Just the two of us in Shamrock Canyon

Shamrock Canyon, 3BIIIR
2.7 miles
Coconino National Forest, tributary of West Clear Creek
08/31/11

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Laura and I had been trying to get out on a canyon together all summer. With a 9- month old at home our opportunities are few and far between. We had planned on going canyoneering in the middle of the summer but the monsoons kept us at home. A second opportunity presented itself as my parents were out visiting. With a favorable forecast we ventured to Shamrock Canyon. It was wonderful getting to spend some alone time with Laura, particularly in such a beautiful setting. This was Laura’s first descent of Shamrock and my second. The canyon was more challenging than my memory served me, which may have had something to do with the fact that water levels were considerably lower than my previous descent. Never the less we made quick work of the down climbs, rappels, wades and pot hole escapes and reached West Clear Creek all too quickly. The only unpleasant moment during the descent came when Laura had an encounter with some sort of Stinging Nettles species. We relaxed for a while along West Clear Creek before the slog back home. During the hike out Laura and I talked about how few times we have descended technical canyons without the company of others. We could only remember of one previous descent, Stone Donkey. Canyoneering is such a social sport that we cherish that shared time with our friends, but today we were glad it was just the two of us.

-David

David reaches for a foothold on a tricky down climb in the upper reaches of the canyon.

Laura clambers out of a pothole.

David in a nice section of narrows.

Laura wades through a pretty room.

David rappels.

Laura rappels.

David looks on at the bottom of a rappel.

Laura hikes in a meadow alongside West Clear Creek.

Wyatt’s first camping trip – West Clear Creek

West Clear Creek
Coconino National Forest
07/16/11 – 07/17/11

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With Wyatt secured on David’s back we hiked down to West Clear Creek. Along the way we crossed paths with a couple of canyoneers heading back to their car after a descent of Sundance. After a joking conversation on the merits of starting kids canyoneering before they are able to verbally complain we continued down the trail. Once reaching the canyon floor we found a perfect spot for lunch and a swim. Briscoe rolled in the sand as Wyatt babbled at the sandstone walls, looked up at the bright blue sky and examined some grass growing by the banks of the creek. We continued up stream boulder hopping and log crossing into the alcove where the final rappel of Sundance touches down.

We camped on the rim not far from the entrance to Shamrock Canyon. As David set up our monster tent Wyatt looked up at the trees and laughed. Before dinner with Wyatt snuggled and sleeping on David’s chest we took a walk through the forest at twilight. With nobody else around we walked in silence occasionally speaking in hushed tones so to not wake Wyatt. The light glowed softly through the the trees as we got back to camp. As night fell both Briscoe and Wyatt were mesmerized at the flickering campfire.

In the morning, after a night that could have been a lot worse, (Wyatt only woke up twice) we took another walk along the desolate forest roads before packing up and driving back to the Valley. It was the perfect first camping trip for Wyatt and a joy to experience Arizona’s rim country with our child for the first time. The best part is knowing how much the future holds.

– Laura

Wyatt and Laura sit by the campfire.

Wyatt sleeps in the Bjorn on David’s chest during an evening walk along the forest roads on the rim of West Clear Creek.

Wyatt is all smiles at our campsite on the rim of West Clear Creek.

Wyatt, Briscoe and Laura take in the alcove of Sundance Canyon.

Briscoe crosses a log over West Clear Creek.

Wyatt gets his feet wet.

Laura swims in West Clear Creek.

David looks out of the canyon alongside Wyatt.

Wyatt and David along West Clear Creek.

Nearing the end of a wet monsoon in Shamrock Canyon

Shamrock Canyon, 3BIIIR
2.7 miles
Coconino National Forest, tributary of West Clear Creek
08/29/10

The term “monsoon” comes from the Arabic word “mausim” which means “season” or “wind shift”. In Arizona the monsoon is when during the summer months consistently high temperatures create a large swath of low pressure. This low pressure literally sucks moist air from the Sea of Cortez and the Gulf of Mexico creating high winds and violent thunderstorms throughout the southwestern United States. 2010 has been a wet monsoon for Arizona, filling many of the canyons, particularly those on the Mogollon Rim, to the brim with water.

In late August, John and I headed up to West Clear Creek for a descent of Shamrock Canyon. Despite a favorable forecast, interesting clouds hung low and as we made our way higher up the rim on Arizona State Route 87 we became shrouded in the clouds. Approaching Shamrock the lightest sprinkle added moisture to our already sweaty skin from the humid air as we walked down the steep slopes of saturated soil from the many weeks of rain. Entering the canyon, the clouds parted and blues skies took over as we found ourselves surrounded by velvety and electric green moss covered walls. At the first rappel we dropped down alongside the slightest trickle of water. Further down an interesting and challenging triple drop rappel included a normally deep keeper pothole that was unrecognizable as it was filled to the brim with unusually temperate water. One more rappel and a short slog later and we were at a pleasant beach along West Clear Creek enjoying lunch and watching brook trout and crawdads doing their thing in a crystal clear pool of water.

-David

John swims across the unrecognizable keeper pothole filled to the brim with water.

John on the upper part of the triple drop rappel.

John rappels alongside a trickle of flow.

John surrounded by moss covered walls.

John gets creative to stay dry.

John looking around the corner while using a log to cross a pool.

A find in Avocado Canyon

Avocado Canyon, 3AIII
5.5 miles
Coconino National Forest, tributary of West Clear Creek
08/23/10

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We were not sure what we find, but it was fairly obvious on the map. Unlike other side canyons of West Clear Creek that are betaed this one had neither information nor word of a previous descent. With this we thought we would take a peek. What we found was a pleasant wilderness canyon with three clean and sculpted rappels the longest of which was approximately 120-feet. All three raps took natural anchors. Despite the tremendous amount of recent rain saturating the forest, the canyon held nothing more than a few pools of waist deep water. There were no signs of a previous descent or any human presence. I would doubt we were the first to descend the canyon but it felt like we were and that feeling added a very real excitement to the trip. Once reaching West Clear Creek, which was more, overgrown with green vegetation than I ever seen it, we stopped for lunch on a rocky beach where we enjoyed a meaty avocado.

-David

Ben hikes out of West Clear Creek.

Ben soaks in the water trickling down from Sundance Canyon in the alcove along West Clear Creek during our exit hike.

Ben soaks in the water trickling down from Sundance Canyon in the alcove along West Clear Creek during our exit hike.

Ben, Dylan and Eric hike through a narrow hallway near the end of Avocado Canyon.

Ben on the third and final rappel. This is the longest rap at about 120-feet.

Dylan on the first rappel.

A family affair in Bear Canyon

Bear Canyon, 3BII
2.8 miles
Coconino National Forest, tributary West Clear Creek
05/03/10

When my parents come to visit from New Jersey it is a great opportunity to take my father, Lee, canyoneering. It was my Dad who introduced me to the great outdoors when I was only four years old, taking me hiking in the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York. This time we wanted to change things up and try to also include my mother, Marsha, in the plans. Even though my mom was not going to participate in the descent of the technical canyon, I came up with a trip so she could still be part of the day.

Bear Canyon, which I have descended twice before once during the day and once at a night, is a side canyon of West Clear Creek. It has a beautiful set of narrows with few technical challenges. The entire trip can be completed in three to five hours. Once Bear Canyon meets with West Clear Creek, a very short jaunt upstream leads to a steep trail that takes you out of the bottom of the canyon and back to your car on top of the rim.

Outfitted with a lawn chair slewed around my shoulder and carrying a small cooler I walked with my mom and our Boston Terrier, Briscoe, down the trail to a sandy beach along the banks of West Clear Creek, which couldn’t have been clearer. My mom got out her book and her iPhone to play Sudoku as Briscoe jumped in her lap.  After assuring her that she would not be killed by a mountain lion or mountain man, I pointed in the direction of the creek we would be coming from and told her we would see her in three to four hours. I then raced back up the trail, joined my Dad and Laura and we descended into Bear Canyon.

As I said before, Bear Canyon is short, sweet and rather easy. Today, however, would be a little more challenging than normal because of the combination of the harsh winter we experienced and it still being somewhat early season for technical descents in this area. This meant for extremely frigid water in a canyon that normally has cold water in the middle of summer. Expecting these conditions we came prepared with 7mm wetsuits, which were much appreciated as we descend past blocks of ice and large patches of snow, which I suspect, will linger for several more weeks. The canyon was way more beautiful than my last descent of this canyon, which I did at night.

We reached West Clear Creek and saw my mom and Briscoe still relaxing on their beach. I was relieved to see that neither the mountain lion nor the mountain man hadn’t gotten them. Probably Briscoe kept them at bay.

-David

My Dad, Lee, rappels.

Lee swims in very cold water.

Lee rappels.

Lee and David, father and son.

Lee negotiates a giant downed log in the canyon.

Lee at the start of a short rappel.

Laura tries to warm her hands as Lee looks on by a substantial snow patch in the bottom of the canyon.

Lee and Laura meet Marsha and Briscoe at the bottom of West Clear Creek.

Lee and Marsha hike up the trail out of West Clear Creek.

A bunch of dudes in Meadow Canyon

Meadow Canyon, 3BIII
9 miles
Coconino National Forest, tributary of West Clear Creek
07/12/09

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Sweaty dudes. It felt like a whole lot of dudes in Meadow Canyon on Sunday. Normally when David and I go canyoneering it is a group of about four and there is a good chance I will not be the only girl. Sunday was not one of those days. David and I drove up to Meadow Canyon in the morning to meet up with Chris, Pat, two Erics and Mark who was a welcome last minute addition; six sweaty dudes total. Seven people makes for a big group canyoneering but if ever there is a canyon for a larger group it is Meadow.

Meadow Canyon is a nice technical canyon with a few rappels and down climbs before opening up into West Clear Creek. Even with a group of seven we moved quickly through the smoke filled canyon from a distant controlled burn under a light drizzle. Our efficiency was in large part because we used a rigging technique to allow two people to rappel at the same time.

Though Meadow Canyon is pleasant enough, the highlight of the trip is the trek along West Clear Creek. After a quick break at the confluence of Meadow Canyon and West Clear Creek we continued upstream. Despite the difficulty of walking along the creek from underwater rocks and boulders covered in green algae that makes every step a spastic challenge, travel along the Creek was especially pleasant in the hot unusually muggy air. We ate lunch by the beautiful hanging garden spring along the creek. The lush delicate waterfall was tranquil and seductively beautiful. Trudging on up West Clear Creek we finally came to the White Box (although we mistakenly thought a previous long swim was the White Box, which we named the Faux Box). The White Box is a hallway of deep water filled narrows. The swim was so long I had to alternate between floating on my back and using my pack like a kickboard.

An easy hike out of the canyon brought us back to our car. With sweaty hugs goodbye to the all the dudes, David and I headed back to the oppressive heat of July in Phoenix.

-Laura

Eric in the hanging gardens spring.

Looking down a rappel.

Eric and Eric on rappel.

David tosses the rope.

David down climbs.

Mark in West Clear Creek.

Eric swims through West Clear Creek.

Hanging Garden in West Clear Creek.

Pat swims in the “Faux Box” of West Clear Creek.

Speed in Sundance Canyon

Sundance Canyon, 3BRII

Coconino National Forest – Tributary of West Clear Creek

1.5 miles

06/01/08, 06/09/09

Sundance Canyon, 3BIIR
1.5 miles
Coconino National Forest, tributary of West Clear Creek
06/01/08, 06/09/09

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As we update this blog with fresh posts from our collection of past adventures those that are further back in time are harder to chronicle with clarity and energy. With Sundance Canyon bursting with detail and emotion and my first descent of Sundance being over a year ago I knew I would have to descend the canyon again to do it justice through words and images.

A few days earlier I was able to convince Mike and Courtney to join me for a descent. It wasn’t hard as Mike is all about canyons that offer MAXIMUM technical BANG for a MINIMUM of physical exertion BUCK. With Sundance featuring an almost non-existent approach hike to the canyon, multiple rappels with the finale being a 180-foot rappel (most of which is free-hanging) and an easy exit hike, it almost seems that water and rock worked together to design this canyon just for Mike or those like Mike.

The tricky part of the day was that my morning began with a dentist appointment in Phoenix preventing anything remotely close to an early start. Mike and Courtney had to be back home in Phoenix in the early evening for another commitment. Time was of the issue.

We parked our car at the trailhead and began hiking by 11:30 am. We raced down the slope into the canyon and before not too long reached the first rappel. Mike found a way to down climb around the first rappel. We continued the march stopping once to put on double wetsuits before the first significant pool of frigid water. When we reached the second rappel we used a log to shimmy down into the pool below. We skipped the third rappel by down climbing/ sliding/ jumping into another pool. The keeper pothole out of this pool was filled with water and we easily undulated on our bellies to get out. Immediately following was another drop-off of about 20 feet into an even deeper pothole. I initially thought, “I guess now we will have to break out the rope,” but after studying it we determined to go sans rope. Down climbing/ sliding/ jumping in lieu of rappelling can be dangerous for multiple reasons but the three of us are all experienced climbers, particularly Mike. I also enjoy the mental challenge of figuring out a tough down climb. In this case, with long legs extended it was possible to stem until about 10 feet above the water where you had to push off the wall like a frog into the deep pool below.

After Mike and I passed the obstacle I began removing my camera from my dry bag to photograph Courtney tackling the drop off. During this time Courtney communicated to me that she was throwing down the rope bag to make the down climb easier. I affirmatively responded to her but was distracted by setting my aperture and shutter speed. I ignored the fact that our 200-foot rope necessary for the upcoming 180-foot rappel was quickly sinking in the inky black water of unknown depth. Our speed had gotten the better of us and I realized we might have a significant issue. I removed my helmet and dove into the center of the pothole. With arms extended vertically below me, I kicked until I hit the bottom of the pool. Completely blind I used my hands to search the bottom and quickly felt the rope bag. Grabbing it I returned to the surface with major brain freeze. Courtney said my feet were completely under the surface of the water for several seconds. I am 6’3”.

Just below this pool was another short down climb followed by the big rap. At this point we put on our squirrel suits jumped over the edge and sailed down 180 feet to the alcove below. JUST KIDDING. Mike set up the rope and we rappelled like normal people. Words and pictures do not express the magnificence of this rappel. Giant yellow sandstone walls stained with black and green vertical columns surround you on three sides and the gorgeous West Clear Creek completes the 360 degree view as you slowly descend with nothing but air below you. After stripping out of wetsuits and climbing the trail out of West Clear Creek we were back at our vehicle by 2:30 pm.

****Attention to speed should never be placed above attention to safety.****

-David

Courtney wades through a pool.

Courtney down climbs.

Courtney gives Mike a firemen’s belay on the big rap.

Jessica on the big rap.

Jessica provides a firemen’s belay on the big rap.

Courtney negotiates a log crossing in West Clear Creek.

A magnificent afternoon in Wilber Canyon

Wilber Canyon, (aka Carcass Canyon) 3BIII
4.2 miles
Coconino National Forest, tributary of West Clear Creek
09/14/08

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Wilber Canyon (also known as Carcass Canyon) is one of my favorite canyoneering trips of the West Clear Creek tributaries. This canyon is a perfect escape from the brutal summer heat. Wilber Canyon has a stunning section of winding and wavy narrows along with some beautiful fun rappels.

One of the first real obstacles of the canyon is a climb down an extremely slippery log. Both David and Mike made their way down effortlessly, when it was my turn to shimmy down the log I knew I was in trouble. One minute I was on the log the next I was hugging the tree in mid air. There was really nothing left to do but fall. Oh well, a few scrapes were not going to ruin my afternoon. There is a second log down climb shortly after the first, this one into a nasty thick black pool of water, poor Mike lost his Monster energy drink in the pool and tried his utmost to find it with no luck (I should mention we always carry out trash we find in canyons and we are sorry to add any litter ourselves). Farther down the canyon through the narrows comes a few lovely rappels and a hallway swim. The final rappel ends with a swim that leads you to West Clear Creek.

The hike out of West Clear Creek back to our car was way longer than we expected. We kept thinking that the trail out was right around the corner but it never was; when we finally got to the point where we thought we missed the exit, there it was! I can’t wait to descend Carcass Canyon again this summer.

-Laura

Mike really did not want to get wet.

Mike on rappel through the narrows.

A section of narrows.

Laura throws the rope.

Mike in the light.

The final swim into West Clear Creek.

Scenic Bear Canyon

Bear Canyon 3BII
2.8 miles
Coconino National Forest, tributary of West Clear Creek
06/29/08

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Bear Canyon is short and sweet with amazing narrows. After about a half hour hike to get to the narrow section the canyon walls close in and create beautiful waves in the stone. A couple rappels and a little bit of swimming and next thing know you are out of the canyon and in West Clear Creek.

-Laura

Mike and David eye the weather before the first rappel.

Narrows

Laura on rappel.

David on rappel.