In Which We Witness Something Awesome

So we went canyoneering again yesterday. I'm pleased with the amount of canyoneering we've been able to do since we've been back from Korea. This time we went back to Bear Canyon and Sundance canyon with a different group of people. It was a great time, and they were just as awesome as I remembered them being, and this time I got to lead the way because I knew exactly where to go, because I have a fantastic sense of direction like that. Anyway, we got to the bottom of Sundance Canyon and I went first on the big 180 foot rappel and got to the bottom just fine. Then it took forever for everyone else to get down. Apparently the new pull cord was having some trouble. New pull cords can be like that. So, while all of that was going on, I started to hear thunder, and before long there was lightning flashing right overhead. As canyoneers, we are taught to fear thunderstorms. They cause the canyoneer's worst nightmare: flash floods. So, there I was, sitting at the bottom of the last rappel, saying, "WHAT is taking them so long?" because at 180 feet down in an echo-y chamber, you really can't communicate, and getting more and more antsy, and probably being more and more of a jerk to the people who had managed to get down by that point. Finally, everyone was down, and we tried to pull the rope so we could get out of there on the quick. And it didn't pull. I put all of my weight into it. I ran like 100 feet back (It's a really dynamic pull cord. I definitely won't be buying one of those, I'll tell you that.) and put all of my weight on it, and like three other people got on the rope, and it did not BUDGE. It didn't move a single inch. Finally we decided we needed to get to higher ground, because the rain was getting harder and harder and I knew that any second a giant wall of death-water was going to come flying out of the top of that rappel and kill all of us. Luckily for us, there was a nice raised (and also covered, which was nice) alcove off to the side of the canyon where a couple climbers were working on a first ascent. From there, we could safely watch the waterworks (that's the water version of fireworks.)

I have to say, always hearing about flash floods and how dangerous they are, I've definitely not wanted to get caught in one, and I've always been careful. However, I have also always wanted to see one. Now my wish has finally come true. I probably should have been a bit more careful this time, but in my defense, we didn't really get caught in the flood. If we had been up in the technical section of the canyon, we would have been in pretty major trouble. However, down where we were, the flood was just awesome. The waterfall on the last rappel of the canyon was just a trickle when we went down it. However, it turned to a 20 foot out waterspout in minutes. In fact, right after we got to high ground. Water started coursing down the canyon walls through every crack visible. It was AWESOME! In both senses of the word. Here are some pictures from the whole day.

Getting started.

The narrows of Bear Canyon

Nancy apparently rappelling from a portal to heaven.

Getting started on Sundance canyon. Still perfectly clear skies. That storm blew in crazy fast.

Sam rappelling. She'll have a helmet next time.

Sarah rappelling. She had her helmet, she just wasn't wearing it for some reason.

Nancy in the narrows.

Showing off my amazing downclimbing skills as I went down to check the depth of this pothole. Everyone else jumped.

Flood! The spout on the left is coming off the last rappel.

Looking downcanyon.

Better view of the canyon's flood. We were totally safe where we were, but it would have
definitely been deadly up in the technical section.

So much water!

So, we were going to wait it out, because I wasn't sure if the creek we had to hike down to get back to the car was going to flood, too, but then we realized that we were in a Scion and the roads could become impassible for us, so we gave the rope a couple more yanks (nothing) and then just trucked it out of there like crazy people. The creek was fine, and we climbed up out of there much faster than we did last time. Now we've posted on every canyoneering and climbing forum we know of to see if anyone has taken our rope down or if they could return it if they find it. It actually wasn't our rope, it was Sarah's but we definitely want to get it back to her. At any rate, that's the latest adventure. Aside from the whole stuck rope thing, it was pretty awesome. I'll leave it at that. This is Captain Danger out.

In Which We Visit a Hot Dam

Well, this post is about a week late, but it turns out that your first year teaching full-time can get pretty busy. Who knew? Anyway, for Labor Day we drove up to Las Vegas to meet Nancy's parents, who have been getting all the work done on our old Honda. It was actually in pretty rough shape, but now it runs great, and while it ended up being fairly expensive, it wasn't the arm and a leg that buying a new car would be. More like a hand and a foot, which we can live with. Anyway, the night before we met them, we met up with Tyler, one of Nancy's friends from high school who she hasn't seen in like 27 years, and his girlfriend Lauren. They were pretty cool. Here's a picture.

I'm pretty sure I need a shirt like that. And I'm totally not joking. It's a fantastic shirt.

The next morning we had breakfast with Nancy's parents and took off, but while we were up there, we visited the Hoover Dam. I've driven past it a couple times before this, and I've wanted to stop but didn't have time. I was fairly impressed. Are there going to be a lot of dam jokes in this post? I'm going to say "certainly" to that question. Anyway, I thought it was cool, and we're glad to have our car back, even if the air-con only kind of works instead of working awesome in the truck we were borrowing. This car drives much faster, and it gets awesome gas mileage. Anyway, here are the dam pictures.

Looking at the bridge from the dam parking garage.

Nancy with the dam in the background.

That's a big dam!

Me with the big dam, and I'd like to point out that not only was it big, it was a HOT DAM!
It was pretty hot out.

Pretty sick gorge and bridge.

Our dam couple picture!

Nancy with Lake Mead in the background.

This is the view from the dam bathroom.

Then we went up on the bridge, which was pretty awesome. I got this sweet picture. I really
like the green water coming out of the bottom.

Another dam couple picture. Note my awesome sunglasses.

Then we stopped at a scenic overlook of the Colorado River.

Then we were almost home and we saw this guy with a stuffed dog in the back of his truck.

Dashboard shot!

And with that, the Chandlers have documented yet another adventure. School has been going well for both of us. My schedule is changing and I'm actually losing both of my fourth grade classes. I'm not overly pleased about that, but in the end it is what it is. That's about all I've got to say about at the moment. Until the next adventure! This is Captain Danger out.

In Which We Get Scratched and Stabbed a Lot

So, it's been another week at school, and by the time the weekend rolls around, we're definitely ready to hit a canyon. This week our friend Sarah suggested one called Headdress Canyon, which is up in the Superstition Mountains. Sarah's a little obsessed with the Superstitions. But, turns out they're pretty cool. Anyway, this canyon was nice. It was really short, had a couple nice rappels, a couple fun downclimbs, and one unavoidable pool of water that was nice on a warm day. Turns out the Superstitions aren't far enough away from the Valley to get away from the heat of said Valley. There were two things that really stood out about this canyon. One, IT WAS LESS THAN AN HOUR AWAY! Seriously, that is fantastic. Back in Provo, the closest canyons are at least three hours out, and most of them are more than four by the time you've done the dirt road driving. This one was seriously less than an hour from our house. Fantastic. Second, we learned today that everything that grows in the Superstition Mountains is pointy. Seriously. Whether it be your saguaros or barrel cacti or prickly pears or just a bush or something, it's all pointy. Also, I marked a milestone with this canyon. It was my 60th canyon. I actually marked a milestone with Sundance Canyon last week that I didn't realize. That one was my 70th canyon descent (counting repeats). So, I'm feeling pretty pleased with myself at this point. At any rate, that's about all I've got to say about this canyon. Let the following pictures tell the story better than my words.

Hello, the Superstition Mountains!

Four Peaks in the background. I intend to climb that mountain at some point.

Rocks! This canyon was actually in limestone. My first limestone canyon!

Arch!

Looking down canyon.

Canyon!

Sarah going down the rabbit hole to the last rappel.

Nancy getting ready for her turn.

Sarah rappelling.

Nancy rappelling.

Our new friend Erin rappelling.

Me on a downclimb. Notice my moobs and gut. I've got the moobs like Jagger.

Looking back at the very pokey bushwack out of the bottom of the canyon.

It looks like this picture was taken crooked, but actually the saguaro is just leaning. Yay
for Arizona canyons!

So, that's that. We're having a great time down here. Tomorrow we're heading to Vegas to trade back Nancy's parents' truck for our trusty old (and I mean old) Honda, which should be nice, because after that we'll be spending a lot less money on gas. But, here's hoping that the two adventures we've had in the past couple weeks are just a precursor to tons that we have down here in the future! So far, despite its frequent pokiness, we're loving Arizona! This is Captain Danger out.