2012 Adventure # 4: The Jug

After camping at the base of Devil's Chasm, we headed to the Jug. Bo stayed in the car...dogs can't rappel....or flush toilets...they lack opposable thumbs. Anyway,   I've descended this technical canyon (1 rappel) before and would definitely have considered it a beginner canyon with some gorgeous granite walls.  Matt also had descended the canyon separate from me and would have agreed prior to this trip that it is indeed beginner territory.  Problem:  Water levels were very high.  We didn't realize this until we were past the point of no return and had to keep descending.  At one point we were both clinging to a crack on a canyon wall struggling against a current that wanted to pull us over a 12 foot fall onto the rocks below.  Luckily, Matt is a skilled climber and was able to pull a very difficult move in order to scramble out of that section.  He then pulled me out.  At this point, we both new that this situation was very real.  It was time to bring our A game.  Little to no margin of error.   2 hours of stress, worry, quality teamwork, plus a rappel (in which I was battered by a heavy waterfall) later, we began the climb to canyon rim.  The Jug is an amazing

canyon.  Just avoid it in high water. 

The start of Jug as seen from the rim

                                                     

Matt attempts to move mountains

The one and only rappel had a pretty strong waterfall in the descent zone.  In fact, there are two anchors depending on water levels.  We had to follow a hand line across an exposed cliff band to the high water anchor and descend from there.  My belay device was sticking so I got a good pummeling by what I can only describe as several fire hoses at full blast.  Above is a shot of Matt doing the same rappel minus the beating (I tell myself his gri-gri (type of belay device) made the difference but maybe he's just a better rappeler than I am)

This shot is from Fall, 2011 and is provided for  purposes of contrast.  Note the waterfall in the shot previous to this.  Same chute here but so deliquent of water that we could rappel directly down it. .....canyons change based on water levels....who knew?