Pine Creek with Travis and boys.
Centered in the heart of Zion National Park—and one of the
more popular canyons in canyoneering— Pine Creek is one of the shorter
technical canyons in the park. It is known for its geological cathedral rooms
with pools with passages to swim in and a narrow slot that skirts the famed
Zion tunnel. Average hike times take the good part of an afternoon. Most of the
drops require a good 200+ feet of rope, with the final exit rappel 90 feet of
free rappel on a 100+ foot drop. Then it is a bolder challenge course for the
remainder of the way out to the road and car shuttle.
My good-natured, adventuresome brother-in-law, who happens
to be a bishop, messaged me sometime early in the spring to see if I was up to
a canyoneering trip with his ward’s older young men. I gave him a list of some
viable canyon options and then put it out of my mind. A month passed and he
messaged me about obtaining permits for some canyons. A week or so later he
called to check my calendar for mid-July. Then I got thinking about it:
"oh great, Crazy One, you just agreed to hike in the desert in July".
I chatted with him at the family gathering on the 4th of July about the plans
and permits, which all seemed good to go. I started praying and hoping for some
agreeable weather and some rain in the meantime to make the pools of the canyon
fresh.
I missed having a group of my kids and younger canyoneering
friends around to back me on some of these wild rides. My dear wife questioned
me concerning the loose end of a co-guide, just in case. Knowing me as she does,
with my body starting to fight me more each year, we agreed that if all else failed
I should have Travis with me. He could get me and the group through the canyon,
and drive me back if I happened to be too tired and spent to drive home. He
wasn't overjoyed about the idea but promised his Mom he would go and look after
his wimpy father.
We met part of the group at the park entrance and went to an
area near the visiting center to brief the group. After visiting for spell, and
a short safety discussion, we headed out. We found a good place to park just
east of the tunnel and we geared up. Having been in the area a few years
earlier, one of the leaders and I thought it would be a good challenge to give
a copy of the written beta to one of the youth leaders to help guide us.
With the car shuttle in place, and the canyon warming up, we
were off. Down the first slope and under the bridge we went to the first of
many canyon problems. With a bit of stretching we made it to the first rappel.
As we prepped, another small party caught up to us. We still had some of our
group struggling to harness themselves, so we offered the other party passage
and access to our already in place rope. This guy and his girlfriend seemed to appear
out of thin air and they asked us how to get around the big hole before us. We
noted the small day pack and one water bottle showing between them. Sensing
this to be a jackpot of disaster, we told them that as one proceeds down the
canyon it becomes purely technical with major drops requiring skills and rope.
They must have seen us from the overlook trail above the canyon. I suggested to
them that although it was a wondrous canyon, they should find a good guide
service to help them enjoy it. Once down the first drop, we had no view of
other people who were not in the canyon with us, and we enjoyed the quiet of no
more cars. At that point there was no turning back, and with the words of the
Eagles were ringing in my head from life in the fast lane "no way out,
only one way to go".
A few hundred yards farther, the walls seem to close in and
increase in vertical greatness. Climbing down smaller drops, we picked our way
through jams of drift wood and branches. The second rappel compared similarly to
the first, but with a twist. By now, the crew was getting the hang of the
hardware and rope work, and things were beginning move quicker for us. The
apprehensive few were gaining the stuff to push past the fear and found it to
be fun.
Eventually we made the upper room of the cathedral and made
a short stop to talk about life. As we got deeper in the canyon the summer heat
gave way to the cool of the canyon. I considered donning my wet suit for the
certainty of the cool water to come at the bottom if the rappel into the biggest
room below. OH NELLI!!!! I hit the pool, gasping for air. I was wishing the wet
suit was on me not at the bottom of my pack keeping warm. Luckily, retrieval of
the rope was much less shocking to my system. Travis told me later that one of
the boys said if someone thinks this is fun they are both stupid and insane.
One small drop and the canyon opened up. By now we had
traveled about two miles from the start and had maybe a mile and a half to go
to the road. As the canyon widened to about twenty yards, we were at the second
to last rappel. It was the last small drop before the largest of the trip. By
now, we could hear another party closing in on us. We could also see the vent
windows for the tunnel. I was doing well physically so far, but I knew that the
hard hiking was coming.
Then we came to the last drop and it is the one we were
waiting for. It was one hundred plus feet and, most of it, free hanging. There
is just something about touching just the rope and no rock. We sat on a small
shelf to get roped up and then scooted sideways to continue on. We found that
we were not alone in that spot and realized that we were being eyed by mountain
goats. Among the slick and sheer drops, we thought we were so cool but some
masters of the climbing art showed us up. I took one last look around at the
scene and I dropped down the rope. Most of the way down, I inadvertently kissed
my arm with the rope warmed hardware reminding myself to be a bit more careful.
One of the boys lost a little bit of shirt in the descent, but it all worked
out.
We boulder hopped for the remainder of the trip, with some
nice pools on the way out. Many of the boys took advantage of the water to cool
down. Upon reaching the road, I was glad to be near a car and a large drink of
water. They shuttled us back to the car and we loaded up the gear. Travis insisted
that I honk going through the tunnel. As we were driving, we talked about the
day and he said “been there, done that, not doing it again.” He said that the
canyon was good, but the hike out was crap. Yeppers. I would have to agree. It
is a canyon full of wonder, but the last mile—it bites. I have been in there
twice and that's good enough for me.
