April, 2002

This is the trip I have been looking forward to. I have missed my trips to the canyons in the Blue Mountains, and then I heard about the slot canyons in the Colorado Plateau. At last I got a chance to get into some of them.

For ten days we toured some of the best canyons in southern Utah, as a post-classes get away and using the Memorial Day holiday. In total we explored 11 canyons, sampling Zion Park and then Escalante. While Zion was big and spectacular, it certainly has its crowds as well. Applying for a permit to camp and canyon and enter the park and park your car, does sort of spoil some of the experience. There's definately nothing like that to worry about when you get out to Escalante.

It is said you can not take a badpicture in Zion. A short way into Pine there is thisrappel into a chamber. The final rappel in Pine Creek, Zion. Looking up the narrow, rocky ridgethat is the route up to Angel's Landing. The first rappels into Behunin are on alarge open face. This is the one and only rappel inSubway. Did I mention this place was dry?. Not only are these slots narrow, they are sustained. The coolest thing about this area isthe slickrock that goes for miles in every direction. Hiking over the Escalante slickrock on the way back up to theEgypt Trailhead. Yenmay rule the kitchen at home.