together and we finished it. I have done the canyon 8 times, now that I have all the moves memorized 😉
Tom went back a few years later I think, with me and styled it.
Roy did several hard canyon after this, but has not returned to this particular one.
Doug returned to the canyon just a year or two ago after 8 years or so to knock it off. Is there folks here who was with him and can elaborate?
Here is a video of the May 2005 success
Kuenn
Don’t disappoint, we’re counting on more entertaining reading.
Kuenn
This is good stuff.
It’s not only an entertaining read, but a number of survival/emergency scenarios that canyon explorers should at least have mentally exercised and developed a pre-issue plan.
A few that come to mind (pros/cons):
When to bail? Democracy/team consensus or leader’s decision after team input?
Unplanned bivouac, how is the team equipped? Is that a pre-first-step discussion?
When to escalate survival strategy? Plan ASAP/P (possible/practical) or wait till environment changes demand it?
How to vet an extreme team’s abilities? Does it matter if their surname is Donner? (Well, maybe that one’s not appropriate.)
So, Ram, don’t leave us hanging. Did you ever go back and finish it? If so, in retrospect, could you have waited out the receding water and continued down?
Well written story, Tom, and thanks for sharing it!
Canyonbug
The Infamous Phsycho D TR! Always a good read.