UT: Zion – The Amazing Flutes of Dead Eye Dick Oct2013

My niece Rylin was in town. After a brief stint as a PT Intern in South Africa, and before heading to Portland to finish up her edumacation as a Physical Therapist, she scheduled a week in the Utah desert with her MAN (Eric), and a friend from Portland, now doing Residency in Grand Junction, Ann.

I’d been meaning to do Dead Eye Dick since Kip’s fabulous picture had found its way to my computer screen in the spring. Seemed like a good idea – lots of walking on a beautiful fall day, pretty much dry, not too technical, no permit required. We sallied forth.

The “Team Twilight” effect was still working, so we did not get the earliest of starts, and the car spot took a little while. Hit the trail at 10:40 – hoping the canyon will not take TOO too long!

We made good time across the terrain of Dakota Ridge and soon found ourselves in the canyon. We sashayed around one nuisance rappel, then fiddle-sticked a tree for the next.

THEN the canyon got going. I was somewhat surprised to find 2 well-placed bolts for the next rap, not remembering them in Kip’s writeup. We changed out the webbing here as it was looking rather worn. Rapped down. (UPDATE: the bolt anchors are new, un-needed and have been removed. Plenty of material to make deadman anchors at these two spots).

Amazing gnats on this day – swarms of them mostly at the bottom of rappels. Take a big breath going in. Un-hook and run AWAY!

This rap has an amazing tight flute for 70 feet! Then we walked across a log and wandered to the next rap.

Next rap off a tree. Nice colors in there today, though not much light.

Here’s Eric and Ann hanging out at the top of a rappel.

Another rap, which a couple stages. Then another set of bolts for a slot rappel.

And soon, we were at the BIG FINISH!

Big rap down another wonderful amazing flute rappel, this one off a big log.

There’s a pioneer inscription right there, at the bottom of this rappel.

Then just a little jaunt up the Narrows back to Chamberlain ranch, at by 5:05 we were drinking beer and mashing victory chips into our pie-holes. A fine day out on a fine fall day!

Canyon Information available on the BetaBase: http://canyoncollective.com/betabase/deadeye-dick.98/