Day 4
- Medieval Chamber
- Ice Cream Parlour
It’s canyoneering
time! Evan and I completed two canyons during our last trip (Elephant Butte and
Dragonfly Canyon) and I had subsequently fallen in love with the activity – it
definitely appeals to my somewhat ravenous appetite for amazing scenery, and as
a primarily non-technical activity (except for rappelling) it fits with my
limited technical climbing abilities. I will always be a scrambler at heart!
Medieval
Chamber was the canyon of choice and more enjoyable it could not have been. Expectedly
magnificent scenery, under a perfect blue sky, two fun and unique rappels, and
a terrific hike out characterized the trip. A very popular route, we
encountered several guided groups along the way and many hikers who had come to
see the Morning Glory Arch (which you can simul-rap down if brave and
knowledgeable enough to do so!).
On return,
Dan and I ran up beautiful slick rock to the highpoint of the area to soak in a
magnificent view.
Awesome canyon!
After lunch
we made our way to the Ice Cream Parlour climbing area for more enjoyable
single pitch climbing routes.
Eight thumbs
up for Day 4!
Medieval Chamber
The trio approaches the canyon
Evan in mid-flight
The scenery gets better and better
So much terrain to explore. The canyon goes to the right but scrambling up the rock just left of centre looked very appealing.
Dan looks down the first rappel
Evan starts the first rappel
Jordan's turn
...and Dan
At the bottom of the first rappel. This is the "Chamber" of the trip
Hiking down the canyon to the second rappel
The second rappel. The Morning Glory Arch is just right of centre.
Evan rappels. He saddle-bagged the ropes to avoid hitting people below if the ropes are thrown.
The rappel becomes a free-hanging
Evan almost at the bottom
Jordan
You can just see the arch at the right
Dan
Dan disappears into the abyss
Looking up at the Morning Glory Arch from the bottom
A long but super scenic hike out concludes the trip
Sweet rock and cacti
More sweet rock
Dan scrambles up to the other side of the stream that bisects the valley
The orderly canyoneers!
A surprising splash of red
Back up to higher ground
Dan heads up the slickrock
At the top we find there is another highpoint (at the right) that must be summitted!
Dan is young and fit enough to run up this terrain without working up a sweat.
Slugman slowly slithers up and is at the brink of cardiac arrest most of the time.
Almost there
Sweet summit!
The snow-topped La Sal Mountains
Two of the eight thumbs up for this trip
Reluctantly heading down
A distant La Sal mountain and nearby slickrock summit
Ice Cream Parlour
A good look at the awesome rock
Dan descends one route (left), while Evan climb another
Jordan descends a pitch of trad climbing he just led
continue to DAY 5