We have added a photo of Little Alvord Canyon which is on the east side of Steens Mountain in Oregon. The photo is located on the Oregon page where it says "more Oregon Photos" at the bottom. Click on that page and scroll to the very bottom thumbnail on the right. Also we have added photos and beta for Sheep creek in Idaho. This is a long, remote and very beautiful canyon. www.canyoneeringnorthwest.com

Ken Leibert

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Some of the best canyoning in the world here in the PNW.
Season is short, water is big, adventure canyoning at its finest.
Takes a special breed of folks....Would be great if the canyoning round here took off again !!!
Rob
--- In pnwcanyoning@yahoogroups.com, Ken Leibert <canyoneeringnorthwest@...> wrote:
>
> It's been ages since any one posted on this group. Is canyoneering in the northwest dead?
>
> Ken Leibert
>

• New Members 1

I can't believe the late snowmelt this year...

Here's a kind of a trip report, from 2 weeks ago:

I was taking a couple of neophytes up to do Cypress Creek in West Vancouver on the 4th of August. On July 30, I went up to take a look at the flow of the creek, and while it was higher than the conditions I'd done the creek in previously, I didn't think that it was too high to be safe.

I returned with 3 inexperienced canyoneers, who did have rock climbing and rappeling experience, and were familiar with basic rope handling and the like.

At the first rappel, we set up an anchor, and discussed whether to use a contingency anchor with a munter/mule combo, or simply have everyone rap on their own, while having an extra rope available at the top for potential rescues. Since everyone was familiar with rappels, and were strong, fit folks, we kept the anchor simple, and sent the first guy, Andrei, down.

After 5 minutes, we still hadn't seen him appear on the shelf below, the midpoint of the two stage rap, though he could have snuck by quickly without us noticing him, or he could have stayed on the far right side (LDC). I grabbed the rope at the anchor, and tried to pull up, to see whether it was still weighted. It was. I waited a few more minutes, and it seemed like the rope was a little lighter, but then I thought I felt a pull on it. I wasn't sure if it was simply the current tugging on the rope.

Using our extra rope, I was put on belay to head down the prow of rock beside the rappel, and look into the pool below, the bottom of the full rappel. No one was visible at the bottom. I moved over to see the lip of the lower stage of the rappel, and the rope was not hanging over - it was all still up on the shelf above (though not visible in the pool). This meant that Andrei was still somewhere either in the first waterfall, or in the pool at the bottom of it.

We quickly rigged the spare rope, and I headed down the waterfall. The torrent was more powerful than I expected, and initially came as a bit of a shock. I got through the main current, and into a quieter spot behind it. This first waterfall is about 5 or 6 meters high, and as I got close to the bottom, discovered Andrei, still on rappel, with the lower part of his body in the pool, and far to the left side of the waterfall, when looking at the wall (i.e. looking up canyon). He was just fine, but said he couldn't figure out how to get out of the waterfall, through the pool. At this point, it was very loud, so we couldn't discuss much.

I was still on my rope, and to the right of Andrei (LUC) and knew that there was less flow to my right. I told him to stay where he was, and I went scouting out an exit. There was no problem exiting that way, and skirting around the edge of the pool, so I returned and brought Andrei out with me. We both moved around and out of the waterfall, to where the fellows above could see us both.

I talked with Andrei for a bit at that point, asking if he was OK, and trying to gauge whether he was hypothermic or not - he had been in the torrent for quite a while by this point. He was wearing the thickest suit of our group (5mm) which was fortunate, and helped I'm sure. He said that he had tried to head straight out through the waterfall, but that the depth of the pool combined with the force of the waterfall made it too difficult to get through.

Though the current was manageable (Andrei just got stuck in a tricky spot, and wasn't able to scout his way out of it), it was still very strong, we'd been stopped for a long time after a late start on the day, and I was worried that Andrei might be in a bit of shock. I decided that we would retreat and come again another day.

Using a bit of yelling (basic simple commands that could be heard over the roar of the water) and signaling, I had the guys up top shift my rope around so that it went up the edge of the pool to the prow of rock on which I had come down to look into the pool. Both Andrei and I were secure on the shelf at this point. I pulled my full mechanical ascenders (Petzl Ascension) out of my pack, and set up & gave Andrei a brief lesson in using them. Up he went, then I had them pull up most of my rope (I kept the end, gripping it like the lifeline it was!) and then lower the ascenders back to me. I climbed up and out as well.

http://tinyurl.com/3doexv8

Up top, we pulled ropes and hiked back up to the road, stripped out of our wetsuits, and headed back down to the parking lot, where we pulled some beer out of the cooler, and discussed our adventure.

Here are some things I did wrong on the trip:

1. Looking at the flow of the river from above the rappel. When I came and had a look a few days before the trip, I waded down to the top of the first rap, and had a look at it - looked pretty good from there. Even further downstream, it didn't look too bad, but I wasn't actually looking at a waterfall that we had to rap through. I discovered later a great place to view this waterfall from on the rim just a few feet from the roadway. It gave a much better picture of the real flow. Even looking at the main falls, downcanyon where the viewing platform is, can be deceiving, due to the way the canyon channels the water.

2. Setting the anchor up poorly for where the worst of the flow was located. The standard anchor is located in the pinch of a chockstone on the left, when approaching the rap from above. In this photo, you can see it on the right - where the green line is. When we arrived at the rap, my webbing and ring from last fall were still there. I didn't trust the webbing, but I couldn't manage to get new webbing through the gap, so I set up an anchor on a very large boulder on the opposite side - where the red line is in the photo (the boulder is hidden). It was totally bomber - but it directed the rope into the strongest flow of the watercourse.

http://tinyurl.com/3czkrjq

3. Not having a better way to communicate with each other. On this rap, in these conditions, it is too loud to communicate verbally. It would have been much better to have each person on rappel go to the place where they are visible to those above on the first stage, and have those up top watch for them. Then, when the rappeller is off at the bottom, go immediately to a spot where they are visible to those above. That way, at least we would have known that Andrei was not simply taking a long time down at the bottom - we would have know that he was still in the first, short, 6 meter section, and must obviously be having difficulties. It would have made us more certain of the situation.

Anyway, the photos linked to above were taken on Wednesday the 17th, 13 days after this trip, and the flow is down SIGNIFICANTLY! This is more like the flow when I did the canyon last October, though more than it was last August at the same time.

Going back on Sunday morning to try it again - this time with family. The kids are very excited to do their first local canyon! (They did a couple in Zion with me and friends last year)

Cheers,
Kev

> Does any one have any trip reports,photos or updates that they are
> willing to share? Please excuse the previous post as I pressed the
> send button prematurely.
>
> Ken Leibert

I just got back from the Ouray Canyoneering Festival. A lot of people starting to get into wet canyons these days. Many of them asking about other canyoning locations.Of course, I told 'em about the PNW.

Ouray is a great place to get your feet wet the first time. But if you want to do some really great wet canyons PNW rules!

You guys gotta start gettin' back out there.

Charly

--- In pnwcanyoning@yahoogroups.com, "Robert" <robert_a_cobb@...> wrote:
>
>
>
> Some of the best canyoning in the world here in the PNW.
> Season is short, water is big, adventure canyoning at its finest.
> Takes a special breed of folks....Would be great if the canyoning round here took off again !!!
> Rob
> --- In pnwcanyoning@yahoogroups.com, Ken Leibert <canyoneeringnorthwest@> wrote:
> >
> > It's been ages since any one posted on this group. Is canyoneering in the northwest dead?
> >
> > Ken Leibert
> >
>

I just spent a week exploring canyons in eastern Oregon. We didn't break
out the ropes, but the opportunities seem limitless in this remote canyon
country.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/craig_coonrad/sets/72157626963827555/

I'm been kind of itching to do Eagle creek again. Maybe we can put
something together.

On Sun, 10 Jul 2011, Ken Leibert wrote:

>
>
> It's been ages since any one posted on this group.  Is canyoneering in the
> northwest dead?
>
> Ken Leibert
>
>
>
>

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