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- Joined
- Feb 15, 2013
- Messages
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All trip reports in this series:
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
Day 1 & 2
Having been a "bit player" in the Grand Canyon slot explorations, I had listened in and gathered, that with the Great Thumb closed to access, that a combo of 150 Mile Canyon, Matkatamebia, Panameta and Olo, with a jaunt back up 150 Mile, was considered by those in the know, to be a real classic. I had done Matkat and Panameta already, so I knew that they were worth the "price of admission all by themselves.
Still it seemed a lot to take on. Not only did one have to bring hiking and camping gear, a full compliment of canyoneering gear, helmet, harness, webbing, wetsuit and much more, we would need pack raft gear for a crossing of the river and the float from Olo back to 150. So with packs headed toward and sometimes over 50 pounds, it seemed an extra day would be prudent. Ah but then you need more food. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. It would have been easy for me to allow this trip to slip from the "dance card," knowing so many other fine and less demanding places to go on the plateau. But Jenny would not let me get away with my laziness and I was forced to embrace the daunting logistics and make it happen.
Jenny and I have a combined 120+ years on the planet, so I thought it prudent to recruit the young, the strong, the spirited and all with an "abundance" of personality. Joining us were Bucky Glubitz, Mark Burnham, Aron Ralston and Matt Brechja. Six to go and for 7 days. We gathered near Fredonia on March 6th, organized group gear, crammed into 2 vehicles and drove for hours to the trail head at 150 Mile Canyon. We embarked at 2 PM.
Ahhh the Grand Canyon. Where almost no step is free of much needed concentration. Hiking on bowling balls. Knee brace and ski poles give me a fighting chance. We hike for only 3.5 hours, past a few fine Supai sites to the top of the Redwall and camp. I have no shelter. None of us do. With a good forecast for the week, with this night being the most "iffy," we take our chances. I tuck in under a ledge. Others sleep in the open. So I get to watch, all snuggled in my nook, everyone scramble at 3 AM when the rain came. It did not last long and we had clear weather the rest of the trip, making the choice not to bring shelter, one that worked.
The next AM, we decided to drop into the slot immediately, bypassing the bypass for two rappels. Over the next few miles, we waded and swam the redwall slot and set the rappels with parachute cord and notes asking that the cord be left for our return up the canyon 5 days later. We also directly descended other bypass-able narrows, with several rappels, further down canyon. 150 mile canyon is perhaps the longest slot I have been in in the Grand Canyon if you add the Muav and Temple Butte layers to the Redwall. We used metal mesh bags to leave a cache of food, near where the North Fork comes in, for our return trip later in the week.
Near the bottom of 150, we traverse a thin ledge with full packs. Or at least everyone but me did. I got Mark to take my pack. Age has its privileges. On the river corridor now, we had hoped to cross toward Matkat Hotel area. But we were running out of daylight. When a member of the crew slipped and got a barrel cactus puncture, we availed ourselves of the a small and pretty drainage, with water pockets, to call it a night. Spirits remain high, but i wonder. Did we leave enough time for the adventure?
To be continued.......Pictures below
The crew
looking down 150 from the trail head
Bucky is the referee
Fossils abound
Jenny and the reflections...If I carried the same body weight to pack weight ratio, i would have carried over 75 pounds
The nightly hearts game
1st night's camp
Brechja-your-face makes a point
Redwall shine in 150 Mile Canyon
Jenny and Aron rapping
Jenny
Bucky
Wet limestone Beauty
More of the same
More
Orange and white
Mark
Setting the raps for the return
Mr. Brechja in the Temple Butte
Temple Butte is lovely
Aron on rap
Mark pulling the rope
Big pack raps
Reflected sunlight
On a bench above the river
2nd camp
Matt relaxing....does he night fart?
The full album on Picasa
https://picasaweb.google.com/108034287150978265447/150MatkatPanametaOloPart136714
All trip reports in this series:
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
Featured image for home page:
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
Day 1 & 2
Having been a "bit player" in the Grand Canyon slot explorations, I had listened in and gathered, that with the Great Thumb closed to access, that a combo of 150 Mile Canyon, Matkatamebia, Panameta and Olo, with a jaunt back up 150 Mile, was considered by those in the know, to be a real classic. I had done Matkat and Panameta already, so I knew that they were worth the "price of admission all by themselves.
Still it seemed a lot to take on. Not only did one have to bring hiking and camping gear, a full compliment of canyoneering gear, helmet, harness, webbing, wetsuit and much more, we would need pack raft gear for a crossing of the river and the float from Olo back to 150. So with packs headed toward and sometimes over 50 pounds, it seemed an extra day would be prudent. Ah but then you need more food. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. It would have been easy for me to allow this trip to slip from the "dance card," knowing so many other fine and less demanding places to go on the plateau. But Jenny would not let me get away with my laziness and I was forced to embrace the daunting logistics and make it happen.
Jenny and I have a combined 120+ years on the planet, so I thought it prudent to recruit the young, the strong, the spirited and all with an "abundance" of personality. Joining us were Bucky Glubitz, Mark Burnham, Aron Ralston and Matt Brechja. Six to go and for 7 days. We gathered near Fredonia on March 6th, organized group gear, crammed into 2 vehicles and drove for hours to the trail head at 150 Mile Canyon. We embarked at 2 PM.
Ahhh the Grand Canyon. Where almost no step is free of much needed concentration. Hiking on bowling balls. Knee brace and ski poles give me a fighting chance. We hike for only 3.5 hours, past a few fine Supai sites to the top of the Redwall and camp. I have no shelter. None of us do. With a good forecast for the week, with this night being the most "iffy," we take our chances. I tuck in under a ledge. Others sleep in the open. So I get to watch, all snuggled in my nook, everyone scramble at 3 AM when the rain came. It did not last long and we had clear weather the rest of the trip, making the choice not to bring shelter, one that worked.
The next AM, we decided to drop into the slot immediately, bypassing the bypass for two rappels. Over the next few miles, we waded and swam the redwall slot and set the rappels with parachute cord and notes asking that the cord be left for our return up the canyon 5 days later. We also directly descended other bypass-able narrows, with several rappels, further down canyon. 150 mile canyon is perhaps the longest slot I have been in in the Grand Canyon if you add the Muav and Temple Butte layers to the Redwall. We used metal mesh bags to leave a cache of food, near where the North Fork comes in, for our return trip later in the week.
Near the bottom of 150, we traverse a thin ledge with full packs. Or at least everyone but me did. I got Mark to take my pack. Age has its privileges. On the river corridor now, we had hoped to cross toward Matkat Hotel area. But we were running out of daylight. When a member of the crew slipped and got a barrel cactus puncture, we availed ourselves of the a small and pretty drainage, with water pockets, to call it a night. Spirits remain high, but i wonder. Did we leave enough time for the adventure?
To be continued.......Pictures below
The crew
looking down 150 from the trail head
Bucky is the referee
Fossils abound
Jenny and the reflections...If I carried the same body weight to pack weight ratio, i would have carried over 75 pounds
The nightly hearts game
1st night's camp
Brechja-your-face makes a point
Redwall shine in 150 Mile Canyon
Jenny and Aron rapping
Jenny
Bucky
Wet limestone Beauty
More of the same
More
Orange and white
Mark
Setting the raps for the return
Mr. Brechja in the Temple Butte
Temple Butte is lovely
Aron on rap
Mark pulling the rope
Big pack raps
Reflected sunlight
On a bench above the river
2nd camp
Matt relaxing....does he night fart?
The full album on Picasa
https://picasaweb.google.com/108034287150978265447/150MatkatPanametaOloPart136714
All trip reports in this series:
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
Featured image for home page:
