Day 1 Zions Canyon National Park, Pine Creek Slot Canyon

I had the fantastic opportunity to go to Zions with some friends of mine last week. It was a quick two day trip (I always seem to have to take rushed trips and try to cram a while bunch of stuff in.... Hmmmm.....) but it was delightful! This first day was Pine Creek Canyon this was FUN!!! It was wet, kinda cold, and a challenge to a guy who hasn't rappelled in 20+ years!

The entry to the canyon is literally underneath the road just after it comes out of the Tunnel to Mt. Carmel Junction.

I took my camera hoping to get some good shots, but due to the nature of the slot (VERY WET!) I had to have it inside two ziplock bags and a Dry Bag that filled my backpack. this is very handy, you can carry things and it floats! I was not able to get it out as much as I had wanted. You can go from knee deep to over your head in water in 6 inches. This doesn't work well with cameras that are only weather sealed not Water Proof.

Anyway, it got it out in a few choice places, this one was called "The Cathedral" it is a long rappel into water with a floating disconnect and swim out. Scary to think about but rather easy in practice. I really wished it was dry and I had a way to get a tripod into there. It would make a great shot (see the link at the top for Tom's Canyoneering Guide, he has a cool shot of it in there). That is my friend Jason on the Rap, he is a pretty funny guy, here is his website. Check out his Promo Video, some of my stills are in there.

This is a multiple shot panorama, handheld at 1600 ISO. All in all it turned out purty good.

Yeah, that water is pretty silty and filled with gunk. Mostly pine needles pine cones and twigs and junk like that. Remember the first rule of Canyoneering: Never wear ANYTHING into a slot canyon that you care about.

This is the narrow section we went into directly after the Cathedral, it was deep in sections and so narrow you had to pull yourself along more than swim. There was not enough room to swing your arms out to the side at all.

This is a series of 3 shots taken half way through this narrow section, I was totally amazed to see this spot, it is one of the most ethereal and magic spots I have even been too. I again found myself trying to figure out how to get a tripod into there without killing it.

Here we are preparing for our last rap, it is over 100ft with a large portion of it being completely free, no wall to touch at all, just the rope. The hardest part was having the anchor be at the edge and having to inch off the edge and turn in midair instead of the usual walking over the edge backwards. Fun but a bit spooky to look down between your legs and see the ground a LONG ways down. Had a moment of panic until I got my eyes back up.

Once down I again got out my camera not wanting to miss any of the action.

The big reward for getting out alive is the swimming hole. This is a great way to cool off after the hot hard boulder hopping adventure in the river bottom that is your payment for the fun of the other stuff. I was scraped up and really sore (Neck and legs especially) and ready for a rest.