Courtesy of Ms. Malia McIlvenna. Cheers.

The crew ready to roll in the parking lot. Canyoneering, moreso than most outdoor activities, attracts an interesting group of folks.

On the second Freezefest-New Year’s trip through the Black Hole, two epic log jams were discovered. 70 feet tall, filling the entire canyon for 100 feet. Climbing over (and rapping down the other side) was not exactly safe, but for one jam was mandatory. The crew that year also encountered the fascinating canyon phenomenon that is “log soup.” Envision a thicker version of the trash compactor scene from Star Wars, butin water over your head. You must tread water and shuttle logs up and around you, because as the water level drops due to evaporation, the logs fill every minute bit of surface area on the water. Hard work, and can vastly increase time in the water. This sign, bolted and epoxied to the boulder near the bottom of the entrance trail, kindly asks you to not be a dumbass and kill yourself, right in time for conditions to resume “normal” (no logs) this year.

Our PSA: canyons are shaped by floods, and more relevantly reshaped. Beware.

Me wading into the action. Note 3mm neoprene gloves (with holes), fuzzy rubber skull cap, and drysuit. Along with 2mm neoprene socks, allows the enjoyment of stupid-cold water in the middle of winter.

Jared Hillhouse (San Juan co. deputy) exiting one of the numerous swimming pools. Many who went through the day with thin gloves swam backwards, using the drybag in the pack for flotation and keeping the hands dry. Jared’s finding of the beach with his butt demonstrates the inefficiencies of this technique.