Bogley

Reedus · Joined: 10 Jan 2006 Posts: 497

Before ya start bitchin about no photos and how threads like this are worthless without em', we took pictures, but you are going to have to get Kyrell to get them from his buddy Chuck and post them here. He was the only one (besides Eric with his cell phone camera) that took decent photos. At the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon, I realized I left my camera and I wasn't turning around to go get it. So here it is:

It started out with a group of 8+ and ended up being only four, which worked out perfect for a one car carpool down. In company were Mike (Kyrell), his buddy the spider monkey Chuck, Eric (Shaggy125) and Me. We got a good start at 4 am and reached the Hog system trailhead at around 7:30. The temperature was steady at +14 degrees, but when we hopped out of the truck, the slight breeze made it feel much colder. After a few entrance/exits from the car trying to savor the last of the warmth before we got going, we finally geared up and headed out. Eric was the only one that had done Boss Hog before, so he lead us to the head of the canyon and we got going. I don't remember much of it except that I got through and was impressed. The hike out wasn't to bad and we were back at the car in something around 3.5 hours. I don't remember much of Boss Hog due to the fact that I got a severe spanking from Trail Canyon. (actually me and Mike both got spanked, chewed up and spit out) Trail proved quite the deal for us. The only two that had wetsuits were Eric and Chuck. Chuck being a friggin spider monkey avoided every single pothole in the canyon by his acrobatic stemming and leaping abilities. Me and Mike got the brunt of Trail in the dead of winter. We got started up the canyon to the head and missed a couple of sandstone domes that took us on top and over to the north fork. After a little backtracking, we made it and started down. The first couple of rappels were easy and the anchors were still in good condition. The harness got packed up after number 2 and that was when it got tricky. I learned first hand that it is always better to stay high when in doubt, because it is a biznatch trying to get up after you have come down. The fact that we had already done Boss Hog added to the exhasution factor which made it even more difficult to get back up after prematurely coming down from stemming. The first big pothole we came to was FROZEN solid about 4 inches. Eric creeped across and had no problems, but he is about 40 pounds lighter than me and Mike. I gently eased my self onto the ice and did the breast stroke across it so I wouldn't go through. I was stoked that all the potholes were going to be that way and I wouldn't ahve to get wet. Rude awakening came around the next turn. Another pothole that was about waist deep had to be forded. Eric went first and the ice was only a 1/2 inch. He broke it up and i went in next screaming like a raped ape. Man it was cold! The next pothole was the same, except it was chest deep. I was surprised how it didn't bother me as long as I kept moving. The problem came at the crux of the canyon when me and Mike were forced to go high cause we couldn't fir through. My pants and the shorts over them were soaked and it hindered the mobility of my legs quite badly. It was all the force and concentration I could muster to get up to where i could start to stem down. Chuck supply to the initial footholds to get me up and then it was inch by inch for about 50 yards. I wasn't sure how high to go, but I figured by the time i came down I was around 40 to 50 feet off the deck, my legs shaking the whole way. Mike and I got back to the truck and realized we had no change of clothes, so the three hour ride back to Orem was in nothing but my BVDs and a tee shirt. Mike had on spandex and I can just imagine the look on the clerks face at the gas station in Hanksville when Mike strolled through the door to buy a beverage in his spandex and I hopped out to pump gas in my BVDs. All in all it was a hellava trip and looking forward to the next.

Iceaxe · Joined: 07 Mar 2005 Posts: 7806 Location: Local Bordello

Dang.... I got cold just reading it..... :cold:

marc olivares · Joined: 19 Jun 2005 Posts: 614 Location: sugarhouse

sooo many words, sooo few photos :sad:

Burrrrrrrr :cold:

Reedus · Joined: 10 Jan 2006 Posts: 497

Patience my friend, photos will come.

JP · Joined: 04 Jan 2007 Posts: 5880 Location: Not Sure

Reedus wrote: Patience my friend, photos will come.
I just had to, I haven't seen this Smilie around here yet :nod:

Reedus · Joined: 10 Jan 2006 Posts: 497

Eric, help me out here. Get a hold of Chuckmeister and lets show em what a real freeze fest is

stefan · Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Posts: 4656 Location: somewhere

freezefest indeed. it was posted here that there was water in trail during freezefest, two swimmers in fact

what were the day temps like?

well, as a wise friend of mine always loved to say in these situations ... it builds character :lol8:

way to pull it off :2thumbs:

Reedus · Joined: 10 Jan 2006 Posts: 497

When we got back to the car the temp read 46, but as soon as we got moving down the road it dropped to 36 and remained steady so I think that the 46 was just the sun heating the car. Great canyon, the cold water only bothered me when I was in it. We knew there was water in the canyon, but I figured since it was such a short canyon, and it drops you out right at the car, a little water wouldn't hurt. I did sap the energy right out of me though. My muscles were cramping the entire way home

stefan · Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Posts: 4656 Location: somewhere

Reedus wrote: When we got back to the car the temp read 46, but as soon as we got moving down the road it dropped to 36 and remained steady so I think that the 46 was just the sun heating the car. Great canyon, the cold water only bothered me when I was in it. We knew there was water in the canyon, but I figured since it was such a short canyon, and it drops you out right at the car, a little water wouldn't hurt. I did sap the energy right out of me though. My muscles were cramping the entire way home

nice ... nothing like cramps in a tight car, eh?

well ... looking forward to the photos. thanks for the report.

price1869 · Posted: Mon Jan 22, 2007 11:08 pm Post subject:

Almost makes me sad that I missed it. Almost. I'll come through the next one. Feb 3rd?

rockgremlin · Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 4071 Location: Hotel California

So, you go into a wet Trail canyon with no wetsuits in January.....

Were you high? :toker:

:roflol:

Scott Card · Joined: 07 Dec 2005 Posts: 1525 Location: Provo, Utah

What the...... you are nuts? :eek2: I think the wetsuit is as valuable as body armor as it is for heat purposes in that skin scraper called Trail. Glad you made it out OK and didn't go through the final squeeze/crux in those conditions. To be that cold and wet and have to exert a lot of strength to squeeze through could have been a bad combination. We had about the same air temps but it was much more pleasant in a wet suit, even a shorty like I had was fine. I never really got chilled until I got back to the car. Great canyon huh? Looking forward to the photos.

Reedus · Joined: 10 Jan 2006 Posts: 497

[quote="rockgremlin"]So, you go into a wet Trail canyon with no wetsuits in January.....

Were you high? :toker:

:roflol:[/quote]

Ya, must've been smokin the same stuff you guys were when you headed into the Squeeze with an imminent thunderstorm and one figure 8 between all of you. Funny as hell to hear Mike and Chuck tell the story.

rockgremlin · Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 4071 Location: Hotel California

Naaaah. We weren't high. We were just young and dumb -- and to some extent following Steve Allen's beta. Have I mentioned I hate Steve Allen?

The Squeeze was probably our first "real" canyon. Learned a lot since then...

Iceaxe · Joined: 07 Mar 2005 Posts: 7806 Location: Local Bordello

rockgremlin wrote: Naaaah. We weren't high. We were just young and dumb

I always love to hear a good "when I was a newbie" story :lol8:

:five: