October is the loveliest time to be in Utah, and I returned with five of my favorite people for some more work on the canyoneering tick list.
Nick, Victor, Aaron, Mike, and my sister Emily and I all met up in St. George to do four canyons in four days. The federal government shutdown threatened to keep us out of the park, but we were lucky: the state of Utah paid to open Zion on our second day, so we only had to do one canyon from our B-list.
We ended up descending Johnson Arch canyon (in Snow Canyon SP), middle Echo canyon, and Mystery canyon. We bailed from our planned fourth canyon, Behunin, due to heavy-looking stormclouds, and didn't regret that decision.
Mike and Victor also completed a twilight ascent of Ashtar Command, a 5.7/5.9 two-pitch climb near the west entrance to the Zion tunnel.
Emily raps in Johnson Arch Canyon
11 October 2013
Canon Rebel XT
1/200s f/5.0 at 35mm iso800
Emily
11 October 2013
Canon Rebel XT
1/125s f/4.5 at 28mm iso1600
Nick starts the last rap in Johnson Arch Canyon
11 October 2013
Canon Rebel XT
1/640s f/4.0 at 20mm iso1600
Nick starts the last rap in Johnson Arch Canyon
11 October 2013
Canon Rebel XT
1/400s f/4.0 at 20mm iso800
Mike
11 October 2013
Canon Rebel XT
1/1600s f/5.6 at 61mm iso800
Anchor, Johnson Arch canyon
11 October 2013
Canon Rebel XT
1/250s f/5.0 at 35mm iso800
Emily at entrance to middle Echo canyon
12 October 2013
Canon Rebel XT
1/25s f/6.3 at 17mm iso200
Middle Echo Canyon
12 October 2013
Canon Rebel XT
1/13s f/6.3 at 30mm iso800
Nick
12 October 2013
Canon Rebel XT
1/25s f/6.3 at 20mm iso1600
Nick in Middle Echo
12 October 2013
Canon Rebel XT
1/60s f/4.0 at 17mm iso1600
Mike in Middle Echo
12 October 2013
Canon Rebel XT
1/25s f/5.0 at 26mm iso1600
Twilight near the tunnel
12 October 2013
Canon Rebel XT
1/13s f/10.0 at 17mm iso200
Ashtar Command
12 October 2013
Canon Rebel XT
1/200s f/4.0 at 70mm iso1600
Victor Colussi on the first pitch of Ashtar Command
12 October 2013
Canon Rebel XT
1/250s f/4.0 at 70mm iso1600
Mike Taormina and Victor Colussi on Ashtar Command
12 October 2013
Canon Rebel XT
1/30s f/4.0 at 73mm iso1600
Mike Taormina and Victor Colussi on Ashtar Command