Tuesday, April 22, 2014

April 22, 2014 Ding and Dang Canyon, Utah

These two canyons are rated mostly easy. High winds were predicted for the day. Slot canyons sounded good, we would be sheltered from the wind. It was mostly cloudy and up to 80 degrees.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA         OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

John at the mouth of Ding and Dang Canyons. Ding is to the right and Dang to the left. We started up Ding. It is supposed to be easier.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA         OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

It started out easy, then we had to climb up things. They weren’t too bad.

2014-04-19 002OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Climbing.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA         OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

John is not surfing the rock here, he is transferring his upper body weight from one wall to another and you have to really trust the friction grip with your feet on the rock.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA         OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Near the top there was a line of these huge what would be pools of water when there is water. At the very top were swiss cheese rocks.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA         OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The trail over to Dang Canyon goes by Ding Dang Dome.  Going down Dang canyon we found  this huge balanced rock.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA         OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

We were having lunch and I looked up and this mountain sheep was watching us. There were probably more, but this is the only one we could see. The swell has the largest herd of bighorn sheep in Utah. The canyon continued down, getting more colorful.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA         OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Then Dang we had to start climbing down things. Each one got harder. John is much better at this than I am.  We had to stem, chimney, friction walk and body jam etc to get down. A little past my comfort zone, but once we got so far I could not climb back out, so we just had to keep going.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA         OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

This is the hardest part. You basically have to chimney down this. It looks really far from the top. John chimneyed down, then across over the water.

2014-04-19 0062014-04-19 008

I chimneyed down, then walked in the water. Scared me half to death. Then these two young ladies came along and made it look really easy.  Yes I am a wimp.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA         OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Down and around between big colorful boulders, colorful canyon. And back to the car.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA         OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The sun came out right before sunset and the light was beautiful. Here is the bus in camp. There was so much dust in the air from the wind that the clouds had shadows to the ground.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Sunset was spectacular.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA         OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Flowers we saw today.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA         OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Wild patterns, holes, colors, lines and textures in the rocks.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA         OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Even more. Lots to look at here.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.