Girls Canyoneering Weekend.

   My picture post of the last weekend.  My oldest sister has been involved in quite a few canyoneering adventures in the last couple of years, and she invited us along for the trip. Just the four of us (and I'll explain the nicknames later): my awesome sister (aka: our guide/knot expert), my cousin/sister (aka: dip stick), my twin sister (aka: bad ass), and then me (aka: rappel nut).  This was a quick 48 hour trip. 

   Our 'guide/knot expert' flew in super late Friday, and then 'bad ass' picked her up at the airport, they drove down to pick up me and 'dipstick', then we were off to Manti just for the night (thanks bad ass for the savings!!). We seriously got there around 1:30am and then we were up by 8am to drive down Hwy 12 to Escalante. WOW is all I have to say about that highway drive, one of the prettiest, scenic drives I have ever seen. loved it.

This it Bad Ass. Can you see where she got her name?! You should have see this girl drive on those crazy dirt roads.

   Saturday was getting to Escalante, finding the Outfitters where we would be camping, and then we checked out a few canyons, did a couple of practice rappelling, basic sandstone moves, and other tips to help us be more comfortable for the big adventure.  Honestly we were worried that we would get rained out...that's a later story.

Our before shot, before heading into the slot canyon, Egypt 1.5.

   The gear needed? helmet, harness, ropes, gloves, clothes you don't care about, shoes you don't mind getting roughed up, a backpack with food, water, water, water, first aid, sunscreen, hope I'm not forgetting anything...oh and a lot of guts, not as easy as it looks.

the beginning. sliding into the canyon. 

   This is a slot canyon where we started from the top, worked our way down, and then hiked our way out back to the car.  The total time?? six hours. There were a few tight spots where it took us longer to get down.

  Above picture on the left, that's me...the rappel nut. I love rappelling. If rappelling was an option, I was the first to volunteer, and then I would belay the other down the rope.  The experience was exhilarating, and if you set yourself up correctly, you're in complete control.  The picture on the right was one of the tightest spots we came across. really tight. if you have even the slightest bit of claustrophobia, not a good idea.

   Above on the left we are bridging it across the rocks since there is not walking space underneath us. You have to literally create friction, and then just take your time to get across safely. On the right is our awesome guide/knot expert.  This is our favorite action shot.  If it wasn't for her amazing knot skills, we would not have survived...we always felt safe. The picture is a quick story. She belayed all of us down, and since she was the last one..she ended up sliding down into the nasty orange water. Very nerve-racking, but she did it. We had to go through many many of these gross orange pools.

Just me. the rappel nut. I was having way too much fun.

   Oh! The above left picture is of me, the bad ass and our dip stick. And we say that with all the love there is for that title. Since our cousin is a LOT taller than us, she was usually the one that would go first to check how deep the pools were....hence our dip stick. love you cuz! The picture on the right is towards the end of our hike back up the canyon, we found a ton of boulders.

   Many bruises, scratches, drenched clothes, holes in shirts and pants, scary tight spots, and plenty of "OH SHIT" moments, we survived...our finishing shot...kinda. This was at the bottom of the canyon taking a lunch break before our hike back up, but we accomplished so much that we celebrated with a picture. Love these girls, and love that we're all so close. Unicorns and Glitter!! (inside joke)
   Found out later when we got back into town that the town of Escalante had a huge hail/lightning/thunder storm. We were always keeping an eye on the sky above and were very lucky that we had blue skies/fluffy white clouds only 30-40 miles away from that storm. You do not want to be stuck in a slot canyon if rain is even a factor. After a quick MUCH needed shower, we packed up, jumped back on hwy 12, and headed for home.  Once again...one of the most beautiful highways. We were lucky to drive the whole thing that weekend. The highway takes you through Bryce Canyon, which I've always wanted to see...now I've technically been through it. Anyway...great weekend and an amazing experience. have more pictures posted on facebook if you want to see more!